Video producers have a lot to choose from when it comes to how they film their productions and how they are ultimately displayed.
Aspect Ratios
One choice is the aspect ratio, which refers to the size or dimensions of a video as it is displayed on a screen. When referring to the size, the first number refers to the width and the second is the height.
One common television dimension is 4×3, or the standard ratio that is used on televisions. Another is 16×9, which is used on high-definition televisions and movie screens. This format typically displays 1,920 pixels, although other resolutions called “scans” are available, such as 2k scan and 4k scan, which hold 2,048 and 4,096 pixels respectively. These scans provide a bit more detail than 16×9. Essentially, their size can be the same as other formats but their detail is greater.
Dividing these numbers creates an aspect ratio, and in the case of 16×9, this ratio is 1.77:1 or rounded to 1.78:1. 1.85:1 is also available for dvd producers who wish to show films in slightly larger than HD.
When one buys a widescreen movie on dvd, it’s called letterboxed, which is the name for the black bars along the top or bottom of the screen. If the film meant for a movie screen was played on a standard television without this, it would be somewhat squished and portions of the frame would be missing. Similar black bars can be added in post-production by the director, which is called “masking”. Masking is also used to cover up things they don’t want you to see like cameras or microphones, and these are black bars added in post-production. If removed for television broadcast, people can see what the director didn’t intend for them to.
Movies are often played on television channels long after they come out, which is why they often display the warning, “this film has been formatted to film your television screen.” Often, it has either been zoomed in on or squared off, which can lead to missing information and degraded quality.
As filmmaking evolved, many different formats came and went, and some stayed for good.
For example, earlier movies had ratios such as 1.19:1, and were much more narrow due to the added soundtracks on the sides of the film. In 1942, Casablanca was shot in 1.33:1, similar to older and even current television shows.
The movie The Fly was shot in 1.85:1, and many other movies are also shot in this ratio because it’s a large picture on full screens. The Day After Tomorrow was filmed in 2.35:1, which is also called Cinescope. This ratio 2.35 times wider than it is tall, as opposed to the 1.85:1 which is 1.85 times wider than it is tall. The 2.35:1 is therefore a bit wider but narrower than 1.85:1. However, both are standard widescreen film formats.
Azure Productions Inc.’s own new film project, “The Keeper’s Wife” was filmed in 4×3 and then framed to 16×9. This was done to adjust head rooms, as well as cover up things like lights, microphones and camera shadows.