<P> While scouting for shooting locations in October 2006, location manager Robin Higgs visited Liverpool, concentrating mainly along the city's waterfront . Other candidates included Yorkshire, Glasgow, and parts of London . In August 2006, one of the film's producers, Charles Roven, stated that its principal photography would begin in March 2007, but filming was pushed back to April . For its release in IMAX theaters, Nolan shot four major sequences in that format, including the Joker's opening bank robbery and the car chase midway through the film, which marked the first time that a feature film had been even partially shot in the format . Additionally, it was also the first Batman film to use 70 mm film stock . The cameras used for non-IMAX 35 mm scenes were Panavision's Panaflex Millennium XL and Platinum . </P> <P> For fifteen years Nolan had wanted to shoot in the IMAX format, and he also used it for "quiet scenes which pictorially we thought would be interesting". The use of IMAX cameras provided many new challenges for the filmmakers: the cameras were much larger and heavier than standard cameras, and produced noise which made recording dialogue difficult . In addition, the cameras had short film loads ranging from 30 seconds to two minutes and the cost of the film stock was much greater than standard 35 mm film . Nevertheless, Nolan said that he wished that it were possible to shoot the entire film in IMAX: "if you could take an IMAX camera to Mount Everest or outer space, you could use it in a feature movie ." In addition, Nolan chose to edit some of the IMAX sequences using the original camera negative, which by eliminating generation loss, raised the film resolution of those sequences up to 18 thousand lines . </P> <P> Warner Bros. chose to film in Chicago for 13 weeks, because Nolan had a "truly remarkable experience" filming part of Batman Begins there . Instead of using the Chicago Board of Trade Building as the location for the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises, as Batman Begins did, The Dark Knight shows Wayne Enterprises as being headquartered in the Richard J. Daley Center . While filming in Chicago, the film was given the false title Rory's First Kiss to lower the visibility of production, but the local media eventually uncovered the ruse . Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun - Times commented on the absurdity of the technique, "Is there a Bat - fan in the world that doesn't know Rory's First Kiss is actually The Dark Knight, which has been filming in Chicago for weeks?" Production of The Dark Knight in Chicago generated $45 million in the city's economy and created thousands of jobs . For the film's prologue involving the Joker, the crew shot in Chicago from April 18, 2007 to April 24, 2007 . They returned to shoot from June 9, 2007, to early September . Noticeably, unlike Batman Begins, less CGI was used to disguise Chicago . Many recognizable locations were used in the film, like the Sears Tower, Navy Pier, 330 North Wabash, the James R. Thompson Center, Trump International Hotel and Tower, LaSalle Street, The Berghoff, Randolph Street Station, and Hotel 71 . An old Brach's factory was used as Gotham Hospital . The defunct Van Buren Street post office doubles as Gotham National Bank for the opening bank robbery . Several sequences, including one car chase, were shot on the lower level of Wacker Drive . The Marina City towers also appear in the background throughout the movie . </P> <P> Pinewood Studios, near London, was the primary studio space used for the production . While planning a stunt with the Batmobile in a special effects facility near Chertsey, England in September 2007, technician Conway Wickliffe was killed when his car crashed . The film is dedicated to both Ledger and Wickliffe . The restaurant scene was filmed at the Criterion Restaurant in Piccadilly Circus, London . </P>

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