3D IMAX theatre to give Ahmedabadis an eyeful in Aug

With the new Science City, off Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway, scheduled to open in August, it’s ‘edutainment’ time for residents of the city along with some visual treat. For, the Science City aims to take visitors on a tour through the fascinating world of physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy and other life sciences.

But, the greatest attraction of the Science City will be the first-ever 3D IMAX theatre in the country, which is also a part of the project.

The IMAX theatre is being constructed over an area of two hectares to accommodate around 650 seats for 2D films and around 556 seats for 3D films.

Vice-President (Sales) of IMAX Corporation Jim Patterson says, ‘‘IMAX is unique in itself and it will appeal to people of all age groups. There are more than 220 IMAX theatres across 28 countries and now, this is going to be the first 3D IMAX theatre in the country.’’

Elaborating on the speciality of IMAX theatres, he said, ‘‘The IMAX screens are giant-sized, almost 20 metres in height which is equivalent to the height of an eight-storeyed building. The sound system is four times the wattage of the best Dolby system. The images on the screen are 10 times larger than the conventional 35 mm screen. Thus, the IMAX images are unsurpassed in clarity and impact and they give the audience a feeling of being out there.’’

Patterson further explains how the 3D system works, ‘The 3D technology is based on human vision. It mimics the way we see the real world. When we look at an object, each eye sees a slightly different view and then our brain fuses them together into a single 3D image. Similarly, with 3D technology, the scenes are shot with two separate camera lenses. The images from both the projectors are then shown on the screen simultaneously. Specially designed glasses are given to viewers and these glasses separate the two images so that the right eye sees the right image and the left eye sees the left image,’’ he said.

Patterson said that the conversion of live action from 35 mm films can now be made possible by the DMR technology of IMAX. ‘‘The 3D IMAX image gives vivid details that are not visible on 35 mm film. Already, the Hollywood interest has been aroused and many of the Walt Disney films like Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, etc are being converted into 3D films.’’

He did not rule out the possibity of converting Bollywood films into 3D IMAX films and said, ‘‘The technology is there and it may be possible sometime.’’

Principal Secretary of the Gujarat Council of Science City, (IT) J S Rana said, ‘‘The Science City aims to facilitate edutainment, that is education through entertainment. For this purpose, the Gujarat Government has invested Rs 30 crore on the 3D IMAX theatre.’’

Republished from The Indian Express