IMAX Corporation

Background: IMAX Corporation is a Canadian theater company which designs and manufactures IMAX cameras and projection systems as well as film development, production, post production and distribution to IMAX affiliated theaters worldwide. It was founded in 1968 as a result of Expo 67 in Montreal. It holds operations in Toronto, as well as New York and Los Angeles. They didn't use an animated logo until the 1980s.

1st Logo  (1985?-1993)
Nicknames : "The Immersion of the Picture", "1985: An IMAX Odyssey", "Omnimax Tunnel"

Logo : We see a moving starfield for a few seconds before a light tunnel appears in the distance and engulfs the screen. The light tunnel changes colors and shapes throughout this part of the logo, a la 2001: A Space Odyssey. We eventually move even faster through the tunnel as light trails quickly zoom past us, with some forming "X" shapes. There is then a flash, which replaces the tunnel with an extreme close-up of a blue outline of the IMAX logo, which zooms away from us with a light trail. When the IMAX logo is at a comfortable distance, the light trail disappears into the logo, which turns dark blue/purple.

FX/SFX : Really cool animation. This is also one of the longest logos ever, clocking in at 1 minute and 4 seconds.

Music/Sounds : Various humming sounds and eerie bell sounds that fit the mood of space are heard at the start, and a weird sound effect reminiscent of a jet engine starting up and taking off while inside the tunnel. The music and sound effects get more intense as we move faster through the tunnel, along with whooshes that accompany the light trails and flash. When the IMAX logo is on screen, a futuristic organ-like chord reminiscent of the THX Deep Note is heard.

Availability : Most likely seen in the 1980s in IMAX theaters, as well as some IMAX Dome, or "Omnimax", theaters.

Scare Factor : High to nightmare. The ominous and intense nature of the logo including the music will not sit well with many, especially if watched back in the day on an IMAX theater. It will vary for those used to it. In fact, you might consider it an awesome logo.

2nd Logo  (1993-2004)
Logo: On a black background, a glowing orange  "IMAX" zooms in. While it does, blue stripes shaped like thunderbolts fade in behind. "IMAX" then stops near the bottom of the screen, and then the logo fades out.

FX/SFX : The zooming, glowing and fading.

Music/Sounds : A futuristic synth/orchestra fanfare.

Availability : Seen on IMAX screens between 1993 and 2004, and also preserved on DVD and Blu-ray releases of IMAX productions, as well as the IMAX version of Apollo 13.

Scare Factor : Minimal to low. May surprise you the first time you see it, but still a lot tamer than before.

3rd Logo  (2004-June 8, 2012)
Nicknames : "Motion", "Think Big", "Countdown to IMAX"

Logo: On a traditional film backdrop, "SEE MORE", "HEAR MORE", and "FEEL MORE" are displayed before the countdown begins at 10. At 8, the scene makes a jarring transition to a blue CGI environment as 7 becomes "THE WORLD'S LARGEST SCREENS", 5 becomes "12,000 WATTS OF DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND", and 3 becomes "CRYSTAL CLEAR IMAGES". The CGI text is in the same font as the IMAX logo. Finally, we zoom past the 1 as "THE ULTIMATE MOVIE EXPERIENCE" flips in against a black/blue background with blue mist and 3 rotating rings. The text then flips over to reveal a blue IMAX logo. After one of the rings passes over the logo, it dissolves to "think big" as the screen gets darker and the rings move off-screen before the screen acts like a TV turning off.

Variants :
 * On DMR releases, the text after we see the 1 says "DIGITALLY TRANSFORMED" before flipping out and disappearing to make room for "THE ULTIMATE MOVIE EXPERIENCE". The logo's running time is also slightly longer to accomodate this.
 * At digital locations, instead of turning off like a TV, the whole thing fades to a black screen featuring the DLP logo. On later digital screenings, "think big" is omitted, and the DLP logo fades in before the logo fades out.
 * Sometimes, only the tail end, starting with the IMAX logo already present, is shown.

FX/SFX : The filmstrip, the numbers, the text flipping, and other stuff occurring in the blue CGI environment. Everything is done in amazing animation by Hammer Creative.

Music/Sounds : Flash photography sounds, grainy film sounds, and the countdown sound are heard with the traditional film backdrop before transitioning into an intense futuristic synth piece with drums and other sound effects. A more relaxing synth-piano piece is heard when "IMAX" faces us. The electricity buzzing sound can briefly be heard as the screen "turns off."

