Watch Sydney’s IMAX Screen Being Replaced

Sydney’s IMAX screen has been up and showing James Cameron’s latest aquatic adventures for 16 years now. 16! I remember when the place opened up for the first time — I couldn’t wait to check it out. Now? Well… now I just feel old.

And, like anything that’s weathered the ages, it has to be replaced (the screen, not me!). ZDNet managed to pop in and film the process. As you might expect, it’s not your average home theatre install.

Subconsciously you probably know that the IMAX screen isn’t so much a screen as it is an 800kg piece of vinyl they throw massive pictures on. ZDNet has the precise specifications: 29.5m x 35.7m, or a bit over 1000m². We’re also informed that the 31 riggers required to perform the operation didn’t just rock up one day — it’s been in the planning stages for a year. Oh, and it takes 12 days to slap 350kg of silver paint on the thing.

You too can have your IMAX screen replaced for the cool sum of $250,000. Cheaper than the average house, but then, you’d probably have to sell your organs and the souls of your kid’s kid’s kids to afford a property big enough to stick it in.

According to Mark Bretherton, IMAX’s CEO, the new screen will deliver a “bigger, better and brighter 3D experience” and there are no plans to switch to digital in the near future.

If you’d like to see more photos, hit the link below.

[ZDNet]

Video: ZDNet Australia.
Images: Chuong Vu / ZDNet Australia / IMAX Theatre Sydney.