麻豆视频

Communications Students Tour IMAX Facility

March 25, 2022

Students in the introduction to film class of the communications program at 麻豆视频 recently received a facilities tour of the Penn Cinema Riverfront IMAX Theatre in Wilmington, followed by a screening of "The Batman" in the large-screen format.

The students met with IMAX Theatre General Manager Mike Garafolo, who provided them with a walkthrough of the theater and explained the process of how the theater received and screens films exclusively for IMAX.

The Penn Cinema Riverfront opened in 2012 and includes more than 3,000 seats in 15 theaters and is the state's sole IMAX Theatre. The Riverfront is part of Penn Cinema, which opened in 2006 in Lititz, Penn.

IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for their large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. The IMAX camera system is used by such directors as Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight," "Tenet"), J.J. Abrams ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens"), and Terrence Mallick ("Tree of Life").

IMAX cameras have also flown in space on 17 occasions, with NASA astronauts having used handheld IMAX cameras to document missions, and cameras mounted in the payload bay of the shuttle.

"We had been coming to the theater prior to the pandemic, and students seem to enjoy seeing how the films arrive and the processes involved with screening them," said Rob Rector, communications department chair and instructor. "Since IMAX is considered the industry standard, learning about the process is a great hands-on experience that you cannot replicate in the classroom."

"The facility was way bigger than I imagined," student Melissa Berduo Roblero said. "Even the IMAX projectors were as big as vending machines."

After the facility tour, the students stayed for a screening of "The Batman," to witness the process in action and were treated to a promotional movie poster.

"Watching it in IMAX felt like a different world," Berduo Roblero said. "I haven't seen a movie on such a big screen before, and I enjoyed every bit of it."

"Mr. Garafolo was very gracious with his time and gave students a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes when we walk into a movie theater," Rector said. "To provide students the opportunity to view the process from start to finish is invaluable."