When thinking about “IMAX”, you may think of large screens, enhanced sound, expanded aspect ratios and a pre-show countdown. That countdown, while revised over the years, has been the last piece of content that plays before an IMAX presentation.
This March however IMAX rolled out a new pre-show program: a 1-minute short film titled “Infinite Worlds”.
In it, the audience follows characters moving through multiple locations. From a man in a cornfield, to a soldier on a battlefield all the way to an astronaut in space. The short was directed by Pirates of the Caribbean-director Espen Sandberg and is narrated with the following words:
On our planet, there are infinite worlds.
Some real. Some unreal.
Why live in just one when you can immerse yourself in the richness of others?
Worlds that will break your heart. Worlds that will put it back together.
Within each one, there are stories that push the limits and then go beyond.
Experience these worlds to the fullest. Then experience a thousand more.
The short was shot with IMAX cameras and expands to extended aspect ratios, depending on the capabilities of the theater.
Currently theaters have a choice between playing both the countdown and Infinite Worlds or play just the latter.
“While select U.S. theatre exhibitors are showing only the brand film at the moment, many other theatre exhibitors in the U.S. and around the world are playing both the countdown trailer and the brand film. It varies theatre by theatre,” said an IMAX spokesperson.
The film is part of the company’s “Films to the Fullest” brand campaign which started in July 2018, which has focused on showcasing the technological advantages of IMAX.
“The visual concept for “Infinite Worlds” is to bring audiences to different IMAX landscapes, scenes and universes and bring the extraordinary moviegoing experience to life. Each scene and world pushes through the naturally shaped theatre frame to reveal larger, more immersive possibilities in IMAX. Fans, studios and theatre exhibitors around the world have praised “Infinite Worlds” and we are thrilled with how it represents IMAX brand,” said an IMAX spokesperson.
