Unusual (or extreme) aspect ratios? (1 Viewer)

[Damin J Toell]

The 1971 0.838 x 0.700 projection aperture was changed under SMPTE 195 in 1993 to 0.825 x 0.690. The AR remained 2.39:1.

dude, i already posted that on Apr. 25th.
DJ

 

[Patrick McCart]

Movietone films were released in a 1.25:1 aspect ratio.

City Lights is one of the few SHOT for Movietone (many others were cropped on the side without attention to what was being cut off)

 

[Scott H]

dude, i already posted that on Apr. 25th.

Sorry Damin
Just realized that I only saw posts through April 24th when I posted earlier today. It was a browser issue. And I was shooting in TN all week so I missed the thread in real time.

 

[Deepak Shenoy]

I dunno if this counts, but the MGM DVD of 'The Great Escape' has an aspect ratio (not OAR) close to 3:1. I hope they fix this in the upcoming special edition release.

 

[Andrew_Sch]

If all scope films post-1971 are really 2.4:1, how come DVD's such as Gladiator, American Beauty and U-571 (just three off the top of my head) are listed as 2.35:1? I'm not disputing the fact, just wondering why.

 

[Sam Hatch]

Personally, the extreme aspect ratio I'm waiting to see is 1:2.40 -- just framing everything with the camera sideways and building a super-tall vertical screen to show it on!
As for the 2.35:1 vs. 2.40:1 (or 2.39:1) debate, it's left me a bit puzzled as well. Actually, I'd never even heard 2.40:1 thrown around until the past few years or so, when Widescreen Review quietly made the change from .35 to .40 --maybe I missed the issue with an explanation.
When a friend of mine was in film school, I used to steal his expensive cinematography handbook to read. That listed the scope ratio as 2.35:1 as well. So if it's been 2.40:1 since the '70s, why was 2.35:1 the only term used until very recently?
Just watch, in another ten years it will quietly change to 2.45:1 and nobody will notice!

 

[Jean-Michel]

A few VistaVision films were composed in 1.96:1.

 

[Patrick McCart]

I dunno if this counts, but the MGM DVD of 'The Great Escape' has an aspect ratio (not OAR) close to 3:1. I hope they fix this in the upcoming special edition release.

Yeah, I was wondering what the hell happened to the image!
Perhaps MGM thought it was 70mm and decided to fake-box it like WB did with Ben-Hur?

 

[Leo Kerr]

The explanation I heard for the 2.35:1 shifting to 2.4:1 was so seductively simple that I distrust it out of general principle - the principle being "every problem has an answer that is quick, elegant, and wrong," or something like that.
Anyway, as I understand it, Cinimascope compatible films photographed with the same aperature plates that they've been using since time began that would yield a 2.35:1 aspect ratio on extraction.
Then, later, in an effort to help hide edits, reel make-up splices, et cetera, they shifted to a slightly smaller projection aperature plate, cropping the image vertically ever so slightly.
Remember, no affidavit of authenticity.
Leo Kerr
[email protected]

 

[Rain]

but the MGM DVD of 'The Great Escape' has an aspect ratio (not OAR) close to 3:1.

Not quite, try 2.70:1. Still wrong, though, as it should be 2.35:1 (Panavision).
Yes, I'm a geek.
Jason, how can you be so picky about aspect ratios, but not mind watching movies on a curved screen? It ain't Cinerama, you know.

 

[RolandL]

MGM and then Criterion each released a version of The Great Escape on laser disc years ago. I thought Criterion would fix the over matting that MGM did on their version. At first glance it appeared they did as the Criterion version had an aspect ratio of about 2.35:1. But, if you did an A/B comparison, all they did was remove information from the sides of the frame.