Nolan didn't invent IMAX, but he has revolutionized the way Hollywood uses this technology. While IMAX used to be a format that was mostly utilized for documentaries and special events, it became the benchmark for the production of mainstream films because of Nolan's passion for large-format cinema. In close to twenty years of film-making career, the award-winning director managed to push both Hollywood studios and IMAX technology to new levels of performance. While previous Nolan's films were using the IMAX format to make the movie-watching experience even more realistic, the director's new film has broken yet another record by becoming the first movie in IMAX film format.
It All Started With The Dark Knight
Nolan's use of IMAX cameras started off with his film "The Dark Knight" (2008), in which some of the action scenes were shot using IMAX cameras. Shooting films using IMAX cameras was virtually unknown back then since IMAX cameras were heavy, noisy, and challenging to handle. The impressive outcome from Nolan's film convinced everyone that IMAX cameras can create an impact that other camera formats cannot. It prompted many Hollywood filmmakers to start shooting action scenes using IMAX cameras.
Nolan Kept Pushing the Technology Forward
Nolan did not consider IMAX merely as a gimmick; on the contrary, he increased its scope in each new work. The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer contained larger shares shot on IMAX. Practical effects, real locations, and film photography pushed IMAX camera manufacturers to create quiet and light devices able to record dialogue scenes.
In The Odyssey, Nolan took this collaboration to a new level shooting his movie entirely with the help of IMAX cameras specially designed for this movie. This innovation became a technical break-through that allowed to overcome some limitations which restricted the full utilization of the format in a single feature.
IMAX Became a Box Office Event
Nolan has also transformed the way audiences approach premium formats. These days, many people who watch movies eagerly go to see Nolan films in IMAX. Special 70mm IMAX screenings of his films sell out all the time, transforming movie releases into a big event. The same pattern can be noticed for the promotion of The Odyssey, which received incredible advance demand even before its release because of special IMAX screenings. This success has motivated movie production companies to produce premium screenings more often.
Nolan's Influence Goes Beyond His Own Films
Christopher Nolan's devotion to IMAX has inspired an entire generation of filmmakers. Hollywood directors now feel comfortable shooting critical scenes if not entire movies on premium screens, realizing that viewers will gladly spend more money for a truly cinematic experience. Although IMAX has been around for years prior to Christopher Nolan, his movies showed how this technology could be utilized in mainstream movies. With the perfect blend of narrative and technology, Nolan demonstrated that there is still something that cannot be done at home.
Final Take
Collaboration between Christopher Nolan and IMAX has defined contemporary blockbusters. It began when he created the first ever narrative in IMAX with The Dark Knight film, and it culminated with The Odyssey, the first ever major film to be shot completely in IMAX format. In other words, Nolan embraced not only IMAX but revolutionized it.