---
title: Love at First Frame: 7 Questions with IMAX Chief Quality Officers David & Patricia Keighley
publisher: "IMAX"
description: "Love at First Frame: 7 Questions with IMAX Chief Quality Officers David & Patricia Keighley"
canonical: "https://www.imax.com/keighleys-imax-interview"
date: 2026-06-05
last_updated: 2026-06-05
---

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June 5, 2026

Love at First Frame: 7 Questions with IMAX Chief Quality Officers David & Patricia Keighley
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_It was love at first frame for IMAX Chief Quality Officer David Keighley and his wife Patricia. As newlyweds in 1971, they found themselves on a date night at the Cinesphere in Toronto (the very first permanent IMAX installation of its kind), to catch a screening of the film NORTH OF SUPERIOR, directed by IMAX co-founder Graeme Ferguson. It was their first time seeing a film in the 1:43:1 aspect ratio. Overtaken by the immersion of this epic, super-sized image, they just knew they had to find a way to get involved._

_From the third IMAX film onward, David eventually found himself working as a freelancer in production & post-production with the company. Shortly after these early collabs, he established 70MM Inc. to house these projects and quickly became the sole post-production provider for all IMAX Corporation films.  
  
_[_Our new, limited-edition merch drop pays homage_ (opens in new window)](https://store.imax.com/)_to David, Patricia, and all of the talented film professionals who have contributed to the IMAX craft for the last half century (and counting!). The 70MM Inc. logo has graced pretty much every part of the hidden backend of the IMAX process- on film canisters, in the boxes that films were shipped in, etc. It’s a little-seen piece of IMAX heritage that you can now own and celebrate._

_We sat down with the Keighleys to chat some insider IMAX history, their favorite movies, and the origin of the 70MM Inc. logo._

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### We are bringing back the logo of 70MM Inc., a company you founded, with a limited-edition capsule collection. It’s no secret that IMAX fans are passionate for the format – during OPPENHEIMER’S initial run, they were selling out 7 and 8 am shows in some locations! How do you feel about this enthusiasm for the format and our legacy?

IMAX 70mm Film remains one of our biggest differentiators and it is gratifying to see audiences continue to respond so passionately. We heard several stories of fans who flew to another country to see OPPENHEIMER in one of the thirty 70mm IMAX film locations.

### **The logo. With its bold, blocky lettering, kind of feels almost like a badge of honor or quality seal for this game-changing format. We heard a rumor that its origins lie in a rough sketch you did on the back of a cocktail napkin. Can you tell us a little bit about how the idea came to you, and how it developed?**

Yeah, that drawing was really quick. I'm always doodling something, so I think that's absolutely true. That wasn't the final version, but we handed it to a designer who put a more polished spin on it. But I did the block letters, and the designer integrated the "inc." If you go downstairs \[to the film vault at IMAX headquarters\] right now you'll probably see cannisters or containers with that logo still.

### **Speaking of 70mm, we are excited to be bringing back OPPENHEIMER in IMAX starting today in select theatres. The original roll-out for this film was as ambitious as the project itself, involving the coordination of a worldwide team of cinemas & projectionists to run 70mm showings of the film multiple times a day. Can you talk a little bit about getting that process up and running. What is it like to ensure audiences are getting the same experience, whether they are watching it in Calgary or Nashville?**

To demonstrate how important IMAX film is to Chris Nolan, we hosted a kick-off call with all the projectionists in the 30 IMAX film locations. We were thrilled to share a video message Chris had recorded for this group about how important the projectionists were in the excellent presentation of the film and how much their efforts were appreciated.

### **You have worked on so many IMAX films, all truly unique and innovative. We know it must be a little like asking someone to pick a favorite child, but do you have a favorite project?**

There is never a single favorite film. They are memorable in their own ways. Of course, **OPPENHEIMER**, but our documentaries propelled us to this point and influenced many filmmakers to explore the format. **THE DREAM IS ALIVE**, **ROLLING STONES AT THE MAX,** and **HUBBLE 3D** were all milestones. **FANTASIA 2000**, that started IMAX’s feature journey, the BATMAN trilogy, **INTERSTELLAR** and **AVATAR** have all been very important to the proliferation of the network around the world and audiences seeking the IMAX experience.

### **Can you share an interesting anecdote from the early days at IMAX? What was it like in the beginning?**

People don't realize how shoestring IMAX was. Honestly the company was saved by a single broken camera at one point. In 1976, we were doing these camera tests with Bill Cole, a world acclaimed parachutist. \[Cinematographer\] Gerd Kurtz built us the rig and we took the IMAX camera (one of two in the world at the time) skydiving. We did a mock test that went well, so we went on to the real thing.

Bill jumped out. I was watching and shooting it with my 16mm camera. I would never have been a good newsman, because when I knew he was in trouble and I saw the camera plummeting, I had to break away and I thought he was going to die! He pulled his chute fast enough, that he lived but the camera smashed into the ground, pieces everywhere. I had the presence of mind to throw a black bag over the the film that had opened up out of the magazine and save whatever we could. We actually never used it in the movie—this was a movie for Ontario Place Corporation.

So we wrecked the camera, but had we not gotten that insurance payout, we wouldn't have been able to make the payroll in that period.

So we we saved the company by destroying 1 of 2 IMAX cameras in existence at the time.

### **6\. Do you have any advice for young people who may be reading this, and wondering how they can have a career in the cinema space? Are there any lessons you can impart for your own work & your own journey?**

Watch as many films as you can, pick a discipline – or invent one, as we did – and work tirelessly, paying attention to the small details, without going overboard. Perfection is not attainable or affordable, excellence is – learn the difference. Take on any responsibilities offered as you will learn as much, or more, from those you don’t like as you will from those you more naturally gravitate towards. Learn as much as you can about the broader media landscape and how those evolving technologies may impact your future.

### **7\. We love to ask this of our filmmakers, and we think the fans would love to hear your picks, too: if you could experience any movie again, for the first time, in IMAX, what would it be?**

NORTH OF SUPERIOR, ROLLING STONES AT THE MAX, and OPPENHEIMER, all for different reasons.

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_David and Patricia Keighley served as Chief Quality Officers at IMAX, a role they jointly held until David's passing in September 2025. Since then, Patricia continues to uphold the dedicated legacy they built together._

### _Ready to wear your love of 70mm on your sleeve?_ [_Head to the Fan Shop._(opens in new window)](https://store.imax.com/)

_This interview was adapted in part from an audio transcript. It has been edited for clarity and length._