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Author Topic: First Man - no 15/70 release? Anton Volkov Film Handler Posts: 5 From: London, Greater London, UK Registered: Sep 2018 posted 09-10-2018 02:07 AM                    Hey everyone, just wondering if anyone's heard anything on their end regarding if First Man will or won't get a 15/70 IMAX release? From what I heard last week is that apparently Universal won't be striking any prints, the BFI IMAX confirmed when they put tickets up they'll be showing it on Xenon digital...could this be a potential case where it's select institutional/museum venues only? For those who don't know, the last 10-15 minutes of the film (the moon landing itself) were shot on 15/70 IMAX, with the rest of the film a mix between 16mm and 35mm. The TIFF premiere yesterday at the Cinesphere was screened in laser....  |  IP: Logged Chris Haller Film Handler Posts: 68 From: Rochester, NY, USA Registered: Dec 2015 posted 09-10-2018 07:48 AM                     As far as I've heard in the various corners of the internet, there will be no prints. Maybe insiders with deeper connections than mine will say different, but its going to be an all digital show. Honestly, IMDB says they used a combination of 2-perf techniscope and 16mm negative to shoot the film. 15/65 was reserved for the moon walking sequence. I take all of the IMDB info with a grain of salt, but do you really want to see Techniscope and 16mm blown up to 15/70? I'm not sure if that's the best use of the IMAX format in this day and age. The IMAX Digital previews didn't look like anything special, to be honest....  |  IP: Logged Anton Volkov Film Handler Posts: 5 From: London, Greater London, UK Registered: Sep 2018 posted 09-10-2018 09:18 AM                    IMDb is fully correct on the formats used on the film, to my knowledge. To be honest it will be interesting, given Chazelle mostly shooting this in documentary-style verite, how it does hold up on IMAX. Out of yesterday's Laser screening at the Cinesphere there have only been a couple of complaints about the style not working as well on the huge screen. For the record: I saw the film at Venice (in regular DCP format) and loved it. In my opinion, and I may be biased as, being UK-based, I am affected by the decision - it's about flagship venues like the BFI IMAX here who haven't "upgraded" to laser for one reason or another (likely as to not lose the 15/70 projector) being shortchanged. If they had laser and therefore full 1.43 digitally, no issue here. Plus, the 1.90:1 Laser venue with a screen just as wide as the BFI is being used for the London Film Festival for the first two weeks of release... So one has to make a trip to Brussels to get the 'best' experience?  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 09-10-2018 03:32 PM                     I got to run (& see) this abt 10 days ago in standard 4K DCP at at a screening with the director present for Q&A afterwards. Good movie, but the 'film guy' in me would have liked to have seen/run a celluloid print. I'm screening this in ATMOS next week, although I'll be trapped in the booth so I won't actually get to hear the sound mix, which I've been told is excellent.  |  IP: Logged Chris Haller Film Handler Posts: 68 From: Rochester, NY, USA Registered: Dec 2015 posted 09-10-2018 08:25 PM                     That's good news to hear that it was mastered in 4K at least. Still through, techniscope and 16mm would have to be DMR'd pretty aggressively before IMAX would let it get to a 15/70 print. I've only seen the Nolan DMR prints, but all of them had some pretty aggressive grain management applied to them, so I'd imagine the inherently grainy appearance of the 2-perf 35 and 16mm would be managed pretty aggressively too. But man, the sheer impact of the switch from low res 35mm to full IMAX film would be AMAZING. I salivate at the thought of it.  |  IP: Logged Anton Volkov Film Handler Posts: 5 From: London, Greater London, UK Registered: Sep 2018 posted 09-11-2018 06:41 AM                    That switching moment - save for the AR change, was actually released online by the studio back in July to commemorate the anniversary of the landing: https://youtu.be/vImVnDRT4f8 The sound at the Venice screening was really great (although quickly eclipsed by Roma the following evening - just stunning work there), should hye even better in Atmos or IMAX  |  IP: Logged Chris Haller Film Handler Posts: 68 From: Rochester, NY, USA Registered: Dec 2015 posted 09-11-2018 11:13 AM                     They ran a 3-4 minute preview of First Man before Mission Impossible: Fallout. It was my first exposure to the film, and I'll admit that I had like no idea what was going on. The normal 2.35:1 footage looked pretty rough through 2K Xenon IMAX, but it was pretty neat when the screen expanded to 1.90:1 for the moon. I would imagine there'd be a slight uptick in detail if it was to be printed on IMAX 15/70, but it wouldn't be revolutionary.  |  IP: Logged Aron Toplitsky Expert Film Handler Posts: 113 From: Gardena, CA, USA Registered: May 2012 posted 09-22-2018 11:58 PM                     So then the Laser equipped IMAX theaters will be showing that scene or scenes in 1.43? I'm considering seeing this at the AMC Universal Hollywood which is Laser equipped.  |  IP: Logged Anton Volkov Film Handler Posts: 5 From: London, Greater London, UK Registered: Sep 2018 posted 09-25-2018 07:02 AM                    Correct yes. One scene, around 10 mins or so, in the final act of the film. Also to note, what's weird (yet unsurprising) is IMAX now in official marketing flat out pretending 1.43 doesn't exist. Only talking about "up to 26% more image" (when in 1.43 you get 40% more and they used to highlight that on Dunkirk) and no separate mention of the laser locations like the Last Jedi and Dunkirk ticket release announcements. https://www.imax.com/news/First-Man-Lunar-Sequences-Filmed-with-IMAX-Cameras The laser screenings at TIFF were full 1.43 so one would hope they didn't decide to just lock it off at 1.90 for all venues just to make it 'fair'.  |  IP: Logged Aron Toplitsky Expert Film Handler Posts: 113 From: Gardena, CA, USA Registered: May 2012 posted 09-28-2018 09:26 PM                     Oh boy I hope they don't lock it off to that ratio. I wish IMAX would just get it together! I plan on going anyway so I will let you all know. Thanks for the info Anton  |  IP: Logged Anton Volkov Film Handler Posts: 5 From: London, Greater London, UK Registered: Sep 2018 posted 09-29-2018 07:53 AM                    No worries Aron. The Lincoln Square and Citywalk LA screenings that have been held so far in laser have been 1.43 too so hopefully IMAX don't screw up there. But on another note - the press junket this weekend is at the Kennedy Space Centre with the screening last night at one of their IMAX screens. Does anyone know if they actually got digital (xenon or laser) recently, as info on LFExaminer is that both theatres on site have only 1570?  |  IP: Logged Aron Toplitsky Expert Film Handler Posts: 113 From: Gardena, CA, USA Registered: May 2012 posted 10-19-2018 10:31 PM                     So I got around to seeing First Man at AMC Universal and yes, the IMAX scenes were presented in their proper 1.43 aspect ratio. The IMAX scene looked great but I just wish there was more footage. I don't think it was worth the trek to Universal, especially due to most of the movie looking poor in quality, which I believe was an artistic decision. My other half felt like she was getting nauseous from all the handheld close up shots which was during the non IMAX scenes. Told her it was probably the popcorn.  |  IP: Logged Chris Haller Film Handler Posts: 68 From: Rochester, NY, USA Registered: Dec 2015 posted 10-19-2018 11:22 PM                     Funny enough, I took my mom, who's a huge Apollo mission fan, to see it here in Rochester at our 2K digital Xenon IMAX. You're absolutely right - the IMAX sequence in 1.90:1 was a stunner. The rest of the film, which was a mix of 2-perf 35mm techniscope and Super 16mm film makes for a rather gnarly viewing experience in blown up 2K. I'll bet it was better in 4K, but not in a game changing way.  |  IP: Logged

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