Hollywood loves fiddling with new movie experiences. Whether it's IMAX, 3D or even 4D, new kinds of movie formats allow movie studios to charge more for tickets. ScreenX is yet another new movie format that aims to excite your eyeballs. Developed by South Korean theater chain CJ CGV, ScreenX hopes to provide a cinema experience you just won't be able to get at home.
Described as a "horizontal IMAX", Screen X uses three enormous screens; one in middle and two on the sides to create a 270-degree panoramic view. In comparison, IMAX only has a 146-degree view.
"We want the ScreenX to go beyond 3D and 4D cinema experience," said An Goo-Choul, CJ CGV Chief Strategy Officer.
The recently demoed format makes movies "look like a combination between IMAX and an unusual sort of 3D, where your peripheral vision is getting images that convey depth," writes SlashFilm.
ScreenX is particularly effective for action sequences and creepy scenes, according to Kim Jee-woon, director of The X, the first movie filmed for the three-screen tech in mind.
Of course, filming for three screens comes with many challenges. ScreenRant says "lights have to be positioned differently than in a normal shoot, so they're not seen by the cameras" and retrofitting existing movie theaters with two additional screens costs $150,000. SlashFilm reports South Korea currently has 40 theaters with ScreenX tech installed, with expansion to international cinemas coming soon.
I've sat in tech press conferences at CES and E3 (hello PlayStation 4 press conference!) with this kind of sweeping panoramic setup, and every single time Ive been "sucked" into the gigantic screens that surrounding me. If ScreenX is remotely similar, I think I'll be more inclined to throw my money at the box office more often. (Sorry IMAX, but the variation in screen sizes has been disappointing as of late.)