What Does “IMAX” Mean?

We’ve all heard about movies filmed in IMAX, or heard in movie trailers “see it in IMAX” and then looked at a series of confusing diagrams depicting various aspect ratios and theater screen sizes (typically made by fans). But do you know exactly what “IMAX” means? 

IMAX means:

• large format film cameras
• but it also can means large format film
• but it also can mean a big digital camera

But IMAX also means:


• a very big theater screen
• but it also can mean a regular-sized theater screen (a.k.a. “LieMAX”)
• but it also can mean a movie on a home streaming platform that has the exact same pixel dimensions, data rate, file format, and encoding specs as non-IMAX content (“IMAX Enhanced”)

But IMAX also means:

• film projection
• but it can also mean digital projection

But IMAX also means:

• a tall aspect ratio (1.90)
• but it also can mean a different tall aspect ratio (1.43)
• but It also can mean a mixture of aspect ratios in a single movie (alternating between 1.90 and 2.35, 1.9 and 1.85, 1.43 and 2.35, 1.43 and 1.78, for example)

But IMAX also means:

• a movie that was shot with non-IMAX cameras (sometimes 2K, almost always digital cameras) that alternates between aspect ratios that plays in big or regular theaters) (“Filmed for IMAX™, most Marvel movies, the first two “Dune” movies, etc.)
• but it can also mean a movie that was partially shot with IMAX cameras and 2K digital or 35mm that alternates between aspect ratios that plays in big or regular theaters (“Oppenheimer”, “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol”, “Sinners”, etc.) 
• but it can also mean a movie that was fully shot with IMAX cameras that has a consistent aspect ratio* that plays in big theaters or regular theaters (“The Odyssey” is the first feature film ever to claim this, and *we don’t yet know if it will have a consistent aspect ratio or even what aspect ratio will be shown in regular theaters or home video)

But today, “IMAX” most frequently means a movie shot on digital cameras and mastered in 2K (and potentially uprezzed to 4K for certain shots) that sometimes has a taller aspect ratio, seen in a regular-sized theater.

So, it’s super clear what “IMAX” means. 

Oscar Pool Ballot, 98th Academy Awards

It's time for the Awesomest Oscar Pool Ballot In The History Of Oscar Pool Ballots.

Every year I create a special ballot based on a typical Academy Awards printable ballot -- but on my ballot, each category has a different point value. The highest valued category is "Best Picture," while the mainstream films' categories are valued at two points. The non-mainstream categories (like the documentary and short film categories) are valued at one point.

With this system, in a tight race for the winner of the pool, the winner most likely would not be determined by the non-mainstream films (in other words, blind guesses).

Special note: with the addition of the new Casting award, the total point value is now 45 points. 

Download the ballot here for the 98th Academy Awards and use it at your Oscar party.

click here for larger

And if you're wondering why Tom Cruise is on my ballot... he's been on every one of my Oscar ballots. Because he's soooooooooo cool.

Why Didn’t They “Just” Film on Location?

From the "After The Hunt" VFX Breakdown, by Frame by Frame

view full breakdown on YouTube

When people see a relatively innocuous shot from a movie of a city street, then see that it was an elaborate visual effects shot (either shot against a greenscreen or at a studio backlot), sometimes they wonder “Why didn’t they just film that at a real location? Wouldn't that have been easier and cheaper? Why resort to camera tricks?

Generally speaking, film crews need levels of control over the environment to a degree that is difficult for non-industry people to understand, which makes shooting on location sometimes not the best idea for a film production.

Here's a basic list of some of the reasons they didn’t “just shoot it at a real location” (there are plenty more):

• ultimate control for lighting and sun position, time of year
• location weather unsuitable for the film, either narratively or logistically
• repeatable action for multiple setups
• permissions and permits unreasonable or impossible
• disruption of a community (closed businesses, car and pedestrian traffic) for days or weeks at a time
• safety of crew
• location accessibility for countless trucks and gear and dozens of crew members
• availability of actors and crew
• no location fits the storytelling needs of the production, or the location would require massive structural modification to fit the storytelling needs (period picture, science fiction, alternate reality, etc.)
• additional photography (“re-shoots”) required but location no longer available or weather/season is totally different
• location shooting is much more complicated and time consuming than studio shooting


view full breakdown on YouTube

update 2/1/2026: Look at the progress we're making with the discourse!

Update: Here's a terrific video from Olivier Servieres and Bastien Reynal discussing the challenges of filming outrageous stunts on location and with actors on an LED wall stage, called "The Hard Truth about Shooting Car Chases", and gets into the reasons why you would have two separate shoots. Really well done.

Watch on YouTube