2017 is an epic year for films. Movie-going will be filled with upshots, superheroes, and reboots. More than 20 follow-ups are coming throughout the year. The Fast & Furious gang, Transformers’ Autobots and the evil Decepticons and Pirates of the Caribbean crew return during the spring and summer months. Nevertheless, this remain a question to many. Which will it be the best seat in the IMAX theatre to watch the movie in 3D?
The IMAX screen appears large even from the back. The apparent depth increases the further you are from the screen, and with a screen that big you never feel far from it. There’s something magical about sitting in the pitch black of the cinema while new worlds unfold around you and envelope you in their wonders. With tickets expensive, plus pricy popcorn, in this age of VOD services you can watch on home cinema systems growing more impressive by the day, you would expect nothing less from a trip to the movies.
When I first went to the movies I didn’t have any seating position preference, I was just happy I was at the movie theatre, luckily one of my friend a movie junkie was quick to correct that mistake. Where you seat in a movie theatre matters a lot. Ill jump straight into IMAX since that’s the highest movie technology we in Kenya.
If you have been to the IMAX theatre in Nairobi you might have realised that it’s a whole new experience, it makes you feel like you are in the movie literally. This is largely due to the surround sound technology as opposed to the screen technology.
I went on and I did some research on how the technology works, I am a firm believer if I know how things work I’ll understand or get the best out of them/it. Apparently the normal humans have a horizontal view of 180 degrees, i.e. you can perceive things from the far right to the far left. Our central view (front view) spans across only 10 degrees but we still have the ability to see across the remaining 175 degrees on either side. Human start to detect motion after a 30 degrees view and Imax screens are made to bend so that you can perceive the images and motion up to a 70 degrees on either side, That combined with the surrounds sound system make the ‘like in a movie feeling’
For you to experience 100% of this you need to be seated strategically in the theatre, here is the guide my movie junkie friend recommended to me, the best seating position have been selected after considering all factors that makes Imax such and experience technologically and psychologically. Distance to the screen, angle views and IMAX Kenya theatre geometry
Red: best seating positions – try and get the middle seat if you can, F15-16, G15-16
Green – Second best seating position
Yellow – worst seating position
What to remember;
The more central you are both horizontally and vertically the better
Next time you are planning a trip to the movies, try the red seat, thank me later.
