We’re just a few weeks away from the much-anticipated release of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, and I am fired up to see the story continue. Over the last several years, the shared universe monster franchise has gone from wacky idea to ultra-popular series thanks to a stream of good movies, and the latest installment looks ready to build off all that success. It also looks like a visual marvel, which should come as no surprise to anyone who saw the earlier movies. It’s among the most spectacular-looking franchises we have; so, ahead of the movie, we decided to visit the IMAX headquarters in Los Angeles and Toronto to find out why it looks so good.
While there, we got a chance to sit with and interview a bunch of IMAX’s leading scientists who walked us through the process of supporting movies like Godzilla X Kong. It turns out that support starts all the way at the beginning with picking out the right camera. IMAX spends countless hours every year testing new camera models and figuring out what delivers the best picture on their premium format screens. Then, they partner with many of the biggest blockbusters of the year to use those cameras and shoot footage designed directly to go to IMAX. Here’s how Director Of Camera Operations David Kempling described those testing processes to us…
We take those cameras, and we put them through a testing process, both in the laboratory and in a real scene with human subjects. We test the cameras for their exposure latitude, for their dynamic range and for the qualities that we need to see from them in order for them to meet our standards. When we say that something is shot with digital certified cameras, we’re confident (those camera models) meet our criteria.
That interview was part of a much longer one we did on The Science of IMAX. During it, Kempling also talked about how their goal at IMAX is to make the audience feel like they’re peeking over a fence into another yard to see the story unfold. That’s different than the window analogy people have typically associated with cameras, and it helps give a sense of that freedom of movement better cameras and larger screens can give filmmakers. You can check out more of our interview below, as well as shots from Godzilla X Kong that hint at the expansive wonder you’ll see on the big screen.
When movie fans talk about the cinematography or an individual shot in a particular movie, that conversation is typically framed from an artistic standpoint. They’re appreciating what the Director Of Photography is doing with angles or perspectives or color schemes and how, in that specific moment, that creative choice is helping to make the scene pop. That creative process, however, starts with choosing the right camera that can deliver the required shot, and that’s what IMAX is there to help them do.
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire hits theaters on March 29th. You can find it in IMAX at your local AMC Theater.
The preceding content was created as part of a larger partnership with IMAX and AMC Theaters.