O.A.R. of programs (1 Viewer)

[Jonathan David]

Just a quick question about Six Foot Under and Alias.

Are they filmed for widescreen viewing?

Thats all thanks

Jonathan

p.s. feel free mods to lock this down after a reply is given.

Thanks again

 

[gregstaten]

Without question, they are filmed in 16x9. Whether they are composed for that ratio is another, stickier, question.

Just about every television show shot on film in North America is shot using a 16x9 aspect ratio. However, few of them are purely composed for 16x9. Most are shot "shoot and protect". This means that the shots are composed for 4x3 but the 16x9 area is protected so that nothing unwanted shows up in the 16x9 wings.

Unfortunately, on some shows this leads to some very strange compositions when viewed in 16x9. I can't remember the name of the drama, but I was watching a CBS show in HD a few months ago and was stunned at how awkward the compositions looked. Every shot was clustered in the 4x3 area and the wings looked like abandoned deserts.

Not every show looks like this, though. I've seen plenty of shows that play well in 16x9. Indeed, some are composed for 16x9. They are in the minority though. Hopefully that will eventually change.

Note - some shows are still shot in 4x3. In these cases they use tilt and scan to extract a 16x9 image from the upper portion of the frame. This is different than a 1.85 film where the image is extracted from the center. As the head room is composed for 4x3, they need to maintain the headroom and therefore use the top of the 4x3 frame for the 16x9 extraction.

-greg

 

[Jeff Kleist]

West Wing, ER, Enterprise, and Angel are the only shows on broadcast TV that are aired widescreen only, therefore don't have to worry about 4:3

Stargate SG-1 and Farscape are now Widescreen only on Sci-Fi Channel. It remains to be seen if S6 of SG-1 will be shown 16:9 in syndication

I believe that all HBO's big shows are aired widescreen on HBO 2 and 4:3 on HBO, but I could be wrong

Queer as Folk gets(or at least used to get) a widescreen airing on Tuesdays

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

I believe that all HBO's big shows are aired widescreen on HBO 2 and 4:3 on HBO, but I could be wrong

At least for "The Sopranos" and "Band of Brothers" it was the other way around: widescreen (and Dolby Digital) on HBO and 4:3 on HBO Plus (or HBO2 or whatever they call it now).

 

[Steve Tannehill]

HBO's Six Feet Under is being broadcast in 4x3.

- Steve

 

[gregstaten]

Folks, I'm working with the Six Feet Under editors later this week. I'll find out what aspect ratio they shoot at. FYI - every season of Sex and the City has been shot in 4x3.

-greg

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Exactly,
While watching a preview for the second season, they showed a scene, that has some more info on the sides from season 1.

I watched the tape over and noticed this.

Six Feet Under if filmed 16:9, but if it's framed for 4:3. I do now know, he'll find out.

 

[John Berggren]

I'm hoping that SFU will be 16x9 on DVD. I presume it's framed for widescreen since HBO started showing the Sopranos in widescreen when SFU was just beginning. Working from that knowledge, if I were producing the show, I'd frame for 16x9. Watching the show, it WORKS in 4:3, but I think would be more comfortable in 16x9.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I'm hoping that SFU will be 16x9 on DVD. I presume it's framed for widescreen since HBO started showing the Sopranos in widescreen when SFU was just beginning. Working from that knowledge, if I were producing the show, I'd frame for 16x9. Watching the show, it WORKS in 4:3, but I think would be more comfortable in 16x9.

If they framed it like the first two seasons of 'The Sopranos', I really, really hope they do not release the DVDs in 16:9.
Also, if it were framed for 16:9, and that framing were preferable, don't you think they would show it in widescreen HD? Now?

 

[Brian Ruth]

I know that the Dune Miniseries was filmed and presented in 16:9. Watching the new 16:9 enhanced Directors Cut/SE on a computer monitor (full resolution, I believe) looks incredible. I know Babylon 5 was shot with widescreen in mind and is usually broadcast as such, and I know that West Wing, ER, The Sopranos, and Enterprise are all broadcast in widescreen (as mentioned earlier).

 

[gregstaten]

Back from HBO. According to those I spoke with THE SOPRANOS is the *only* original series on HBO that is shot and composed in 16x9. The rest are all shot and composed for 4x3.

-greg

 

[PhilipG]

Stargate SG-1 and Farscape are now Widescreen only on Sci-Fi Channel

Jeff, re: Farscape, is 16x9 now OAR, or are Sci-Fi cropping? The R2 DVDs of season 3 are 4:3, but have the original Sci-Fi trailers, which I note are widescreen, cropping the 4:3 picture at the top and bottom. Has this changed for season 4?