We’re less than a month away from the highly anticipated release of Dune: Part Two, and if the first movie or the trailers for the sequel or the ten minutes we saw last year are any indication, it is going to be a marvel to behold on the big screen, both from a storytelling perspective and a technological perspective. Like millions of other people, I cannot wait. I need to see it right now and preferably, in the best possible format.
That’s where IMAX comes in. As part of the Filmed for IMAX program, Dune: Part Two was shot entirely with IMAX-certified digital cameras and features IMAX exclusive Expanded Aspect Ratio (EAR) throughout the entire film. Moviegoers will find themselves totally immersed in IMAX’s 1.90:1 aspect ratio, which provides up to 26% more picture compared to standard theater formats, and I personally cannot wait to hear how good it sounds too. I thought the audio work on the first movie sounded fantastic when I saw it in IMAX, which isn’t a surprise given how much work is put into the audio itself.
Last year, we had the privilege of going to IMAX’s offices in Toronto and Los Angeles to figure out what exactly makes an IMAX movie an IMAX movie. As part of it, we interviewed more than a half dozen engineers and high level employees across various departments to figure out what they’re doing to make the movie experience that much better. During those convos, we interviewed the Director of Production DMR and Sound Mastering, Peter Ogborn, and he talked about what makes movies like Dune sound differently in IMAX, which, as he pointed at very specifically, is not just the volume. Here’s an excerpt of our convo…
Part of what makes IMAX IMAX is the bass. When something explodes, you’re able to literally feel it and feel like you’re a part of it. (But it’s) definitely a misnomer that IMAX is louder. IMAX prides ourselves on playing it back the way the filmmaker intended it. Sound really tells the emotion, whether you’re supposed to be laughing or be afraid, it is an incredibly important part of the experience.
You can see more of that interview, along with clips where the sound in Dune: Part Two really pops in the video below. You can tell how much good audio can really immerse you in a way a muted sound palette never could. Check it out…
Dune: Part Two is scheduled to hit IMAX theatres on February 25th and will be in theatres nationwide on March 1st. Additionally, IMAX will proudly present the film in 10 domestic IMAX 70mm film locations delivering a distinctive and unique way to experience the film. It’ll almost assuredly be one of the bigger releases of the year and the type of film everyone is going to be talking about. You’ll be able to see it wherever you see films, but our personal recommendation would be to see it in the format the film was created to be seen in: IMAX. Whether it’s their massive screens and incredible lifelike visuals or their heart-pounding precision audio and unique auditorium design, everything in an IMAX theatre has been custom designed to put you in the action. Experiencing it in IMAX will be that much more comfortable and immersive. The picture will look more realistic, and of course, the sound will hit that much harder.