Music/Sounds Variants :
 * In the DMR variant, there is an extra "boom" when "THE ULTIMATE MOVIE EXPERIENCE" flies into view, and the synth piece resumes as normal.
 * The DLP variant does not have the electric buzzing noise; there is only the end of the relaxing synth chord when the logo finishes.

Availability : Last seen in IMAX theatres before Men in Black 3. This is sometimes preserved on DVD and Blu-ray releases of IMAX productions, including Under the Sea 3D.

Scare Factor : Medium, possibly high if shown before a movie that's even partially in IMAX 3-D. Low for people who are used to seeing it and go to IMAX movies a lot.

Editor's Note : This is the same as the IMAX Countdown we see in the current years, but with a different look.

4th Logo (2004-2005)
Nicknames: TBA

Logo: We see the IMAX logo in a black background zooming in.

Variants: In Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, the logo is still.

Music/Sounds: Automobile engine booting up.

FX/SFX: None

Availability: Seen on almost all of its movies since 2004 (and usually through Warner Bros. Pictures). First seen on NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience.

Scare Factor: Medium, possibly high if shown the movies in 3-D.

5th Logo (2005-June 8, 2012)
Nicknames: "Pre-Show"

Logo: Blue dots make an environment in a black background. The "IMAX" logo fades in many seconds later.

Variant: in the IMAX Amc variant, there are more red.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: Lots of policy voiceovers that change pitches. And sound effects.

FX/SFX: TBA

Availability: TBA

Scare Factor: Medium.

6th Logo  (June 8, 2012-)
Nicknames : "Motion II", "IMAX is Believing", "Countdown to IMAX II", "Beliefs of IMAX"

Logo : Same as the 3rd logo, but the blue CGI environment looks more enhanced and appears to be in space. The first three words, shown against the film backdrop, now read "PREPARE... TO... BELIEVE". The phrases in the countdown now read "MIND-BLOWING IMAGES", "EARTH SHATTERING SOUND", and "THE ULTIMATE MOVIE EXPERIENCE", respectively. Also, the words and numbers are now silver instead of a metallic blue, and the phrase from the DMR variant of the previous logo, "DIGITALLY TRANSFORMED... THE ULTIMATE MOVIE EXPERIENCE", now reads "WATCH A MOVIE... OR BE PART OF ONE" and is now shown before native IMAX productions as well. The text appears over a moving blue starfield. As the ring passes over the IMAX logo, a silver line with the text "- IS BELIEVING -" underneath it are wiped in below the logo. The whole thing then fades out, leaving only a black starfield before the screen turns off like a TV.

Variants :
 * Sometimes, after everything fades out, one of the rings leaves a thin, blue silhouette that shines as it moves off-screen, and there is a flash in the middle of the screen when the electric buzzing sound is heard.
 * In Spanish and Japanese-speaking theaters, the text is in their respective languages.
 * At digital locations, the whole thing instead fades to a black screen featuring the DLP logo.
 * As with the 3rd logo, only the tail end is shown sometimes.
 * Before The Wizard of Oz, there's a variant that's the same as the digital variant, except without the DLP logo, and the whole thing is sepia-toned.
 * Before Godzilla, the logo shakes as though the King of the Monsters himself was approaching the theater. When "IMAX" has finished flipping towards us, the camera shakes wildly as his distinctive roar is heard.
 * Before Furious 7, "PREPARE... TO... BELIEVE" changes to "START... YOUR... ENGINES", and the whole logo is more colorful and meant to evoke a street racing atmosphere. The numbers after 8 are in the "Fast & Furious" font, the 5 shatters to reveal "EARTH SHATTERING SOUND", and gunshots impact the text "THE ULTIMATE MOVIE EXPERIENCE."
 * Before Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, the opening text reads "PREPARE... TO GO... ROGUE" as the opening countdown slowly turns red. At 8, a fuse ignites as we move through a red tunnel with the fuse, which is a reference to the opening credits from the TV series. The numbers are also red and in a different font than before. Fire is seen at "MIND-BLOWING IMAGES", the next 2 phrases appear in manners similar to the Furious 7 variant, and the 4 spins around as we zoom past it. The text "WATCH A MOVIE... OR BE PART OF ONE" appear inside the tunnel rather than at the end of it. After passing the text, we quickly zoom to the end of the tunnel to catch up with the fuse, which is now swirling around the 3 rings and towards the IMAX logo. We zoom past the rings as the fuse heads to the logo, causes the explodes into pieces of glass that quickly scatter off-screen; some of the glass shards zoom past us. The DLP logo is revealed after the explosion.
 * When IMAX opened its 1000th theater, a special variant was made for this. The opening text reads "CELEBRATING... 1000... THEATERS." When the countdown begins, the camera is still until "8" occurs.
 * Before Suicide Squad, the opening text reads "WORST... HEROES... EVER." and the whole logo takes place in the style of the film, with the words & numbers in the font of the title. "IMAX" wipes off differently in this variant.
 * On some occasions, "--IS BELIEVING--" would appear under the IMAX logo.
 * Before Kong: Skull Island, it begins as normal, but the opening text reads "KONG... IS... KING." Notably it shifts closer when "KONG" appears. At 8, the scene sets of in the clouds and the numbers/text set in the same font and texture of the movie's title. The rings are tinted orange this time and the "OR BE PART OF ONE" text rotates the opposite direction to reveal the IMAX wordmark. Instead of wiping away, it shines as the background fades to black and the rings go away (Just like the digital version) and wordmark fades out as it turns red.

