The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s recently unveiled $2 million renovation of its IMAX dome screen may have just reinvented the 21st-century movie-viewing experience.
Replacing the triangular-shaped seams that once crisscrossed majestic mountain vistas or the flank of a giant great white shark is a uniformly smooth viewing surface that covers the inside of the Fleet’s 76-foot IMAX dome. The seamless screen, created by NanoSeam, is the first of its kind in an IMAX dome and greatly improves image color and contrast thanks to its slightly darker coloring. A new projector lens enhances the effect by pumping out more light, resulting in greater clarity across the entire viewing field. But no theater renovation would be complete, of course, without a new 16,000-watt digital sound system, wider plush seats, fresh carpeting, and energy-efficient LED house lights.
To christen its state-of-the-art theater, the Fleet is debuting three new IMAX films that offer something for everyone: Wild Ocean tracks a massive feeding frenzy off the coast of South Africa with an award-winning score and sound design; Van Gogh: Brush with Genius traces the artist’s journey through the breathtaking landscapes he made famous with his passionate brushwork and colors; and Animalopolis dishes up 12 humorous vignettes of life in the wild that promise fun for the whole family.
