Has Christopher Nolan found a way to fix his past sound issues on The Odyssey? The new special IMAX cameras may be the key
While Christopher Nolan has gone from Batman films to heady sci-fi films to historical dramas, one thing that seemed to be a common issue throughout is the sound mixing on his films. In early IMAX prologue previews for 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, it became a problem when Tom Hardy’s Bane had his dialogue muffled by his mask. When the film was finally released, it was noticeably remixed with a clearer audio track. Since then, with movies like Tenet and Oppenheimer, many have complained that the music had become too overbearing, which made it difficult to hear the dialogue.
It has been discovered that the problem might lie with the IMAX cameras that Nolan used on his films. The cameras are giant and are notoriously loud, which made it difficult to capture on-set sound. The conflict here is that Nolan seemingly likes to use the natural sound and does not place an over-reliance on post-production ADR, which would have normally given the movies a much clearer sound to mix from. So, the overbearing soundtrack may be a mask to hide the imperfections. According to Variety, the problem with the sound may have been solved with the new revolutionary IMAX cameras being used on the production of The Odyssey.
Nolan’s cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema, revealed that he tested the new cameras by filming a child reading Bowie’s “Sound And Vision” lyrics to see if it could record dialogue clearly. Hoytema explained, “I presented Chris with a very big close-up of a child on the IMAX screen, reciting David Bowie’s ‘Sound And Vision’ from a piece of paper. It was very touching: that level of intimacy in both image and sound, fused together, projected in the theatre.” Nolan reacted by saying the footage was “electrifying.” The director noted, “We never would have been able to get those shots before.”
Additionally, IMAX has instituted a “blimp” cover that engulfs the new cameras, which would stifle much of the noise from the mechanism. Nolan explained, “The blimp system is a game-changer. You can be shooting a foot from [an actor’s] face while they’re whispering and get usable sound. What that opens up are intimate moments of performance on the world’s most beautiful format.”
According to reports, IMAX and Cinemark have reached a deal to install new equipment or make significant upgrades to 17 theaters across the United States and South America. The partnership comes at a time when theaters hope to give audiences more bang for their buck with films like Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Nolan’s The Odyssey, all of which are set to release in 2026. It’s also worth noting that The Odyssey is the first movie to shoot entirely in IMAX.
Per the agreement, four new IMAX with Laser systems will be added in the U.S., and another in South America will be “actively explored.” Additionally, 12 systems will be upgraded to IMAX with Laser, making Cinemark’s entire footprint capable of using the format. Additionally, three IMAX 70mm projection systems will go live in Cinemark Seven Bridges in the Chicago suburb of Woodridge, as well as sites in Colorado Springs, CO, and Rochester, NY. All three locations are set to be operational before The Odyssey’s release on July 17.
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