IMAX Theaters: Taking the Plunge - Newsweek Periscope - MSNBC.com

In the new IMAX 3-D movie 'Deep Sea 3D,' squids appear to dart toward viewers' 3-D glasses and jellyfish float within arm's reach. To get this effect, director Howard Hall had to use the world's largest camera. Weighing 1,300 pounds in its underwater housing, the camera needed two people to operate and cost $60 a second to use. 'The camera is almost totally impractical,' says Hall. But well worth it. At a time when traditional movie-theater sales are declining, IMAX 3-D films are a growing niche market new screens are added a year (there are currently 266 worldwide). Richard Gelfond, co-CEO of IMAX Corp., says the next frontier is converting full-length Hollywood blockbusters into 3-D. IMAX first did that with 'The Polar Express,' and it grossed more than $60 million; IMAX made up only a tiny fraction of the theaters showing 'The Polar Express' but it brought in 20 percent of the film's worldwide sales. IMAX plans to release two more animated full-length 3-D films in the next year and eventually to convert a full-length live-action blockbuster to 3-D. The reason behind IMAX's success is simple, says Hall. 'The audience craves 3-D. It is magic.' Even if it sometimes needs a little help from a really big camera."