Darren Aronofsky's "Postcard from Earth"- A Visit
to the Sphere
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| Written by: Randy Gitsch | Date: 05.03.2024 |
 The
world's largest LED screen, when fully used, exceeds your lateral field of
vision, like watching Cinerama on a curved screen from the 4th row.I wanted to get this to you as early as possible as I'm just home from Las Vegas. I had at least planned on a lengthier series of dynamic visuals, and with less emphasis on my words. However, upon entering the Sphere venue, I quickly realized that my iPhone 13 Pro Max was not going to do the venue, the screen, or the film justice. So much for plans. I ended up with little of value in terms of pictures, but one good pan mini-movie of the theater from my seat, which was about 45 feet to the right of centerline. My seat, in Section 307, set me back $169 and was adjacent to the most expensive section (306), at $249 a ticket. The cheap seats were just $99. And speaking of seats, there are a whopping 18,600 inside. The resolution is the lead of the story here. At 16K, and 60 fps., I was seeing into the pupil of the eye of an elephant. This is startling clarity! An earth emerging large on the screen pulls you to the edge of your seat, and other shots pull you into their detail. Needless to say, there are no dark corners. |
More in 70mm reading: Interview with producer Randy Gitsch Randy Gitsch: A Bio "Keepers of the Frame" - complete press kit 2013 Academy Member Randy Gitsch (USA) in70mm.com's Cinerama page in70mm.com's page about IMAX & Omnimax in70mm.com's Library Presented on the big screen in 7OMM Peripheral Vision, Scopes, Dimensions and Panoramas |
 Digital 16K, 60 fps dome screen presentation in Las Vegas.
This experience is utterly
amazing! Randy Gitsch and
some of the Sphere behind him.The world's largest LED screen, when fully used, exceeds your lateral field of vision, like watching Cinerama on a curved screen from the 4th row. And from my perspective in the front row/balcony edge of the middle tier seating level, I was positioned such that the top of the screen curved over my head, ala planetarium, adding to the overall immersion. I was very small in this world. The presentation was multi-sensory, allowing wind gusts in your face, distinct ambient temperature changes even in this large venue, wafted scents and infrasound seat vibrations. The film opens in a standard widescreen "Scope" frame, which I'll call 2.35:1, and shortly after opening credits bursts into the awesome wall-to-wall picture, just like Cinerama. The narrative does have a story, which frames the bulk of the surprisingly briskly-moving 50 minute show, and stars Brandon Santana and Zaya, whose initial appearance as space travelers is homage to "2OO1: A Space Odyssey". I smiled. But I smiled even wider to see our camera here peer over the edge of the Kennecott open pit copper mine in Bingham, UT, a nod to "This is Cinerama". End credits accumulate on one title card. About 2000 of them. Amazing! And this experience is utterly amazing. Strongly Recommended. |
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