IMAX / 65mm / 15-perf
THE KEIGHLEY
The camera behind the first film shot entirely on IMAX.
01 — The format
15/70
15-perforation 65mm film — “IMAX 15/70,” the largest format in cinema. It moves more than five feet of film a second. That speed is exactly why it’s so loud.
- Frame
- 70.41 × 52.63 mm
- Pull-down
- 15 perforations, horizontal
- Transport
- 5.6 ft / s at 24 fps
- Negative area
- ~10× a standard 35mm frame
02 — Anatomy
EVERY PART
Built from carbon fibre rather than the old aluminium housings. Hover a part to isolate it.
03 — The noise problem
THE BLIMP
Even quieter than before, it was still too loud for dialogue, so IMAX built a soundproof housing — the “blimp.” Fully rigged, the system weighs 300–400 lb and needs steel-plated dollies.
04 — Eyelines
THE MIRROR
PERISCOPE
The blimp was so wide it blocked the actors’ eyelines. On tight two-shots, Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema mounted a double-mirror periscope so the actors could hold eye contact through reflections — with the huge camera between them.
05 — The making of
Nolan challenged IMAX to build a camera that could shoot an entire feature — dialogue and all. They delivered.
“If ever there were a story where you want to do the whole thing on IMAX, this is it.”
Christopher Nolan
06 — Roll camera
SHOOT THE ODYSSEY
Drag, or use WASD / arrow keys, to track the ship
THE KEIGHLEY
Named for David Keighley — five decades at IMAX, post-production on over 500 films.