MRH: The early IMAX films perhaps had a similar functionality as the Cinerama films (like Seven Wonders of the World), which were designed to bring to people the sounds and images from places they weren’t generally able to visit in a large film format, but because of the increase in jet travel over the years and eco tourism, it’s now more possible for almost anyone to visit exotic places.

TM: That certainly was one of the reasons the founders, or what they call the inventors of IMAX wanted to do; it was born out of Expo 67 specifically, and those films were all about that; they’re all about adventure in all its forms, whether that’s of the human condition, or the plant.

MRH: I guess the educational content evolved within the early IMAX films?

TM: Yeah. Originally the theatre network grew up to be sort of fifty percent theme part, and fifty percent institutional, so there was a very strong museum component, planetarium and science center type component, and their mandate of course is to educate their audience, so we were making films that had to deal with both, initially; the theme parks liked the adventure side of them, but didn’t mind some information as well, so [the films] kind of evolved as family attractions, really, and now they’re playing in commercial theatres.

MRH: Because digital technology is making greater inroads towards feature film production, is there a sense that maybe that will also happen with IMAX as well, or do you think 70mm film will always be used as a delivery or acquisition format?

TM: I think as long as you’re in the institutional market you can make 70mm film work, because the model is one in which the films play for an enormously long time, unlike feature films that are gone in three weeks.

I mean, Deep Sea, our last film, is still opening in new theatres, and has played for months and months; it’s got a box office of $80 million. Space Station 3D (2002) is $110 million, and it’s still playing, albeit in one of two theatres.

This is new to the feature film market for sure, but although know Dark Knight (2008) was shot partially in IMAX, that’s a mammoth blockbuster film, and [director Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros.] can afford to do that, but to deliver IMAX prints of a three-hour film in 70mm, especially if it were 3-D, is hugely expensive in film, so to scan and deliver it digitally is the way it’s going to go, and eventually it’ll be image capture as well.