Fans loved Tom Cruise’s thrilling actions in Top Gun: Maverick, and Avatar’s lifelike 3D visuals. Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX Corporation, told us on a visit to Delhi recently that very few people realize these immersive movie watching experiences are a result of cutting-edge proprietary technology developed by them.

There is a lot of science and technology, he says, that go into turning every movie viewing at IMAX theatres into an event – from custom-made camera lenses for recording particular scenes and for shooting in specific regions, to the ability to shoot in 16K resolution over traditional 4K, 12-channel sound systems that make you hear a whisper over your shoulder, laser projectors that provide better colour and contrast compared to lamp-based models, paint colour of the screens, and theatres with specific, well-researched dimensions.

There are two ways to approach a movie. One is to take a fully shot movie and use IMAX’s proprietary algorithms to enhance the video. Usually, videos are shot using different cameras, shooting modes and frames. IMAX’s video engineers compress noise (random variations of brightness or colours) in images so that there’s consistency in frames. They sharpen the edges – removing blurs or halos. Today, rather than receiving physical copies of films, the tech teams have started working on videos stored on secure clouds. In the case of Indian language movies such as Padmaavat, Brahmastra, KGF and RRR, they completed the entire editing process on cloud within three to four days.

The other way to shoot is to use IMAX cameras that have special lenses developed for shooting in different instances. These cameras have been used to shoot in space, on aircrafts, deep under oceans, and through the narrowest and smallest possible spaces like 3D models. Christopher Nolan, James Cameron and Peter Jackson are some popular moviemakers who use these cameras. These cameras, Gelfond says, will be used for the first time this year in India as well. While IMAX worked on six Indian movies last year, this year they plan to do 10-12 Indian language movies. One is already out – Pathaan. “We are always trying to figure out ways to transcend the ordinary,” Gelfond says.

Every IMAX theatre has a high-definition camera and microphones that monitor the video and sound quality of every movie being played in real-time. The company’s command centres in Canada and China monitor these, and send immediate alerts if the screen and images are not in range, or if the volume is too high or low. A technician is immediately sent to the theatre. Gelfond says simple factors like heat can change contrast ratios and focal points. So, video and sound calibrations are done daily through an automated process, and not once a fortnight or a month, manually, like in traditional theatres.

The reason for being the industry benchmark today, Gelfond says, is their 800-member team, many of who are techies and engineers specializing in sound, optics, electronics and mechanics. Architects, for instance, work with screen and sound engineers to determine the best ratios and dimensions for the best experience.

Gelfond started the year with his visit to India, the country that he believes has the most potential for growth. While China has 800 IMAX theatres and 200 more in the works, India, he says, has only 29 theatres, and 19 in progress.