Annotated Bibliography
Secondary Sources
Acland, Charles R. “Imax Technology and the Tourist Gaze.” Cultural Studies 12, no. 3 (July 1, 1998): 429–45. doi:10.1080/095023898335492.
This article references the book The Tourist Gaze of author John Urry, who argues that tourists’ experience of environments is shaped by the tourism industry and personal expectations of authenticity. Acland applies this argument into the film industry and IMAX technology. These two arguments will be important in establishing the interaction of IMAX with commercial aspects of the film and tourism industry.
Bridgett, Rob. “Imax.” Working with Sound, 1st ed., vol. 1, Routledge, 2023, pp. 123–26, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003354352-38.
This chapter looks at how IMAX has impacted the cinematic experience through sound within a theatre. It also talks about the screen offered for the IMX experience as it enables the audience to look around the screen.
Cook, David A. “The Age of IMAX, or the “Immersive Cinema,” 1986-2009.” in A History of
Three-Dimensional Cinema. 1st ed. London: Anthem Press, 2021. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/umw/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=6735093.
This chapter discusses the rise of immersive cinema and how it became so popular. This will help our research because it talks about the evolution that IMAX came from and how it evolved from antecedents.
Furby, Jacqueline, and Stuart Joy, editors. Cinema of Christopher Nolan : Imagining the Impossible. Columbia University Press, 2015, https://doi.org/10.7312/furb17396.
This book covers the past fifteen years of Christopher Nolan’s cinema work and follows how he became one of the most commercially successful directors in Hollywood. Through this the book explores how IMAX has affected his work.
Liu, Dapeng, and Pascal Courty. “Some Economics of Movie Exhibition: Increasing Returns and
Imax Revenue Premium.” Journal of Cultural Economics 46, no. 4 (2022): 597–634. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-021-09425-4.
This article talks about how IMAX came at a perfect time and was created due to the need to make going to the movies more important. Before IMAX, bootlegs and at home movies were ruining theatre business, and so the creation of IMAX reinvigorated the theater market. This helps our research because it also shows the economic impact of IMAX and how it was important.
Mhatre, Shubham. “The Resurgence of the 65mm & IMAX 15/70.” Masters Dissertation, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, 2024. https://dspace.amu.cz/items/ba2d23af-a0b5-4c56-9ee2-d80eaaad1df4.
This dissertation focuses specifically on the transition from the standard 35 mm film of the 20th century into the 65 mm film, and its use in context of other IMAX technology. This will be helpful in establishing the antecedents of IMAX technology as well as the transition of film sizes and cameras.
Sheridan, Gabrielle. “Inside IMAX: What Makes It ‘The World’s Most Innovative Movie-Going
Experience.’” University of Miami. https://com.miami.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/mma_awards_undergraduate_2022.pdf.
This essay talks about how IMAX became such an important part of movies and the movie experience, and how it shifted the perspective of movie-goers and movie tech in general. This will help us in our research because it talks specifically about the creation of IMAX and its effect on the consumer, rather than the industry itself.
Wang, Chen, & Li, Heng. “Built Environmental Variations Between Regular and IMAX
Theatres.” Open House International 43, no. 4 (2018): 41-51. https://umw.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/built-environmental-variations-between-regular/docview/2171603216/se-2.
This article talks about how IMAX came at a perfect time and was created due to the need to make going to the movies more important. Before IMAX, bootlegs and at home movies were ruining theatre business, and so the creation of IMAX reinvigorated the theater market. This helps our research because it also shows the economic impact of IMAX and how it was important.
Whitney, Allison Patricia. “The Eye of Daedalus: A History and Theory of IMAX Cinema.” PhD. Dissertation, The University of Chicago, 2005.
This dissertation explores the history of IMAX technology from its invention to its use of enhanced film experiences. This will be helpful in establishing the original interactions of IMAX, such as in museums and film parks, as well as the public’s most recent discourse surrounding the technology.
Primary Sources
Jones, Peter Ronald Wright. Shutter Assembly. 1976. US Patent 3,944,349, Filed January 16, 1970, and Issued March 16, 1976. https://patents.google.com/patent/US3944349A/en?oq=39 44349.
This patent is of a mechanism attached to the rotor of a rolling loop mechanism, and while invented by Jones, the patent was filed under Multiscreen Corp. This name later changed to IMAX. This patent is a visual example of the mechanisms required for IMAX projection and is an example of the relationship between Jones and the IMAX corporation.
IMAX at AMC. AMC Theatres. (n.d.). https://www.amctheatres.com/imax.
This website is run by AMC Theatres talking about the experience of going to the movie theatres and watching an IMAX film. It talks about the finely tuned frames, precise sound, and how it makes the experience as a whole immersive for the audience.
Shaw, William Chester. Rolling Loop Film Transport Mechanism. 1971. US Patent 3, 600,073, Filed November 24, 1969, and Issued August 17, 1971. https://patents.google.com/patent/U S3600073A/en.
This original patent was originally invented by Peter Ronald Wright Jones and eventually bought by the IMAX corporation. The mechanism is essential to the projection of an IMAX film at a stable and high speed rate. This patent is also a further example of the initial relationship between Jones and IMAX corporation, as William Shaw was a cofounder of the business.
Sperling, Nicole. “Why Is IMAX Suddenly Everywhere?” The New York Times. May 23, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/business/media/imax-movie-theaters.html.
This article is questioning the sudden surge of IMAX movies and the exclusivity that is simultaneous with this surge of use. Sperling notes the benefits and the concerns, and will be a useful source especially when exploring the current and future state of IMAX.
Switch International, production company. In Short. Episode 95, IMAX. Chip Taylor Communications, 2011. https://umw.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01UMW_INST/cr9fmi/alma991005141269403326
This streaming video talks about the high picture quality of IMAX, while also covering the range of technical problems that have occurred over the years.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: The IMAX Experience Posts Biggest Opening in IMAX
History. Proteomics Weekly. NewsRX LLC, 2009. https://global-factiva-com.umw.idm.oclc.org/ga/default.aspx?page_driver=.
This news article announces IMAX’s biggest opening (as of 2009), Transformers. This is important because it once again shows the economic significance of IMAX and how it contributed to the success of movies.
Weaver, J. (2024, December 25). IMAX is changing the world of cinema – and what movies make it to the big screen in the first place. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/imax-movies-1.7413360
This website talks about what it took to get people to come back to the theatres, especially after Covid-19. It covers the start up of the Canadian company and the growth of its popularity through new films.