This versatility allows him to carefully sculpt his films during each phase of their development. In his early work as director of photography, co-editor and co-writer for Koyaanisqatsi, a renowned nonverbal art film, Fricke experimented with many previously obscure film techniques. He used time-lapse, slow motion and optical phase printing to present familiar images from a new perspective. Koyaanisqatsi won a 1983 Filmex Audience Award. Indulging his passion for 70mm, and determined to make life-affirming films, Fricke proceeded to direct and photograph Chronos (1985), a 45min nonverbal, IMAX format film that won the Grand Prix Award at the first Festival International Omnimax de Paris (1987). Fricke worked on several other IMAX format films including the night sky short Sacred Site (1986) which he directed and photographed.