Theatrical Matte Option or "OTM" Why isn't it used more? (1 Viewer)

[BooneG]

I was reading a review for "Bride of Re-Animator" and the reviewer talks about an option were you can view the open-matte presentation of the movie and then go into the subtitle menu and add matte bars. Why isn't this option used for more movies? It would be nice for Disney to include it on all of their fullscreen releases so that both parties (the pro-widescreen and the anti-widescreen) happy. I would have loved for them to use this option on movies like White Fang and Snow Dogs.

PS: I know that the movies using this option would probably not be anamorphic, but it would be a nice option though.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

If they were open matte enough to just use a "mattes" subtitle track, you could simply use construction paper or black felt to create physical mattes.

 

[Alex Spindler]

Those with widescreen sets can often also use a zoom mode for the same effect.

Still a deal breaker for most due to the lack of anamorphic support.

 

[Scott Varney]

Still a deal breaker for most due to the lack of anamorphic support.

I believe this would be exactly the reason.

 

[Richard Kim]

For alot of matted films, removing the mattes reveals things you weren't meant to see (boom mikes) so they are often cropped for 4:3. Also, special effects shots are hard matted to the theatrical aspect ratio.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Also, special effects shots are hard matted to the theatrical aspect ratio.

Well in most cases... Harry Potter is an exception, hard matted at 16x9 instead of the theatrical 2.40:1.

The point is the same. I'd buy open matte releases if I were a straight opening up of the entire frame. Unfortuneately, this is entirely to rare, which makes the subtitled mattes useless. I agree that subtitle mattes are useful for animated fare, however. (I would have actually preferred Return of the Joker Uncut to have subbed mattes over hard mattes.)

 

[Jeff Kleist]

With Bride of the Reanimator, an anamorphic transfer was impossible, so the subtitle matte option was put in as an attempt to retain the original composition. With most of the Disney films, especially Muppets, the film was hard matted, so you are still losing picture.

 

[Alex Spindler]

Open matte for special effects films is largely unheard of to the best of my knowledge, so I wouldn't hold your breath for many effects heavy films.

 

[LukeB]

Snow Dogs is Pan & Scan, so putting black bars on top and bottom would give you a cropped version of a Pan & Scan transfer. That'd be good, how?

 

[Patrick McCart]

But with the many Disney, Columbia, and older WB open matte DVDs, the quality is terrible.

You forget that the DVDs are open matte because they're old transfers and the studios didn't create new ones yet.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I wouldn't encourage the use of subtitle mattes. Go back and do a proper anamorphic transfer for widescreen films.

 

[GregK]

It would be interesting to see this option on a Super35 shot film. Let's say the director wants to release it at 1.85:1 (with 16x9 anamorphic intact). They could do this and still include a subtitle matt for "proper" 2.35:1 viewing. Of course provided the whole film was framed properly, and all SFX shots extended to at least 1.85:1.

 

[BooneG]

Thank you for answering my question. I just wanted to know about this feature. I know all about hard matting but I thought that if some movies are released open matte then maybe they could do the sub feature. Just a thought.
PS: I thought someone said that Snow Dogs was open matte, maybe I heard wrong. I'm sorry :frowning:

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Super 35 isn't that simple, since the reframing for different ratios can move around quite a bit.

The subtitle matte should only be looked at as an option when the original film elements have been destroyed or are unusable, and all that exists is an open matte 4:3 transfer. Otherwise, a new and proper anamorphic widescreen transfer should be struck.

 

[Nick_Scott]

Another problem with the subtitle matte is that it doesnt work in some of the older players.

On my old RCA/PROSCAN, the matte just flickers on and off. Same with the ghostbusters matte.

About the Super 35 stuff: There is a fantastic demonstration on the T2 DVD about how 4x3 transfers are made. They did NOT use an open matte. Instead, they pan/scanned both horizontally and vertically, and zoomed everywhere... I guess thats what happens on a effects heavy super35 film.

 

[NeilEdwards]

One thing that must be considered when doing subtitles in this situation. (1) if the transfer is open matte, the subtitles must be above the bottom matte line. So when you set a 16:9 TV to zoom mode, we can still see the subtitles. (2) if the transfer is 16:9 and it is NOT anamorphic, the subtitles must be in the picture - not below it. I bought a DVD once that had the subtitles in the black space below the picture. My TV went into automatic zoom mode and I could not read the subtitles. The DVD was returned for a refund.

 

[GregK]

Sense I opened the Super35 Can O' Worms, let the court records show my previous statement:

Of course provided the whole film was framed properly, and all SFX shots extended to at least 1.85:1.

Obviously this knocks out many Super35 shot films, and even if there are a few "contenders" out there that meet all of the criteria (proper common framing, sfx shots to at least 1.85:1, no unwanted material in the 1.85:1 image), if the director wants it at 2.35:1, so be it. But again, IF the conditions listed were in line and the director wanted it, they could release a slightly open matte version, only this time have a matting option for 2.35:1 purist. One technical aspect that may need to be addressed is separate matting modes for 4:3 and 16x9 sets. This was a problem with the "Ghostbusters" matted silhouettes option on the SE DVD.