IMAX Corporation is a Canadian theatre company which designs and manufactures
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
cameras and
projection
Projection, projections or projective may refer to:
Physics
* Projection (physics), the action/process of light, heat, or sound reflecting from a surface to another in a different direction
* The display of images by a projector
Optics, graphic ...
systems as well as performing film development, production, post-production and distribution to
IMAX-affiliated theatres worldwide. Founded in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
in 1967, it has headquarters in the
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
area, and operations in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
As of December 2019, there were 1,624 IMAX theatres located in 81 countries, of which 1,529 were in commercial multiplexes.
These include IMAX variations such as
IMAX 3D,
IMAX Dome
IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately eithe ...
, and
Digital IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
. The CEO is
Richard Gelfond
Richard L. Gelfond (born July 1955) is the chief executive of IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is a Canadian theatre company which designs and manufactures IMAX cameras and projection systems as well as performing film development, production ...
.
History
IMAX is a Canadian corporation that is based in
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
. The company was founded in 1967 when three filmmakers—
Graeme Ferguson,
Roman Kroitor
Roman Kroitor (December 12, 1926 – September 17, 2012) was a Canadian filmmaker who was known as an early practitioner of ''cinéma vérité'', as co-founder of IMAX, and as creator of the Sandde hand-drawn stereoscopic animation system. ...
and
Robert Kerr—incorporated IMAX Corporation. The idea and the new technology, which resulted in the birth of the company, came from the multi-screen productions of Roman Kroitor, Colin Low and Hugh O'Connor.
In the Labyrinth' and Ferguson's ''Man and the Polar Regions'' (on which Robert Kerr collaborated), both screened at the
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...
.
From their experience, Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor and Robert Kerr realized that new technology would be necessary to develop a larger and more complex project than previously seen. As a result, they sought an engineer named William Shaw in 1968
(he had gone to
Galt Collegiate Institute in
Galt, Ontario
Galt is a community in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario on the Grand River. Prior to 1973, it was an independent city, incorporated in 1915, but amalgamation with the town of Hespeler, Ontario, the to ...
, now Cambridge, with Ferguson and Kerr) to help develop this technology. Shaw created this new projector that allowed for films to have exceptionable quality and to be ten times larger than conventional
35mm picture frames.
The first movie IMAX Corporation produced using this new technology was ''
Tiger Child
''Tiger Child'' ( ja, 虎の仔 ''Tora no ko'') was the first IMAX movie ever made. It was directed by Canadian filmmaker Donald Brittain and produced by Roman Kroitor and Kichi Ichikawa. It premiered at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan
is a desig ...
'', which was featured at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan.
It was because of the multi-screen viewing that Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor and Robert Kerr wanted to create a theatre with giant screens, surround sound and stadium seating.
William Shaw was instrumental in helping IMAX Corporation fulfill its ambitions in creating larger and more realistic experiences for audience which included oversized screens, surround sound and steep seating for better viewing.
Shaw remained at IMAX (although officially retired) as a designer and inventor until his passing on August 31, 2002 at the age of 73.
Before retiring, Shaw created a 3D camera which was sent to the International Space Station for
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
films.
In 1994, investment bankers Gelfond and Bradley Wechsler acquired IMAX Corporation through a leveraged buyout and publicly listed the company on the NASDAQ stock exchange. IMAX then began to focus their abilities on attracting Hollywood production houses. Another engineer at IMAX Corporation, Brian Bonnick, Chief Technology Officer at IMAX Corporation, developed technologies that made it possible for the worldwide IMAX to produce major Hollywood films.
More flexible technology required by that industry led to the development of the
IMAX DMR (Digital Re-Mastering), which was able to adapt quickly in various locations. Newer technology followed, including the IMAX Experience and the IMAX MPX theatre system. Revamped IMAX 2D footage has been transferred into
IMAX 3D.
In September 2022, IMAX Corporation acquired streaming technology company Ssimwave for $21 million in a cash and stock deal.
Recent milestones
* In April 2009, Gelfond became the sole IMAX CEO and Wechsler moved into the role of chairman of the board of directors.
* Later in 2009, IMAX participated in the movie ''
Avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
'', to which the company credits its mainstream Hollywood success.
* In March 2011, IMAX noted that China's Wanda Cinema Line announced a 75-theatre deal with IMAX Corporation.
* In 2012, IMAX opened its first location in Tianjin, China.
* On October 8, 2015, IMAX China, a subsidiary of the company, was listed on the
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK, also known as Hong Kong Stock Exchange) is a stock exchange based in Hong Kong. As of the end of 2020, it has 2,538 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of HK$47 trillion. It is repor ...
. According to ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' and ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', "IMAX China raised $248Million in its initial public offering," which was the "bottom of
heindicative price range."
* , there were 1,624 theatres in 81 countries and territories.
[
]
Co-productions
In November 2016, Marvel Television
Marvel Television was an American television production company responsible for live-action and animated (through Marvel Animation) television shows and direct-to-DVD series based on characters from Marvel Comics. The division was based at affi ...
and IMAX announced the live action television series '' Marvel's Inhumans'', based on the superhero race of the same name. The series, co-produced with ABC Studios
ABC Signature is an American television Filmmaking#Production, production studio that is a subsidiary of Disney Television Studios, a division of Walt Disney Television, which is part of the List of assets owned by The Walt Disney Company#Disne ...
, saw IMAX serve as a financing partner, a first for IMAX, which allowed Marvel to spend more on the series than it had on its other television series, especially for visual effects. The entire series was filmed with IMAX digital cameras. ''Inhumans'' debuted an edited specific for theatrical-release version of the first two episodes. The episodes debuted on IMAX screens in theatres worldwide in September 2017, with the series airing weekly on ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
afterwards. After the poor reception to the IMAX version of the first two episodes and a box office gross of $3.5million, Richard Gelfond said, "Going forward, we intend to take a more conservative approach consistent with the ''Game of Thrones'' approach to capital investments and content. We will be more conservative when considering whether to invest our own capital; and if so, to what extent."
See also
* 3net
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is a Canadian theatre company which designs and manufactures IMAX cameras and projection systems as well as performing film development, production, post-production and distribution to IMAX-affiliated theatres worldwide. Founde ...
3D imaging
Movie theatre chains in Canada
Technology companies established in 1967
Canadian companies established in 1967
Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Movie theatre chains in the United States
Entertainment companies established in 1967
1967 establishments in Quebec
Companies based in Mississauga
Recipients of the Scientific and Technical Academy Award of Merit