A few weeks ago I left a screening tornado In 4DX (A multi-sensory experience where your seat moves, water sprays in your face, wind blows in your hair, and flashing lights mimic lightning) It felt like I had just ridden the craziest roller coaster at Six Flags. I had a dazzling smile on my face for hours after the movie ended, and I immediately sat down to write about it. I also bought tickets The original film will be released soon. tornadothe format is the same.
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I’m not the only one who fell in love with this form of drama: tornado Its impressive box office performance is powered by 4DX viewing – a technology that, while more than 15 years old, is perfect for tornado movies, according to type“Inaugural ticket sales… were approximately $2.1 million…30% higher than the event’s previous opening weekend record holder (in 2023) super mario bros movie“. But how are 4DX projections created and programmed? How did this exciting way of watching movies come about? I sat down with Paul Kim, senior vice president of content and production at CJ 4DPLEX, the Seoul-based film technology company that pioneered the medium, to learn more about the technology and the impressive team behind it .
The rise of 4DX
“Movies are an important part of Korean entertainment culture,” Kim said during the video call. “We have a lot of big movie theaters that are open 24 hours a day because people go to the movies at four in the morning. Any new technology, a new way of watching movies, [the Korean audience is] always leads to it. 4DX makes perfect sense.
The first 4DX movie from 2009 was largely forgotten Journey to the Center of the Earthscreening at the CGV Sangam Theater in Seoul, South Korea. But the medium’s popularity has since skyrocketed Avatar It premiered in the same theaters a few months later, and since then, according to Kim, the 4DX team has “written close to 80 movies a year.” Part of the appeal of 4DX viewing (which Kim admits “isn’t for everyone”) is the feeling of being there, but he thinks there are other factors that make it extra special.