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Cinerama: Meaning & Definition in Film

A widescreen process using three synchronized projectors to create a panoramic image

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On this page 4 sections

Definition and Technology

Cinerama employed three 35 mm projectors feeding onto a deeply curved screen, each covering one third of the image. Filmed with a special three‐lens camera, it achieved a nearly 146° field of view—immersing audiences in unparalleled peripheral vision for its era.

Cinerama: Historical Significance

Debuting with This Is Cinerama (1952), the format was a response to television’s rise, offering spectacle through massive scale and scope. It required custom theaters with curved screens and interlocked projection systems, making it a premium event presentation.

Legacy and Influence

Though costly and complex—replaced by single‐strip widescreen systems like CinemaScope—Cinerama inspired later immersive formats. Its emphasis on panoramic storytelling foreshadowed IMAX and multi‐projection installations in modern exhibition.

Cinerama: Preservation Challenges

Restoring Cinerama films involves synchronizing three archival negatives and digitally stitching them into a single widescreen master, a painstaking process undertaken for select classic titles.

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More Filmmaking Terms

Entries filed on the same shelf as Cinerama, each with the one-line answer first. They are the words that usually come up in the same conversation.

All 913 terms

  • Cherry Picker

    In filmmaking, a cherry picker is an aerial work platform used to elevate lights, cameras, or crew to great heights.

  • Full Rig

    A full rig denotes the complete assembly of camera, lens, power, monitoring, stabilization and accessorization required for a specific shooting scenario.

  • Standby Day

    A standby day is a day when a crew member is not actively working but must be available to be called into set on short notice.

  • Cloud Editorial

    Cloud editorial is a post-production workflow that allows film editors and assistants to collaborate remotely by accessing project files and media stored on cloud servers.

  • ARRI LogC

    ARRI LogC is a proprietary logarithmic gamma curve designed by ARRI to encode the full, wide dynamic range captured by the sensor of its digital cinema cameras into a compact and gradable video signal.

  • Open Matte

    'Open matte' is a filmmaking technique where a film is shot to protect a wider aspect ratio for television or home video, even though it is intended to be matted (cropped) for its theatrical release.