P&S vs Widescreen: Flash tutorial (1 Viewer)

[TheoGB]

I thought it looked pretty cool. I'm not sure it does much more than the other stuff I've see so far but it was nice to see it animated that smoothly.
Personally I would have gone for a frame from Empire - there are a couple (after Luke comes out of the Bacta tank on Hoth, and when Vader states that Hoth "is the system) where you actually have four facial expressions going across the whole frame.
This was actually the thing that made me demand widescreen for my videos. I bought Star Wars first and was merely impressed - Empire made me never want to go back.

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[Brian Harnish]

Ryan -- that is a GREAT flash movie! Already showed it to someone and they had no idea that that was what happened to a movie when it's "Formatted to Fit Your Screen." DESPITE the fact that I've told them that's what happened so many times. I guess they really *do* need to see it for themselves.
Excellent job! I hope this gets the attention it needs.
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- Brian
My DVD Collection
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[Ryan Wright]

Thank you again to all for your replies. I've made two minor changes to the movie: First, the "16:9 Theater Screen" now says "16:9 Widescreen set." It still says "This is why movie theater screens are shaped differently...", so there is the implication that movie theater screens are 16:9, but it no longer comes right out and says it. This will be corrected and expanded on in the new, "fully featured" animation I'm working on now.
Also, I've added the black bars to the widescreen set. Nothing is said about them, however, they are there. My new animation will also expand on this.
I showed this one to my father, who knows little about widescreen and doesn't even own a DVD player. After watching, I asked which version of the movie he would like to watch. He said it was obvious - "widescreen." I asked, despite the black bars? He looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "Of course. Why would I want to miss over a third of the movie?" So, if he gets it, I don't see why anyone else can't.
DarrinA: I really prefer the way you have presented Pan & Scan (masking off within the screen and enlarging), and may use that in my "new and improved" animation. Thank you for the post & idea.
Michael: Since I'm already digging into a new, more informative animation, I'm going to withhold distributing the one I've just created. As soon as the new one is finished, I'll email it to you & anyone else who wants it. Some members have raised issues here that I feel are serious and I want to correct them before having the current version of this plastered all over the net. I will, however, leave it on my site as-is for anyone to view until the new one is complete.
Everyone else: I will surely be coming here throughout the next couple of weeks for advice while I create the "new and improved" OAR tutorial. I'm open to all of you for input, advice, etc - please post it here if you think it should be addressed! Also, if there are any particular scenes you feel make a great mess of P&S (TheoGB had a scene in mind), post the OAR and P&S screenshots here and I'll try to incorporate them. When this one is finished, I'll link to it for a review and when we're satisfied that it's as accurate as reasonably possible, I'll replace the old one.
Thank you again for your comments and support.
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-Ryan (http://www.ryanwright.com )
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.
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[cafink]

The sound of your voice has already been brought up. Have you considered getting someone else to record the narration? I think a stronger voice might sound better.
(No offense intended — I assure you that I'm the LAST person who could insult the sound of someone else's voice!)

 

[Micah Cohen]

Ryan -- AWESOME cool effort! That's so great, I've emailed the link to a bunch of people already!
One suggestion: Have a little delay before it starts, or a little "start demo" button, so it doesn't just start up right when you appear there before you're even ready to follow it.
Hey, forget that! It rocks! Thank you so much for making one of the coolest demos yet! This is right up there with that feature on the DIE HARD disc.
MC
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[Jay Mitchosky]

Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. The audio fidelity could be revamped, perhaps in DTS, but otherwise a great job.

I would encourage you to add that link to your signature, separate from your general web link and perhaps tagged with a descriptive header. I'll talk to Ron, Packy, and the other Admins about including the link on the Forum pages. It would also be cool if you could included some other demonstrations.
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--Jay
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[RAF]

Ryan,
Outstanding! I wonder if we could convince you to do something in similar fashion to explain anamorphic to the uninitiated.
Your OAR demo clearly supports the hypothesis that "One picture is worth a thousand words".
Very well done!

I've already sent the link off to several "damn black bar" friends. If this doesn't convince them, then screw 'em!

