It's funny hearing people rant and rave about widescreen. (1 Viewer)

[David Lambert]

David, most people don't go around carrying pictures with them.

Joshua Clinard! Time for an "open matte" version of the business card!

 

[Eric M Jones]

Widescreen gives you more pictures" is incorrect.

This is a partial truth. It is only incorrect if you're talking about a movie that was filmed open matte, like Super 35. Not all films are shot open matte, like the anamorphic formats such as Panavision, Cinemascope etc.

It gets confusing. But let me stress that if you prefer to explain it all up front that's great. I'm glad you are out there promoting OAR.

-EJ

 

[David Lambert]

I understand you're kidding but in some ways it is a valid comment.

I understand this sentence in the context of the rest of your reply. However, I want to assure you that there was no smiley, I was dead serious, and that was not meant as a joke.

My take on it is to present them (the J6P's) with two "business cards". One the existing "Mummy" one, showing that information is lost one way. The other a "Fish Called Wanda" one, showing that yes, information CAN be revealed, but it will be information you are not meant to see.

In most cases the Open Matte card can be held back "in reserve" to fight the J6P's argument that they know for a fact that "the black bars hide something". Response is, "Yes, it does, on SOME movies...but not all of them, and what it covers up IS MEANT TO BE HIDDEN; here's proof".

Everyone fights the good fight in their own way, of course. I just feel that we have to deal with Open Matte if we are to be honest with J6P. Otherwise, J6P knows we're a bunch of liars and not to be trusted. It's hard to convice someone like that after they stop being able to trust you.

 

[Bob_L]

Another good open matte anti-argument is in "Peewee's Big Adventure."

The open matte LD that I have ruins the gag where he keeps pulling his bicycle lock chain out of his side pack. On the OAR version, it looks like a HUGE chain is coming out of a tiny pack. In the open matte version, you can clearly see the chain coming up through the no-bottom pack.

In fact, I keep my old LD of this movie just for that scene.

 

[Eric M Jones]

Everyone fights the good fight in their own way, of course.

Agreed. I read your Disney letter and applaud your commitment to OAR.

-EJ

(OFF topic- could you click my sig and see if you can get WA site to come up? I can't here and I'm wondering if it's down?)

 

[David Lambert]

Really? I see a smiley.

By golly, I *did* put one there. I didn't recall doing so, and was so sure of it I didn't even go back and look. Bad habit, I suppose...I meant the suggeston sincerely. You and Joshua should please take it that way. I don't have the tools needed to make one myself, or I would.

I can't get to the site right now, either. Must be down.

 

[Eric M Jones]

You and Joshua should please take it that way. I don't have the tools needed to make one myself, or I would.

Will do. I'm going to add it to our Why Widescreen? materials. It will take some time though. I'm alredy behind on getting some other materials I'm creating done.

-EJ

(Thanks for checking the site. Joshua runs the server end so I'll have to wait and see what he finds out. Sucky time for it to go down. We've been getting record traffic the past few days.)

 

[paul o'donnell]

Re: Widescreen Advocate.
I can't get it to load either Eric. I wanted to see the business cards :frowning:

 

[Joshua Clinard]

The server the site is on has been since early this morning because of a hardware failure. MySQL uptime has been really unstable the last few weeks, so my web host is in the process of moving the account to a new, more stable server. The site should be back up within an hour or so.

 

[Eric M Jones]

Looks like our WA site is still down. For those of you who wanted to see the card here you go. (Shown larger than actual size.)

As soon as we're back up you can go to the Why Widescreen? section to download a printable pdf.
-EJ

 

[paul o'donnell]

That looks really cool. Has anyone converted someone with one yet?

 

[Butch C]

The thing that kills me about all this is that my mom wants me to apply to Wal-Mart. From all I've read on various Home Entertainment and Theater websites, WalMart gives less than a damn about OAR, and on top of that, they don't stock explicit CDs. She wants me to work there anyway...Good God, I'm crying on the inside. I don't want to deal with J6Ps, and WalMart is full of them. This'll be worse than flipping burgers, and I never thought such a thing was possible.

A SPY ON THE INSIDE!!!! GOOD GOD MAN DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG WE HAVE WAITED FOR THIS...WE COULD TOPPLE THE EVIL EMPIRE FROM WITHIN!!!!

Your new moniker is Joe Tallboy, your handler will be Ron Epstien himself...meet him friday at 12:37pm, on the corner of 8th and E in Belmar NJ. Wear a red cravat and a pair of Sassone Striped Jeans. When he approaches you he will say "My grandfather was one of the origional chinese workers on the transcontinental railroad"...you will say "I think Angel should get his own thread"...you recieve further instructions then.

Godspeed good man, Godspeed.

 

[Eric S M]

Mike_G
Not too long ago, a member here, Ryan Wright, created the following Flash animation that explains OAR.
Don't know why you couldn't use this in your Pocket Explorer.
http://www.ryanwright.com/ht/oar.shtml
Again, all the credit Ryan. I just thought the link was relevant to this discussion.
Eric

 

[paul o'donnell]

Butch C,

 

[Malcolm R]

Not too long ago, a member here, Ryan Wright, created the following Flash animation that explains OAR.

That is AWESOME! That is exactly what the studios need to put in front of their DVD's.
Also, something I just noticed on the back of my Austin Powers:IMM disc, it says "presented in a letterboxed widescreen aspect ratio as specified by the director." I think that's a lot more credible than just "the black bars are normal."