2.35:1 on a 4:3 tv

[Steve]

I was watching The Matrix just now on Sky Digital, and noticed the 4:3 Sky
picture contains a lot more picture information (top or bottom) compared to
my Region 2 DVD disk.

I had noticed when watching the DVD on a 4:3 tv that people's heads or feet
are often cut off by the black bars.

Obviously I know the borders are there to maintain the aspect ratio when
displaying the wider picture, but I didn't expect the DVD to crop the top
and bottom of the frame?

Steve

[loz]

"Steve" <st...@baja.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:93t96i$clg$1...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...

Sometimes films are shot on 4:3 film, then matted down to 2.35:1 for release
to cinemas and put onto widescreen DVDs and Videos.
The original film is still 4:3 and therefore has more material on it (top
and bottom) than on the 2:35:1 copy.
Often the director will mask of the viewfinder so that he/she is only
framing the picture for 2.35:1 even though the film is recorded at 4:3. This
way they should make sure that everything that is supposed to be in the
frame is in the frame and if things are cut off, then they are meant to be.
However, the distributors will then also release a 4:3 copy for TV or
non-widescreen VHS.
If the film had originally been shot in 2.35:1 film, then they would have to
cut the sides to get a full 4:3 picture.

So, yes it is possible that you are seeing the original 4:3 film that was
matted down to 2.35:1 for release.
This explains why sometimes you see things like mics in the top of the shot.
In the directors 2.35:1 viewfinder these would not have been visible, nor on
the 2.35:1 release, but the original 4:3 film would contain them and any 4:3
copy for TV would too.

regards
loz

[Jonathan Black]

Steve wrote:

I think this would be because The Matrix was filmed on Super35.
Filmes shot in this method can have a 4:3 version which contains
some more info on the top and bottom, rather than being a
complete crop of the 2.35:1 image. However, this doesn't take
away from the fact that the 2.35:1 version on your DVD is the
original framing intended by the director.

See the screenshots from Air Force One near the bottom of this
page for more explanation on this subject:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/anamorphic/aspectratios/widescreenorama2.html

Bye,
--
jonathaN

[pli...@my-deja.com]

However all the effect shots will be cropped from the original.
There are rather a lot of them in the Matrix!

Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/

[Steve]

Thanks for the info - mystery solved. The web site was very informative.
Think I have a grasp of the widescreen thing now.

Regards,

Steve

[DVDfever Dom]

In article <93uuk2$7pv$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk>

"loz" <lawr...@thewilkesfamily.freeserve.co.uk> writes:
>"Steve" <st...@baja.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:93t96i$clg$1...@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
>> I was watching The Matrix just now on Sky Digital, and noticed the 4:3 Sky
>> picture contains a lot more picture information (top or bottom) compared
>to
>> my Region 2 DVD disk.
>>
>> I had noticed when watching the DVD on a 4:3 tv that people's heads or
>feet
>> are often cut off by the black bars.
>>
>> Obviously I know the borders are there to maintain the aspect ratio when
>> displaying the wider picture, but I didn't expect the DVD to crop the top
>> and bottom of the frame?
>>
>Sometimes films are shot on 4:3 film, then matted down to 2.35:1 for release
>to cinemas and put onto widescreen DVDs and Videos.

Not quite. Super 35 gives a ratio of about 1.6:1 or thereabouts, but while
all non-SFX shots may have a fullscreen alternative that generally shows
more height and loses a little width, all SFX shots (which is what Matrix
is known for) will be cropped unless those have been composed for a ratio
other than the theatrical one (2.35:1 in this case)

ID4 is an example of a Super 35 (or might be Vistavision) film where SFX
shots were composed for about 1.6:1 too, so the 4:3 version isn't as bad
as it might have been.

Dom Robinson
Editor, DVDfever.co.uk; Contributor, HCC, City Life & Freeloader.com

d...@DVDfever.co.uk "Finger, my arse!" - Jim Royle 25/12/00
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk
/* 482 DVDs, 143 laserdiscs, 91 games, 32 videos, 22 cinema films, CDs & news
/* dogma, searchers, dream pad, andretti wheel, ridge racer 5, fantavision
/* Reviews + ONdigital, DVD, widescreen VHS lists & release schedules online

[DVDfever Dom]

In article <8u676tovje21hus14...@4ax.com>
Rosycross <rosy...@yahoo.com> writes:

>That's why I kept my original 4:3 copy of Jackie Brown. You can't see
>Brigit Fonda's lovely arse in all its glory on the DVD version
><grin>...

But Jackie Brown wasn't shot in 2.35:1. The cinema ratio was 1.85:1 and
may be a soft-matted version so the 4:3 version will have some extra info
at the top and/or bottom, while losing some side info in the process.

You do make a strong argument for the 4:3 version though :)