When it comes to appreciating cinematic stories destined for the world’s largest screens, seeing isn’t just believing, it’s borderline essential.
“We'll get advance screeners sent to us with early footage and rough cuts of films and watch them on Vimeo or YouTube, but it's just not the same,” says Corey Cobb, director of IMAX operations at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater.
“There have been films in the past that I've not actually been that impressed with on a small screen, but seeing them in a theater like ours is like, ‘Oh wow, that's actually very immersive.’”
In an age when the majority of media is consumed through smart phones or 55-inch TVs, the field-of-view-dominating screens, immersive 3D imagery and thunderous audio offered at large-format theaters represent a last bastion to the grandiose cinematic experience of old.
Here, the nature and adventure documentaries made by giant-screen filmmakers envelop audiences in an audiovisual cocoon that transports them elsewhere — or else-when — whether an oceanic abyss, the star-studded cosmos, or the primal wilds of the distant past. Technological advances that have reduced the size and weight of filmmaking equipment have opened up avenues for storytelling that weren’t possible or even conceivable a decade ago.
No streamed experience or traditional theater can match the level of immersion offered by large-format screenings. That has helped giant-screen facilities recover more quickly and remain competitive in the wake of the global pandemic, says Tammy Barrett, the executive director of the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA), which will host a four-day conference in Chattanooga and Birmingham, Alabama, from Monday, Sept. 23 to Thursday, Sept. 26.
“Advances in giant-screen technology, including IMAX laser systems and other immersive formats, are helping to attract audiences back to theaters,” Barrett says. “As traditional cinemas face increasing competition from home entertainment, the giant-screen industry’s ability to offer a distinctly superior viewing experience has become a critical factor in its recovery.”
During this year’s GSCA conference, about 200 filmmakers, producers, exhibitors, and other giant-screen industry professionals from around the world will converge on the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater and the McWane Science Center in Birmingham.
The event kicks off on Monday, Sept. 23 with “Dome Day” at McWane. This introductory event focuses on how large-format content will look when presented on wraparound cinematic portals such as the Science Center’s 79-foot-diameter, tilted screen.
From Tuesday, Sept. 24 to Thursday, Sept. 26, the conference will relocate to the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater. This theater houses Chattanooga’s largest screen: a six-story, nearly 6,000-square-foot behemoth.
The Scenic City and Iron City have served as hosts of GSCA’s fall gathering in 2010, 2018, and 2022, more often than any other community.
The use of IMAX with Laser technology — currently installed in only a handful of North American theaters — make both McWane and the Aquarium desirable hosting sites. By presenting them through this cutting-edge technology, giant-screen films can be appreciated as their creators intended, says Greg Sanford, the theater operations director of the McWane Science Center.
“All IMAX theaters are good, but there's a special cut above when you have IMAX with Laser,” he says. “That way, when the content is shown, it's seen in the best light.
“That's one of the boxes GSCA look to have checked in a hosting facility. You can't hide when it goes on the screen, so what you see is what you get.”
The conference will include attendees from as far away as Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and the U.K. Participants will have opportunities to network, attend professional development sessions and panel discussions, and preview 16 large-format films. The event will include an annual awards show honoring the giant-screen industry’s best films and filmmakers.
GSCA executives describe theirs as a “niche industry” with a small number of talented, widely dispersed professionals working on projects with different demands than traditional filmmaking and using rapidly advancing, innovative technologies. Those characteristics make opportunities to connect face to face and share knowledge and experience even more valuable, Barrett says.
“I’m really looking forward to the conference, not just for the films and discussions, but also because of the incredible partnership the GSCA has with both the McWane Science Center as well as the Aquarium,” she says. “It’s always exciting when places so connected to nature and education are part of a cinematic experience like this.
“The collaboration with Chattanooga and the Aquarium is a perfect match. It brings together the educational and entertainment aspects in a way that really enhances the giant-screen experience.”
The Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater will be closed to the public from Monday, Sept. 23 to Thursday, Sept. 26 during the GSCA International Conference. The Aquarium will remain open during this period.
For more information about the IMAX 3D Theater, including advance ticket purchases and a screening schedule, visit tnaqua.org/imax