During my 24 years at IMAX Corporation, I had the opportunity to work on many R&D and LF projects. These are "Large Format" 15 perf, 70mm motion picture films. Usually this was in a technical and engineering support role, although I have also filmed on location as Assistant Cameraman and Camera technician. I founded the IMAX® Camera Dept in 1977, and later hired and trained most of the people. We designed, built and serviced cameras and accessories. Later in Engineering and R&D, I helped develop projection systems, under Bill Shaw and Graeme Ferguson.

Here are some of the LF film projects I have worked on and contributed to (the year shown is that of film release - not when the work was done):
YEAR
FILM
ROLES
ACTIVITY
2002 Space Station Technical Project Management Developed space lights with contractors, ISTI and Lockheed Martin used for providing adequate light to film in 3D inside the Space Station - ISTI is Toni Myers IMAX Space Team
2000 Fantasia 2000 Initial Testing Proposed & conducted first digital conversion tests & showed to Roy Disney
1998 Everest Summit Camera R&D Developed cold weather, lightweight Mk II camera conversion for David Breashears & MacGillivray Freeman Films with Kevin Kowalchuk, Ken Stone, John Harris and IMAX camera department
1998 T-Rex Digital Film Recording Created & showed first GSTA dinosaur tests with CineNova - film recorded all VFX shots of CGI dinosaurs and did 3D HDTV previewing for L squared, in our Film Technology Digital Department
1997 Mission to Mir Digital Film Recording Supervised Archival footage conversion to 15/70 digital film from NTSC video, 16mm and 35mm film with Dr. Samuel Zhou and our digital department
1997 The Hidden Dimension Technical Advisor Developed 3D stereo microscope with Ron Walker, 105mm 3D macro lens with Tim Housel, 3D motion stage with Bill Reeve, Noel Archambaut. Supervised film recording and tested 3D SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) with David Scharf, Hugh Murray
1996 L-5: First City in Space VFX Advisor Assisted in space station concept development, motion control shots, CGI composites, animation & effects, and supervised all film recording output of VFX shots
1994 Into the Deep 3D Underwater Housing Prototype 3D optical testing & configuration decisions prior to final housing design, with Bill Shaw, Bill Reeve, Brian Neale (BREC Technology), Hugh Murray and Camera Dept
1994 Imagine 3D stereo VFX tests 3D Testing of large and small interocular effects with Noel Archambault, Hugh Murray, Roman Kroitor & John Weiley
1993 Journey to the Planets Film Technology Developed & debugged Large Format 15/70 animation camera and stand with Camera dept for Nelvana and IMAX space team, did all digital film output for film
1992 Titanica Submersible Camera R&D

Assistant Camera Work

 Research & Development of Undersea camera mounts, HMI lights and electronic video & safety systems for filming inside Mir submersibles, with Bill Reeve & Engineering Dept

Safely filmed bow shots of Titanic Wreck on two dives with Director Stephen Low to 12,500 feet depth in MIR2
1990 Blue Planet Film Recording Testing of JPL 3D computer graphics "flyovers" from satellite data, general space technical support and all digital film recording with Dave Martindale & ISTI
1989 Echoes of the Sun Film Recording

R&D Project Management

 Developed GMF animation camera , Dicomed Film Recorder interface for Fujitsu film recording in Tokyo, Japan

As Manager Engineering supervised & hired many of IMAX Solido skunkworks "STB" team to develop 3D electronic LC glasses, 3D dual rotor projector, dome & IR emitters
1985 The Dream is Alive ICBC Camera - R&D Developed first large 2500' space magazine circuit & drive, servo remote 30mm lens with Knopafex, IMAX Cargo Bay Camera modifications for zero G, tested and certified equipment with IMAX space team in zero G KC135 "vomit comet", EMI, thermal vac testing, safety & mission support
1982 Hail Columbia Assistant Camera Developed specialized equipment and accessories for filming shuttle launches and filmed the first launch of the Space Shuttle with Graeme Ferguson


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Copyright © 2003, Gord Harris