
The genius of Christopher Nolan has always given the
world many cinematic gold whenever he stood behind the camera. His unique
ability to take a complex narrative and blend it with
visual prowess and emotional depth is what always sets Nolan apart. His last phenomenal success that came with Oppenheimer
is now
set to be reiterated with his upcoming The
Odyssey.
But recently, the news of
The Odyssey
being the first movie to be fully shot on IMAX has created much
confusion.
Gaining wide
popularity for shooting on IMAX earlier, was this achievement of Oppenheimer
just a hoax? Let us find out the truth behind this.
Oppenheimer and The Odyssey: A confusing tangle of IMAX issue
Firstly, to
put all the rumors at ease, yes, Oppenheimer
was shot on IMAX, but not all of
it. IMAX was used extensively in the movie by cinematographer
Hoyte van Hoytema for many scenes, who gave the world some award-winning visuals
using the following- IMAX MSM 9802 and IMAX MKIV as the primary cameras. Panavision Panaflex System 65 Studio as panvision cameras, including Panavision Sphero 65 and System 65 Lenses, and IMAX Snorkel Lens, and using Photo-Sonics Cameras as high-speed cameras for explosions.
Nolan is an
admirer of the big-screen format, something he has used on his other
directorial features, including Dunkirk
, Interstellar
, The
Dark
Knight
movies, and Tenet
. But even the genius of Nolan could not
shoot an entire movie on the big and loud IMAX cameras. The lighter versions
with digital IMAX cameras have been used in recent films like Thunderbolts*
and 2025’s Superman
. But
Nolan took this problem head-on and, for the upcoming The
Odyssey
, challenged the
company to come up with lighter versions.
Christopher
Nolan’s trust in the company is big time as IMAX has processed the cameras’ 70 mm
film stock, making shooting The
Odyssey
a left-hand game for the director.
The Odyssey to take on the world with end-to-end IMAX coverage
The new IMAX
cameras prepared by the company are said to be 30 percent quieter compared to
the earlier ones and comparatively lighter as well. With the use of the evolved
ones, film scanning and processing techniques will get a faster turnaround for
dailies, effectively saving time and cutting long schedules. As per IMAX CEO
Rich Gelfond, Christopher Nolan called him and asked him to figure out how to
solve the problems, as he had plans to make The
Odyssey
100 percent in
IMAX, and the end result came out stunning.
He also informed that the new cameras are currently
reserved for The
Odyssey’s
shoot, but once finished, IMAX will begin renting
them out to other directors as well. Already at work, The
Odyssey
is expected to be a worthy successor after Oppenheimer
in the womb. And add IMAX to this mix, the upcoming movie is rightly expected to be nothing short of phenomenal.
What are your thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
and
Oppenheimer
shot on IMAX? Share with us below.