Storytelling on the Giant Screen
Immense, immersive experience.
With screens up to 80 feet high and images 10x sharper than conventional film, giant-screen films place viewers directly into the action as it unfolds on-screen.
An IMAX screen isn’t simply larger, it’s also curved and positioned closer to the audience. A six-channel, multi-speaker sound system designed in a surround sound pattern means every moviegoer can hear even the smallest sound effect. Add 3D and the cinematic experience feels like it’s all around you.
In an age where things seem to be showing on smaller and smaller screens there is something magical about seeing amazing locations on a huge canvas like IMAX, you feel like you are truly experiencing something unique and different.
Actress, three-time Academy Award winner
Huge stories to tell.
At MacGillivray Freeman, we believe giant-screen films can transform how people see and experience their world.
Giant-screen films can take audiences on adventures to the most extraordinary and remote places on Earth. Places few will ever visit. They can also inspire families to explore new destinations and discover new passions.
Maximum impact shots.
Giant-screen filmmakers use special IMAX cameras weighing up to 100 lbs. The IMAX 3-D camera weighs 240 lbs. Where has MacGillivray put the giant camera?
- mounted on a jet dragster
- on a whitewater kayak
- on a downhill ski racer
- on the Blue Angels’ F/A 18 jet aircraft
- inside the P-3, a research plane that flies into hurricanes
- directly in the path of an avalanche
IMAX innovators.
We’ve pushed the limits of IMAX, whether it be developing better tools and technology or raising audience expectations of the giant-screen experience.
Masters of the giant screen.
We’re the world’s leading giant-screen producer and distributor. We’ve produced over 45 films, been nominated for two Academy Awards, and are the only documentary filmmakers to gross $1 billion at the box office. We’ve won more awards for creativity and marketing than any other distributor.
The outstanding success of At Sea, as measured by audience approval, plaudits from critics and awards it has received, is directly attributable to the genius of Greg MacGillivray and his staff. For anyone producing a big-screen, experiential type motion picture…MacGillivray Freeman Films should be the first consulted and I recommend the last. One could find none better.
USN (Ret), President, Navy Memorial Foundation (former)- Daily Variety
The film business is full of showy sprinters…then there are the dedicated specialists like MacGillivray whose documentaries play for years...who quietly pass $1 billion in box office.
Reaching millions.
Eighty million people see an IMAX film each year in nearly 700 IMAX theatres worldwide—52 countries and 382 theatres in the U.S.—with this number growing daily. In China, IMAX currently operates 239 movie screens in China and has plans to install another 219 over the next few years.
We carefully research, test and craft each film with our partners to ensure a built-in audience of 10-15 million people on average per film, split between domestic and international theatres. This figure doesn’t include the hundreds of millions of people who see the film via television, DVD, online and more.
At the core of our success are strong partnerships with hundreds of the world’s leading museums and science centers. Unlike typical Hollywood releases, our films play in these institutions multiple times a day for six months to a year, and then replay for many years to come. Our first film To Fly! opened at the Smithsonian in 1976 and is still playing there today. It has been seen by 13 million people and counting.
Our latest giant-screen film, National Parks Adventure, takes audiences on the ultimate off-trail adventure into the mountains and canyons of our great outdoors.
Powerful campaigns.
We’ve used the power of the giant screen to drive tourism, save the ocean, preserve the arctic, and more.
Big learning.
The giant-screen format is unique from all other educational mediums in its ability to reveal the wonders of the world in the most powerful, visceral way, often sparking lasting changes in behavior and attitudes. Our goal is to extend the impact of our films with educational programs and materials.
Enormous partnering opportunity.
We believe that strategic, unique partnerships are the key to making a measurable and lasting impact. Let us tell your story.
