DOP Shane Hurlbut on Act of Valor – 2.39 aspect ratio tape marks on the 5D
Learn how to shoot in 2.35:1 cinematic aspect ratios on your digital camera without loosing wanted information by reading the summary of Zackary Mejias’ write up. This is not as simple as hitting a setting on your camera because aspect ratios on your camera cannot be changed as it is set to a specific value, normally 720×1280 and/or 1920×1080. To learn more about aspect ratios and what these numbers mean please see the video below. We are a video production company specializing in telling your story and sharing it to the world! Watch our sample videos here >>
The problem with 2.35:1 aspect ratio is that footage will be cut off at the top and bottom of your content once you export to this ratio. It is because most digital cameras film in 1920×1080 or 720×1280 nowadays (HD). And the 2.35:1 aspect ratio is more narrow than what the digital camera can film in. Why would you want the 2.35:1 aspect ratio then? Because if your work was shown at the theatre, most movie theatres are set up to display the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Then you may ask: “how do I know what will be cut off and what wouldn’t during filming?” A popular technique used in the industry is that filmmakers re-frame the shot in post. With the help of that, you can also try using tape as a point of reference.
Mejias over at at Visual Literacy explains on how to shoot for the 2.35:1 aspect ratio and crop it in editing without losing anything that was intended to be in the frame.
First, he created a template for the 2.35:1 ratio in the computer, then transferred this image onto his camera via USB cable. Opened the 2.35:1 template in the camera and placed tape on where the 2.35:1 aspect ratio lines lie on the LCD screen, which was at the top and bottom. This is similar to what DOP Hurlbut did for his film. He used masking tape to “letterbox” his LCD screen based on this image as seen above. When he films, he knows exactly what will be in the frame and what will be excluded.
To get the full sweep on his article check it out at Visual Literacy. If you have any questions about video production services, feel free to contact us. Hope this article helped!