FX/SFX : Same as the 3rd logo, with some new enhancements.

Music/Sounds : Before late 2015, it was the same as the 3rd logo. Beginning in late 2015, a synth/orchestra piece is used. see variants for the theme name.

Music/Sounds Variants :
 * In Godzilla, sounds of stomping, Godzilla's roar, and other sound effects to enhance the mood of the variant are heard.
 * In Furious 7, there's a mix between snippets of the standard music and a bunch of racing sound effects.
 * In Rogue Nation, there is a re-orchestrated arrangement of the theme from "Mission: Impossible", as well as the sound of a burning fuse, several whooshes as we pass numbers and text, and other sound effects to go with the animation. When the IMAX logo explodes, an explosion is heard with sounds of glass flying (past us), and a descending bass note after the last two notes of the theme song.
 * In Suicide Squad and Kong: Skull Island, only the sounds are heard representing the style of the film.
 * The cameras variant used that anthem called"Sonic Anthem". same with it's 1000th opening and new movies.

Availability : Currently shown on IMAX screens. The film-specific variants are extinct, as they were only shown before their respective films; however, they are not extinct if the films are still playing in IMAX theaters.

Scare Factor : Same as the 3rd logo, although it is raised to high for the Godzilla and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation variants.

7th Logo (December 18, 2015-)
Nickname: "Never Compromise"

Logo: On a black background, we see the IMAX logo, the first half lit in blue, and the other half dim. The full logo starts to light up after a few seconds, retaining a blue glow around it. We start to zoom in to the logo. While that happens, the logo transforms from a glossy texture to a futuristic city skyline. A full view of the city is later shown as we appear to be entering a very high-tech tunnel. A diamond suddenly pops up and shoots out purple-blue-green color. We then see a video reel that is meant to look like a film strip (a la Walt Disney Home Entertainment) of a racing automobile speeding across a track. We pan around the race car in driver's view, putting 2 more racing cars in view. It then starts to travel at lightspeed, teleporting us to a blue background with what seems to be blurred circles forming a circle as we zoom through it. Audio visualization waves pop up from the left and right of the screen. The waves later fade out and fade back in as one wave, shown at the center of the screen, then later the bottom. Mini-explosions occur, causes the scene to change. We see a pin falling to what seems to be sand (or dirt) specks. The pin bounces and shines. Change of scene: On a very starry night, we see a plane starting to take off. The plane starts to leave wavy streaks behind it, later to become a solid to form the IMAX logo. After a few seconds, we zoom past the logo.

FX/SFX: Do we really need to describe everything that happened? Very impressive CGI by design artist Timothy Evans, though.

Music/Sounds/Voice-Over: Corresponding sound effects throughout the logo. At the beginning, we hear 3 timpani hits. After that we hear an announcer say "Welcome to IMAX, the world's most immersive movie experience. Powered by a combination of the most advanced technology, we'll take you from the edge of your seat (slight pause) to the edge of reality. Enjoy crystal clear images (slight pause) and colors so intense, they will take your breath away! In specially designed theaters (pause) that bring you closer to the movies you love. Huge panoramic screens (pause) that allow you to escape into your favorite movie scenes, and immersive sound (pause) that will take you from here..." A trap song plays. "...here... and here. (long pause) We can take you from a pindrop..." We hear the sound of a pindrop falling. "...to the thunder of a jet engine." Then we hear the jet engine soaring. "So, sit back, and get ready to enjoy an unparalleled movie experience. (long pause) IMAX. Never compromise."

Availability: Currently shown on IMAX screens, alongside the previous logo. First seen on the IMAX release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Scare Factor: Medium to high. It depends on your view of the sound effects and what is going on in the logo.

Editor's Note: This logo was only shown on the IMAX release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but it was never seen in the movies that IMAX has been released.