Gizmodo: At almost 97 feet tall and 117 feet wide, the screen at the Darling Harbour IMAX Theater in Sydney is the largest in the world. And after 16 years of service, it needed to be replaced. Planning for the upgrade took almost an entire year, and hanging the $250,000 1,760 pound screen required the assistance of 31 riggers.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Replacing the World's Biggest IMAX Screen Is As Difficult As It Sounds
Gizmodo: At almost 97 feet tall and 117 feet wide, the screen at the Darling Harbour IMAX Theater in Sydney is the largest in the world. And after 16 years of service, it needed to be replaced. Planning for the upgrade took almost an entire year, and hanging the $250,000 1,760 pound screen required the assistance of 31 riggers.
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4 comments:
I know exactly what these guys are talking about, last time i helped replace a cyc took almost half the day. really? replacing a giant screen? i don't really find the fact that they are actually replacing a screen to be that interesting. yes it takes a while to tighten and treat the screen but the fact it took them almost a year of planning is not that intriguing. Id rather hear about what is so special about that screen that makes it worth $250,000 and things like how the treatment will actually help the viewing quality and possibly improve (if thats possible) 3D experiences.
I disagree with Sean. I think this kind of large-scale installation is fascinating. With the screen and paint together, the screen is 2,500 lbs. Rigging something of that size as a permanent installation is quite a feat. Yes we can compare to a cyc and how it takes so long, but when a cyc is hung for a show it is a common practice, requiring little structural thought and is up for only the run of a show. The fact that the old one lasted 16 years is incredible and, given the time and assumed cost of this endevour, hopefully this one will last at least as long.
This sounds like an incredible feat. I'm curious how small a screen of that size can compress down to, or how they shipped it to its location. It's also interesting to hear that there are no plans to upgrade the projector as well. Here's an instance where analogue media is still holding strong in the digital age. I also learned that all IMAX screens are not the same size. I assumed the format was the same or very close in all IMAX branded theaters.
The scale of the screen is quite enormous, much larger than any cyc I have ever heard of. In addition to hanging the screen they also need to stretch and paint the screen. It is one thing to hang something vertically without stretching it over a frame, but a screen of that size stretched is a definite feat. The weight of the screen, let alone the weight of the paint and the amount of the paint needed is quite shocking. It is surprising to always see how much a drop or screen compares in weight to size. Like Will, I am amazed that analog technology is still beating out digital. Its a good think to know we still have room to improve without going to holograms. Hopefully they will post something about the paining and possibly fabrication process as well. Im surprised there isn't a factory big enough to paint the screen but there is one big enough to manufacture it. I would assume that it is better to paint it in the space as well rather than paint it, fold it, and ship it.
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