Why are all TV programs & films not made at the same aspect ratio
- Thread starter chaparral
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Associate
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1:85? Is that really a ratio?
You missed 4:3 although probably not that common.
You missed 4:3 although probably not that common.
Caporegime
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Director/DOP preference.
Soldato
A good deal of it is historic. A combination of cinema's battle with the emergence of TV as a competing threat, and the capability of the different cameras used at the time. At one time there was a race for the widest screen (see Ben Hur, which was broadcast earlier tonight). Essentially, widescreen became the accepted norm for cinema and 4:3 became the TV standard until relatively recently.
Different directors and studios have their own artistic preferences for different aspects of 'widescreen'.
Different directors and studios have their own artistic preferences for different aspects of 'widescreen'.
Caporegime
The hateful eight was shot on 70mm ultra panovision which is 2.76:1 
Caporegime
Some movies even changes half way through !
Commissario
In addition to The Abyss's post, budget also played a part.
IIRC some formats were significantly more expensive than others to use.
From memory a lot of the differences are from even before TV, but from competing studio and camera/film companies, but it accelerated when TV started to be seen as a threat to the cinema.
As an odd aside there are a few films where they change aspect ratio repeatedly, usually as a way to get a "historic" feel, so for shots set in say the 40's they'll use one ration, for shots in the 60's they'll use another and for shots in the 90's another.
I think there are is also an element of certain aspect ratios work better with certain types of film, so something that is meant to be "epic" or give the impression of being in a wide open space a very wide angle ratio might be used, whilst for something that is meant to be more claustrophobic a narrower one as you may not notice it consciously but the brain picks up on it.
IIRC some formats were significantly more expensive than others to use.
From memory a lot of the differences are from even before TV, but from competing studio and camera/film companies, but it accelerated when TV started to be seen as a threat to the cinema.
As an odd aside there are a few films where they change aspect ratio repeatedly, usually as a way to get a "historic" feel, so for shots set in say the 40's they'll use one ration, for shots in the 60's they'll use another and for shots in the 90's another.
I think there are is also an element of certain aspect ratios work better with certain types of film, so something that is meant to be "epic" or give the impression of being in a wide open space a very wide angle ratio might be used, whilst for something that is meant to be more claustrophobic a narrower one as you may not notice it consciously but the brain picks up on it.
Yup, iirc there are a few that change constantly throughout the film for "flashback" shots.
Caporegime
The Dark Knight changes when the scenes shot by IMAX.
There is a horror movie this year that changes as the movie goes on, the name of which escapes me.
There is a horror movie this year that changes as the movie goes on, the name of which escapes me.
Deleted member 651465
D
Deleted member 651465
Lots of films change aspect ratio, its more common than you'd think.
Some of the more recent ones which come to mind.. no doubt many more too! Just an artistic thing as well as an annoyance if you're trying to set up a cinema screen/projector
Tron Legacy
The Dark Knight Rises
Interstellar
Catch Me If You Can
Kill Bill Vol 2.
Some of the more recent ones which come to mind.. no doubt many more too! Just an artistic thing as well as an annoyance if you're trying to set up a cinema screen/projector
Tron Legacy
The Dark Knight Rises
Interstellar
Catch Me If You Can
Kill Bill Vol 2.
Soldato
The last Transformers with Marky Mark had an ever changing aspect ratio depending which camera they used, started getting distracting towards the end.
Them speakers may not look very nice but at lest it a start..
But with this way you be losing a lot of screen size when watching 16:9 or 4:3 due to the height of the screen as the actual screen would need to be a 21:9
https://www.avforums.com/news/ces-2019-what-to-expect.15657
But with this way you be losing a lot of screen size when watching 16:9 or 4:3 due to the height of the screen as the actual screen would need to be a 21:9
https://www.avforums.com/news/ces-2019-what-to-expect.15657
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Yes, it actually the default ration for all movies not filmed in the scope ratios. It just gets shoehorned into the 16:9 for TV as we only lose a tiny bit at the top and bottom of the picture, there very nearly the same
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Yes, it actually the default ration for all movies not filmed in the scope ratios. It just gets shoehorned into the 16:9 for TV as we only lose a tiny bit at the top and bottom of the picture, there very nearly the same
Think op said 1:85 not 1.85:1 must be confused over notation.
Bit late to the party, the reason for this was because they kept jumping between different camera configurations constantly from various different systems.
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