Avatar 2 will be available to watch in IMAX theatres, but the film was shot for IMAX with a Sony CineAlta Venice camera and not an IMAX camera.
The first Avatar film made waves when it was released and it still does for the innovative filming techniques and technologies that were used in the film.
The Avatar 2 film follows in its predecessor’s footsteps. The film was filmed for IMAX with a special Sony CineAlta Venice 3D system that was able film underwater.
Why is the Avatar franchise so popular?
The first James Cameron Avatar film, which was released in 2009, faced some backlash for its predictable plot, but even the film’s harshest critics could not deny that the stunning visuals of the film were ground-breaking for their time.
The 3D technology and motion-capture CGI that were created for Avatar earned the 2009 film the title of the highest-grossing film of all time.
Avatar reclaimed this title recently with its fourth re-release in theatres, which earned $75.5 million worldwide. This brought the film’s total earnings to just under $3 billion.
Was Avatar 2 shot in IMAX?
Avatar: The Way of Water (or just Avatar 2) will finally be released in the United States on 16 December 2022, 13 years after the release of the first film.
Since the first Avatar film and James Cameron are now synonymous with 3D filmmaking, people have been very curious about how the second film in the franchise was filmed.
Avatar 2 is advertised as providing audiences with “The IMAX 3D Experience”, which James Cameron hopes will breathe new life into 3D films again.
James Cameron and his team used a range of different unconventional cinematographic methodologies while filming Avatar 2, the most important of which was the Sony CineAlta VENICE 3D system.
They used this system to film the movie in IMAX and the director’s creative solutions for filming a majority of the film under water.
Since there are so few “real” IMAX 65mm film cameras in existence, IMAX has certified a small number of other digital cameras, including Sony CineAlta Venice, which are approved to shoot films for IMAX theatres if the production of the film is supervised by IMAX, like in the case of Avatar 2.
In this sense, it is more accurate to say that Avatar 2 was filmed for IMAX instead of saying it was shot with IMAX. However, the film will be available to watch in IMAX theatres regardless of this technicality.
The difference between “filmed for” and “shot with” IMAX films
IMAX theatres and films have always been known for their stunning visual quality, sound quality, and vivid colours.
However, there are only a few films that can be shot on true IMAX 65mm film cameras since there are only a few of these cameras. These films are referred to as shot with IMAX films.
However, in order to keep IMAX theatres full, the company will also allow other “filmed with” IMAX movies to be shown in their theatres.
This is under the condition that these films were shot on specific, highly-capable cameras that are certified by IMAX and IMAX can control the best protocols and practices for shooting in this format.
Which filming setup was used to shoot Avatar 2?
For Avatar 2 to be considered an IMAX 3D film, it was shot with several of the IMAX-certified multiple Sony CineAlta Venice film cameras, which were specially rigged to various 3D stereoscopic beams that all came together to form the Sony CineAlta Venice 3D system.
To add to this already convoluted system, the cameras were also adapted so that they could film underwater, since, as the name of the film implies, the majority of the scenes were filmed in tanks of water.
Is it really necessary to watch Avatar 2 in IMAX theatres?
Most modern films are filmed and screened to be in widescreen format, which is usually expressed as a 2.39:1 ration.
However, IMAX films have an aspect ratio of 1:90:1 and the company claims that this gives audiences 26 percent more picture for selected sequences.
This causes more action and detail to be visible on the theatre screen, which is especially important for a film like Avatar 2, where the creators behind the film pay close attention to detail in crafting the entire world that the film takes place in.
On top of the visual enhancements, IMAX theatres also have a steeper configuration, which enhances and improves the acoustics and audio performance of the film.
This is why most experts insist that viewers should watch Avatar 2 in an IMAX 3D theatre if they want to get the best possible experience of the film.