To make The Odyssey, the director decided to push cinematic technology to the limit, and the result is a film that is literally making history. The Odyssey became the first narrative feature film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. The goal was for the story of Odysseus to feel as epic as his legendary journey. 🎥
Nolan needed a special camera. IMAX film cameras are renowned for their exceptional quality but are also known for being large and noisy. To achieve his vision, the technology had to adapt to the director rather than the other way around, leading to the following advancements:
• New generation of cameras: A new platform of IMAX cameras (known as the Keighley Film Camera) was developed; these were lighter, optimized units using 70mm film stock.
• Advanced soundproofing: Traditional IMAX cameras were so loud that they could not be used to record live dialogue. Nolan worked with IMAX to create a massive soundproofing system (a “blimp”) weighing between 150 and 180 kilograms; this silenced the camera, allowing for the recording of dialogue and synchronized sound during intimate close-ups inches from the actors’ faces without background noise.
• Mirror system: Due to the large size of the soundproofing housing, Nolan employed a mirror system that allowed actors to maintain direct eye contact during scenes, even with the massive camera positioned between them.
• Ultra-high-resolution film stock: The production eschewed excessive digital effects and green screens, utilizing over 640 kilometers of Kodak film, which offers a resolution up to ten times higher than traditional cinema formats. In other words, approximately 2.1 million feet of IMAX film were used to shoot The Odyssey a distance greater than the journey between Toronto and New York. 🎞️
• Mechanical projection: To preserve analog purity, the film is edited traditionally by physically cutting and splicing the celluloid and is projected at peak quality in a select few 70mm IMAX theaters capable of displaying a square 1.43:1 aspect ratio. That is why the screen matters SO MUCH here; The movie was created with the IMAX experience in mind, featuring visuals designed to take advantage of large-format screens and make the story’s landscapes, battles, and settings feel truly grand. In short: the bigger the screen, the more epic the experience, even though the film also has a version edited for social media.
This is a story from thousands of years ago, yet told using the technology of the future. The tale of Odysseus stems from a literary tradition spanning millennia. Now, Christopher Nolan has brought it to the big screen using IMAX film cameras, technology developed specifically for the production, and a visual scale designed to make the audience feel as though they are part of the journey.
Con la nueva IMAX, the stories of yesterday are told using the technology of today.
