When you buy a movie ticket, you usually have at least an approximate idea of what the presentation will be like. Regular theater: you know it, you love it, it’s perfectly fine! IMAX: big. Large format: differently big. 70mm or 35mm: film-y. IMAX 70mm: so pretentious it needs a PalmPilot to run properly. Dolby Vision: okay, actually, wait—what is this one again?
Still, it can be hard to visualize how each format differs and how each unique aspect ratio affects the film’s presentation. This is less of an issue for the vast majority of theatrical releases, which are only available in a few of those options at most. But Christopher Nolan is special. His upcoming The Odyssey is screening in all six formats listed above. So how are you supposed to choose which one you want to see it in?
Rather than buying six different tickets to watch a three-hour movie in six different formats just so you can compare notes, you can now see the difference between all of the various screening options before you even leave your house. On the film’s website, you can watch the trailer in the aspect ratios corresponding to IMAX 70mm, IMAX, 70mm, 35mm, Dolby Vision, and Large Format. You can also toggle between them as the trailer is running to see how each aspect ratio cuts off or expands the picture.
It’s such a useful tool that it’ll be a genuine bummer when it inevitably disappears or breaks long after the film has left theaters and its website is left to rot or expire. Infographics explaining and comparing the various aspect ratios aren’t going to cut it anymore. Playing around with this tool is way too fun to go back to boring old static comparisons.
The Odyssey hits theaters on July 17.
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