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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
Link Removed

 

[Ryan Wright]

Outstanding! I wonder if we could convince you to do something in similar fashion to explain anamorphic to the uninitiated.

Of course. I'll try to integrate it into the new presentation I'm working on.
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-Ryan (http://www.ryanwright.com )
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you do criticize them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

 

[Carlo_M]

I'm at work, so I have no audio-thus I won't comment on how old you sound.

But let me say that you have made an EXCELLENT tutorial. Great job on the descriptions and examples you gave.

we should have that playing in a constant loop at places like BallBuster and Hollywood Video...

 

[Craig Chatterton]

I'd like to second the anamorphic request. That and Progressive Scan DVD's are two features I don't quite understand.
Great job with your presentation. I liked it a lot, and could have used it this weekend when my friends son said he wanted to watch Shrek in fullscreen because he hates those black bars. ARGH! Fortunately since it was my DVD and my system, he didn't really have a choice in the matter.
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[LukeB]

I think it would be better with no sound. I know for me at least when there's text on the screen and the voice reading it, I focus on synching up with the reader and following along rather than paying attention to what the words mean. Everything you say is on screen, so I say ditch the audio altogether - it doesn't add anything to an otherwise awesome presentation.

 

[Neil Joseph]

I have some p&s and oar education on my own site but I would like to have this available to people that visit my own site too so they can get a real pictoral sense of what is happening. Of course, I would need your permission to do this. Will this be a permanent fixture at the url you have given or should I find another way to get the information on my site. Either way, let me know.
Thanks.
Nice job by the way.
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[Michael Dueppen]

Outstanding job. Aside from the issues already raised this is pretty near perfect.
Thumbs up to you for doing all this work to give us a really great "weapon" in our fight for OAR.
Especially the animation is important to convince people. They have to clearly see how you see less and less while the picture gets butchered to fit 4:3 screens.
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- Michael
My DVD collection

 

[Cees Alons]

Great Ryan!
You clearly show how the "I payed for a full TV screen and not for black bands" guys are wrong, because they didn't "pay for only 2/3rd of the movie"!
Thanks! I will send your URL to some guys I know.
Cees
[Edited last by Cees Alons on November 14, 2001 at 05:27 PM]

 

[Jon_Are]

Have you considered getting someone else to record the narration?

Is James Earl Jones available?
OUTSTANDING job, Ryan. I've never seen a clearer, more concise example of the mess that is MAR. Great work.
(also, I have no problem with the audio; I think it adds clarity to the presentation.)
Jon
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[David Lambert]

As long as you're "taking requests" (or at least considering them), then perhaps consider this:
Your tutorial is terrific...for explaining pan-and-scanning of films shot widescreen.
But consider the "open matte" issue. Perhaps for "part 2", you can explain open matte vs. closed matte for widescreen framing. A great example might be either Willy Wonka or A Fish Called Wanda. Both are great at demonstrating "things the director never intended you to see in the 'black bar area'". In AFCW, you see a supposedly-naked John Cleese wearing his pants. In WW, you see the gum-chewing girl who turned into a blueberry has hoses running up her clothes (which pump the air into the costume that inflates it). I can either post screen caps or point you to the proper scene.
If your tutorial doesn't deal with this issue, then the pro-MAR idiots out there might go "Hah!" or something.
Great job so far, though! Cheers,
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DAVE/Memphis

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[Derek Miner]

Has anyone thought about this?
The language in this tutorial, as well as the "Why Widescreen" featurette on the Die Hard DVD seems a bit biased. Of course all of us here understand and DEMAND widesreen/letterbox presentations, but we are trying to convince others to accept our idea not force them to accept it.
I'm most concerned with statements like "this is the only way to recreate the theater experience in the home." Of course, this is technically correct, BUT it can come across like "if you don't like to watch movies this way, you're wrong!" We're going to alienate more people than we're going to convert if we sound cocky and superior.
Just something to think about when you're scripting the presenation.
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= Derek =

 

[george kaplan]

I don't really have any problem with saying it's the only way to recreate the experience, but if you did want to tone that down you could say it's the way that most closely replicates the theatrical experience.
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