What are the common aspect ratios movies use?

Does anyone know what the aspect ratios the movie industry uses? I've seen
"skinnier" formats than 16X9. You'd think Hollywood and the TV industry
could agree on a standard format, so future TV sets could keep the screen
filled.

I remember seeing the first "widescreen" movie as a child at the theater. It
was called "The Seven Wonders of the World". Must have been the early '50s.
There was a lot of hype about the realism of "widescreen" at the time.
People reacted to it like it was Imax.

Bob D.

 

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

There will never be a standard format, IMO.

 

www.widescreen.org

Photographic composition is an art, and has nothing whatsoever to do
with filling your TV set.

 

You proceed from the false assumption that "keeping the screen filled" is
important.

Movie screens in theaters, in case you hadn't noticed, adjust to match the
aspect ratio of the movie being shown. The entire industry recognizes and
accommodates the fact that filmmakers choose the aspect ratio based on
what's best for the movie.

That's not going to change because a few ignorant yahoos don't like black
bars on their screens, or feel somehow ripped off when a movie doesn't light
up every pixel of their plasma display. Movies aren't TV shows.

Yeah, it was a Cinerama movie. Aspect ratio 2.77:1. Three projectors on a
three-section screen. Apparently according to you it should have been made
with one camera at 1.77:1 so it would fill your screen when it came out on
video.

RichC

 

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There are/have been many different ratios: (all are :1)
1.20, 1.33, 1.37, 1.66, 1.85, 2.0, 2.20, 2.38, 2.49 and others.
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Not sure what you mean by that.
Do you consider 1.33:1 to be skinny or 2.76:1 to be skinny?
======================

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Why? Diversity in aspect is a wonderful thing.
Some of my favorites are the ones that change aspect DURING the film:
Pillow Book, Brainstorm (which is done incorrectly on the DVD - I have the
DPL LD), and others.
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Why? What is so special about your screen that it needs filling?
===========================

 

1.85 and 2.38 to 1 are the most common for comtemporary films.

 

A common Aspect Ratio is 'widescreen'. Another one is 'THX' or to give it
the full name, 'THX-1138' as it was in fact invented by Steven Spielberg,
the famous director of 'Star Wars'

 

You must work for the Bush administration.

 

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How many drugs do you do?

THX has nothing to do with aspect ratios.

 

Ummmmm...Steven Spielberg, huh? LOL

 

Well, I guess back bars are here to stay. It looks like 16x9 (1.85:1) is the
new standard for HDTV hardware. Perhaps that's a good compromise.

Widescreen is great, but you must admit you're throwing a lot of screen away
with the upper ratios on a standard 4x3 TV.

Bob D.

 

No Bob, you're throwing away alot of movie by watching the fullscreen or P&S
version. If you dont want bars, buy a projector and a screen.....

 

Of course, the projector screen will not be filled either. Call them white
bars (if viewed in standard light).

 

It will be if you use variable masking to adjust for the aspect ratio of
each movie.

 

There will never be a standard format, IMO.

There are lots of standards!

 

I'd rather throw 40% of the screen away than 40% of the
picture. It's the picture I'm watching, not the screen.

-- jayembee

 

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Actualy it is 1.77777777.............
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Then get rid of your 4:3 TV.
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