- Thu Nov 20, 2014 10:51 pm
#42198
Btw @jmc.....just to geek out a little further (and since you seemed interested!) here's the deal on Open Matte prints:
Many feature films back in the day were shot "open matte" - as in, 4:3 aspect ratio, the full frame of a 35mm film frame. They were very often composed during shooting, however, with an eye to being "matted" by the projector gate at the widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (or whatever national equivalent....) Although W/S was what the cinematographer would be composing for, it's not always the case. When Phase IV was made, for instance, there was no such thing as WS television etc, and it's just as possible that Saul Bass actually composed his film in 4:3 and the matted theatrical WS version is actually the compromised one. Then you get a release on DVD that assumes that because the film was screened in WS originally, that's how it should be presented for home video. And that telecine/master is used subsequently for many year in many cases.
But my own instinct, based on a comparison between the Region 1 DVD, the HD television broadcast, and my 16mm print, is that SB did indeed compose the film for 4:3.
Perhaps when I have some time, I'll throw a few screenshots up here, just to make my case
As an aside - Super 35 was a format that actually capitalised on the "open matte" approach, so that film makers could compose their films in 4:3 for television (again, before WS TVs...) but also matte them at 2.35:1 for sorta-cinemascope theatrical presentation. Ones that jump to mind are Terminator 2, Strange Days (Cameron and Bigelow were well into it) and some Scorcese I believe....so if you actually see a full screen version of those films, you're actually seeing TWICE as much visual information. I have to say, I always had my doubts about the idea of composing for both in this way...though for the examples I mentioned I don't remember it being a big problem. One thing is that films screened on TV full screen / open matte can sometimes be the reason for the occasional "boom mic" appearance!
Just got my geek on, do excuse me now I'm off to shag some ladies, take drugs and be a general badass.
Many feature films back in the day were shot "open matte" - as in, 4:3 aspect ratio, the full frame of a 35mm film frame. They were very often composed during shooting, however, with an eye to being "matted" by the projector gate at the widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (or whatever national equivalent....) Although W/S was what the cinematographer would be composing for, it's not always the case. When Phase IV was made, for instance, there was no such thing as WS television etc, and it's just as possible that Saul Bass actually composed his film in 4:3 and the matted theatrical WS version is actually the compromised one. Then you get a release on DVD that assumes that because the film was screened in WS originally, that's how it should be presented for home video. And that telecine/master is used subsequently for many year in many cases.
But my own instinct, based on a comparison between the Region 1 DVD, the HD television broadcast, and my 16mm print, is that SB did indeed compose the film for 4:3.
Perhaps when I have some time, I'll throw a few screenshots up here, just to make my case
As an aside - Super 35 was a format that actually capitalised on the "open matte" approach, so that film makers could compose their films in 4:3 for television (again, before WS TVs...) but also matte them at 2.35:1 for sorta-cinemascope theatrical presentation. Ones that jump to mind are Terminator 2, Strange Days (Cameron and Bigelow were well into it) and some Scorcese I believe....so if you actually see a full screen version of those films, you're actually seeing TWICE as much visual information. I have to say, I always had my doubts about the idea of composing for both in this way...though for the examples I mentioned I don't remember it being a big problem. One thing is that films screened on TV full screen / open matte can sometimes be the reason for the occasional "boom mic" appearance!
Just got my geek on, do excuse me now I'm off to shag some ladies, take drugs and be a general badass.
