3.5.5 Projecting Multiple Formats (Motion Picture Formats - release prints intended for projection)
Description
This article is from the rec.arts.movies.tech FAQ, by Scott E. Norwood snorwood@nyx.nyx.net with numerous contributions by others.
3.5.5 Projecting Multiple Formats (Motion Picture Formats - release prints intended for projection)
These formats are all standard, although each requires its own
projector mask (to cover up the unused image area) and lens (to ensure
that the image properly fits the screen). If necessary, the anamorphic
lens and mask can be used to show 1.37:1 Academy films, provided that
the anamorphic lens element is unscrewed and removed first, and the
curtains are adjusted to mask the 1.37:1 area (which will be very
small). Most theaters keep the top and bottom edges of the screen at
the same heights, and open curtains on either side of the screen in
order to accommodate the wider formats, as shown below (not to scale):
----------------------------------------
c) | | | | | | | | (c
u) | | | | | | | | (u
r) | | | | Movie | | | | (r
t) | | | | Screen | | | | (t
a) | | | | | | | | (a
i) | | | | | | | | (i
n) ---------------------------------------- (n
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
| | | |----- 1.37:1 -----| | | |
| | |-------- 1.66:1 --------| | |
| |------------ 1.85:1 ------------| |
|----------------2.39:1 ---------------|
It should be noted that having separate lenses and masks for each
format is highly idealistic, and is not standard practice, except at a
few conscientious art houses, which must show prints from all time
periods and all countries. Most U.S. theaters are only equipped to
properly show 1.85 and 2.39:1 ratios, lacking the appropriate
lenses/masks and ability to move the curtains to other ratios. Thus,
when prints intended for other formats are shown, some of the image is
usually cropped. Some theaters show everything at 2:1 (eliminating the
need for changing the screen masking), cropping some from all formats.
In any event, there is a wide degree of variance in image cropping,
depending upon the equipment in place in each venue.
35mm release print frame:
(1.85:1 ratio)
(usually, picture is visible above and
below 1.85:1 framelines, but it is
35mm release print frame: masked off, and does not show up on
(Academy ratio) the screen)
| | | |
|O -------------------O| |O (unused space) O|
| s | | | | s ------------------- |
|O o | Image |O| |O o | Image |O|
| u | | | | u | Area | |
|O n | Area |O| |O n | |O|
| d | | | | d ------------------- |
|O -------------------O| |O (unused space) O|
| | | |
|<-------- 35mm -------->| |<-------- 35mm -------->|
Continue to:
My Books
