IMAX, developed by the IMAX Corp., is a motion picture film format and a set of cinema projection standards that allow the recording and display of images with massive resolution. In addition to the screen, IMAX incorporates a powerful sound system to the presentation. IMAX screens are sometimes contained entirely within their own theater, or they are attached to movie theaters that also feature more regularly sized screens.
IMAX 3D is designed to give viewers not only the experience of IMAX's massive screens and sound system, but also the immersive effect of 3-D film technology. Using a proprietary process, IMAX can take a film shot in IMAX, or even a feature film, and reprocess it to work with IMAX's 3D system specifically. Many IMAX 3D films are made specifically with the IMAX 3-D experience in mind, and are processed accordingly.
IMAX 3D utilizes polarization technology to create its 3-D illusion. Two images are projected onto the screen, and superimposed onto one another, using different polarizing filters. The lenses in the 3-D glasses contain polarizing filters that only allow similarly polarized light to pass through. The result is that each eye sees a slightly different image, producing the illusion of depth for the viewer and giving the image its 3-D effect.
IMAX 3D is used for many kinds of films. While there are many IMAX 3D only films, many feature films are also upconverted and reprocessed for IMAX 3D viewing. Even feature films originally produced for a smaller-screen 3-D experience are often brought to the IMAX screen.