# BFI IMAX best seats?



## Bungle73 (Jun 6, 2012)

A lot of the best seats are booked. Is it better to sit near the centre, but closer to the screen, or further away from the screen, but off to the side?


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## Reno (Jun 6, 2012)

I like to sit a third or quater from the back, right in the middle. At the front would do my neck in and would be much too close for the huge screen.


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## Bungle73 (Jun 6, 2012)

The trouble is all the seats in the middle row towards the back are booked. 

There is one seat 7 rows from the front on the end of the middle column that might do. I'll be on my own.


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## Lord Camomile (Jun 6, 2012)

A lot depends on whether it's 3D or not. If not, then I don't think being to the side would be as bad as sitting up close (though this is more a guess than based on experience).

If it is 3D, I think being near the centre would be more important.


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## Reno (Jun 6, 2012)

Might be alright, but would be too close for me. Is it for Prometheus ? I'd probably rather watch it on a large regular screen than being too close at Imax. There is no real reason to watch it at Imax, it wasnt shot in the format and as it's widescreen, it will only fill half the screen anyway. Somewhere like the huge Empire Leicester Sq will be just as good.


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## Bungle73 (Jun 6, 2012)

It's 3D. I'm looking to see Prometheus.

All the seats in the middle from H to the back are booked.


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## Bungle73 (Jun 6, 2012)

> There is no real reason to watch it at Imax, it wasnt shot in the format and as it's widescreen, it will only fill half the screen anyway. Somewhere like the huge Empire Leicester Sq will be just as good.


Oh.


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## sleaterkinney (Jun 6, 2012)

I saw Prometheus at the Imax, it's not worth it. It's not a 3d movie and some of the cgi looks ropey on that big screen.

I was on the fifth row(E) back in the middle and it was fine


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## Reno (Jun 6, 2012)

sleaterkinney said:


> It's not a 3d movie


 
Yes, it is.


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## sleaterkinney (Jun 6, 2012)

Reno said:


> Yes, it is.


Ok, it's not a movie which makes good use of 3d in my humble opinion.


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## bi0boy (Jun 6, 2012)

Aren't 3D movies upscaled to IMAX supposed to generally be shit because the upscaling creates nasty little flickery artifacts and stuff, or did I just imagine reading that somewhere?


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## Reno (Jun 6, 2012)

sleaterkinney said:


> Ok, it's not a movie which makes good use of 3d in my humble opinion.


 
Unlike most live action films at least it was shot in 3D, instead of being a post-conversion job. In any case, it has no bearing on the Imax choice, its shown in 3D in most cinemas.

3D isn't used to have things flying at the camera for no apparent reason anymore, it's just supposed to give the film a sense of depth. Now nearly all films are in colour and we don't question how they use colour anymore, unlike at the beginning of the technology when many people didn't like it (the same was the case for sound and widescreen)


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## Reno (Jun 6, 2012)

bi0boy said:


> Aren't 3D movies upscaled to IMAX supposed to generally be shit because the upscaling creates nasty little flickery artifacts and stuff, or did I just imagine reading that somewhere?


 
Could be. I saw Avatar there and it looked fine, but for some films the huge screen can be a disadvantage. Super 8 was shot to be slightly grainy to look like an early 80s film and that didn't look so great. As I said, as none of Prometheus got shot in the IMAX process there is no need to see it there.


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## trabuquera (Jun 6, 2012)

saw Prometheus myself there a few days ago. Whether you're near to or far from the front is really just a matter of taste (but I'd say anything closer than row F-ish and you'd find yourself craning upwards to look at the screen. But you definitely, definitely don't want to be right at the sides - it's vertigo-inducing, the image is completely distorted, and could make you feel a bit queasy. The 2 seats either side of each aisle are OK, but you don't want to be any further on the sidelines than that.

No complaints from me about either the screen size or the 3D (I normally HATE 3D but this made me see the point of it.) Only about the extortionate ticket price ... and the fact that their pre-booking system was on the blink. No problem if you had an email confirmation or could access one on your phone, but if not, you'd be queueing with the rest of 'em.


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## Bungle73 (Jun 6, 2012)

I've just booked it. Row J by the aisle.


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## wtfftw (Jun 7, 2012)

Sitting in the foyer now. Will be row L.


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