Aspect Ratio

Question 1

What is aspect ratio?

Answer 1

A numerical formula that describes the relationship of an image’s width to its height. For example, an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 means the image’s width is 1.33 times the size of its height. If you wanted to eliminate the decimals in this ratio, it can be (and often is) written as 4:3 instead.

Question 2

What is the film aspect ratio of 1.85:1

Answer 2

Similar to the 16:9 size but slightly wider, whatever you shoot in 1.85:1 will show on widescreen TVs and computer monitors with thin black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. Most feature films use this aspect ratio, but some high-end TV shows also shoot in 1.85.1.

Question 3

What is film aspect ratio of 2.39:1

Answer 3

This is known as the anamorphic widescreen format and is the widest aspect ratio used in modern cinema.

Question 4

What is the television aspect ratio of 4:3 or 1.33:1 (Standard Ratio)?

Answer 4

Until widescreen HDTVs came on the scene, 4:3 was the normal ratio for standard-definition television sets. Today, the 4:3 aspect ratio primarily serves stylistic purposes — for example, giving off the vintage vibe that was popular before widescreen aspect ratios became the norm.

Question 5

What is the television aspect ratio of 16:9 (Widescreen ratio)?

Answer 5

This is the most used aspect ratio for display on standard size HDTV widescreens and computer monitors.

Question 6

Why is aspect ratio a thing?

Answer 6

Due to limited technology, early films could only be produced in a boxy, almost square format but now advances in screen and camera equipment offer so many options that filmmakers and video creators alike can ask themselves which would work best for their films.

Question 7

What is the 2.76:1 aspect ratio (70mm)

Answer 7

70mm became popular in the late 1950s, mainly because of its use in the Best Picture-winning film Ben-Hur, but gradually faded in popularity over the following decades. Today, directors like Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino are behind the reemergence of the 70mm film format because of its huge aspect ratio of 2.76:1, making it perfect for display on gigantic IMAX screens.

Question 8

What is the 1.37:1 aspect ratio (Academy ratio)

Answer 8

Only slightly wider than the 4:3 ratio used throughout the silent film era, the Academy Ratio was the standard film ratio in 1932 when “talkies” (aka, films with sound) began.

Question 9

What is the 2.59:1 to 2.65:1 aspect ratio range? (Cinerama)

Answer 9

When TV exploded in popularity in the early 1950s, Hollywood film distributors needed to create a reason for the public to get out of the house and into the theaters. The result was “Cinerama,” a super widescreen format involving three standard 35mm film cameras that projected films onto a curved screen at the same time. There’s still a working Cinerama Dome theater in Hollywood, CA today.

Question 10

What is the 2.35:1 to 2.66:1 aspect ratio range (Cinemascope)

Answer 10

Debuting in 1953, Cinemascope was a super widescreen format developed by the head of research at 20th Century Fox. Because it used anamorphic lensesfor the first time, Cinemascope only required one projector, which made it much less complex than Cinerama.”

Question 11

What did the early evolution of aspect ratio look like?

Answer 11

In the early days of cinema, the standard aspect ratio was 4:3, known as the Academy ratio. This ratio was inherited from the aspect ratio of 35mm film stock and became the industry standard for both film and television. In the 1950s and 1960s, television sets started to adopt a wider aspect ratio of 16:9, known as the widescreen or HDTV.

Question 12

What is the 21:9 aspect ratio (Ultra-Widescreen)?

Answer 12

The ultra-widescreen aspect ratio, often denoted as 21:9, offers an even wider and more expansive viewing experience compared to the widescreen ratio. It is commonly used in cinematic presentations and gaming monitors and is not universally supported by all platforms and devices.

Question 13

What is the 1:1 square ratio?

Answer 13

This ratio is popularly used in social media platforms like Instagram.

Question 14

What is the common smart phone aspect ratio?

Answer 14

9:16

Question 15

What is the full frame aspect ratio?

Answer 15

The full frame ratio refers to a 3:2 aspect ratio commonly found in photography. It is based on the dimensions of standard 35mm film frames. This aspect ratio is often used in slideshows, presentations, or videos that aim to emulate the look and feel of traditional film photography.

Question 16

What is the new Dolby Cinema format?

Answer 16

Up to 108 nits (31 Foot Lamberts) of full-screen brightness

Question 17

What are nits?

Answer 17

Nits are a unit of measurement used to quantify the brightness of electronic displays, particularly those with emissive technologies like LEDs, OLEDs, and microLEDs. One nit is equivalent to one candela per square meter (cd/m²), where candela represents the standard unit for measuring luminous intensity.

Question 18

What are film perforations?

Answer 18

Film perforations, also known as perfs and sprocket holes, are the holes placed in the film stock during manufacturing and used for transporting and steadying the film. Films may have different types of perforations depending on film gauge, film format, and intended usage.

Question 19

How many popular IMAX types are there?

Answer 19

IMAX 70mm: 15 perf/70mm film projection in 1.43:1 aspect ratio - IMAX Laser: 1.90:1 (1.43:1 dual-laser in select locations) - IMAX Xenon: 1.90:1

Question 20

What is 15/70 IMAX?

Answer 20

Most movies today are shot using digital cameras, or if on film, it’s 35mm. IMAX 15/70 film frames are considerably larger. The number 15 refers to each frame having 15 perforations across – these being the holes that are used to hold the film as it moves through the projector. The 70 refers to the fact that the frame is 70mm tall. This compares with regular 70mm or 35mm film stock, which has only five perforations down. IMAX 15/70 frame is, therefore, 8.3x larger than 35mm and 3.4 times larger than 70mm – and the result is unprecedented quality.

Question 21

What makes 15/70 IMAX difficult?

Answer 21

Sadly, most IMAX cinemas though cannot actually show IMAX 1570 as it requires two things – a 70mm IMAX film projector and a 1.43:1 screen. This is an increasingly rare combination and only 30 theaters on the planet will be able to show Oppenheimer in this ultimate hero format.