Re: I'll tell you a secret about widescreen....

Posted by Rocky from cn204279-a.harris1.pa.home.com on February 17, 2001 at 08:37:25:

In Reply to: I'll tell you a secret about widescreen.... posted by Shawnkara on February 17, 2001 at 01:51:06:

O.K. I'll see if I can explain this properly without messing it up, but I ask for help from people who know the filming industry better to clarify any mistakes I'll make.
The reason you can see some objects more in a "Pan and Scan" or "Full Screen" format than you can in a "Widescreen" format was because the director was using a matte. Picture this-looking inside the camera and seeing the scene you are shooting. Now picture a rectangular box on the viewfinder so you can see what is going to be seen in the theatres, and this is what the director decides he wants shown. The rest of it he wants taken out. When they do the full screen version of the movie it's this print they use. Most of the time the director doesn't want you to see the things up or below the matte of the widescreen. That's why sometimes you may catch a microphone hanging too low. In the widescreen it's not there, but in the matted full screen you see things the director never intended you to see.
Now to Indy, I believe Spielberg didn't use a matte, so there shouldn't be anything lost on the top or the bottom of the film.
Now as far as widescreen or full screen being preferred. I'm a widescreen buff. I will not buy a movie unless they put it out in widescreen. That's one of the main reasons I bought a DVD player, so I could get all my movies in Widescreen, but I'm afraid it's going to come down to what someone personally prefers. I say that if you have a 25 inch screen or larger, give widescreen a try. It might take some getting used to it, but eventually you could like it. Some people try turning out all the lights while watching a movie in widescreen. Give it a try.

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: O.K. I'll see if I can explain this properly without messing it up, but I ask for help from people who know the filming industry better to clarify any mistakes I'll make.
: The reason you can see some objects more in a "Pan and Scan" or "Full Screen" format than you can in a "Widescreen" format was because the director was using a matte.  Picture this-looking inside the camera and seeing the scene you are shooting.  Now picture a rectangular box on the viewfinder so you can see what is going to be seen in the theatres, and this is what the director decides he wants shown.  The rest of it he wants taken out.  When they do the full screen version of the movie it's this print they use.  Most of the time the director doesn't want you to see the things up or below the matte of the widescreen.  That's why sometimes you may catch a microphone hanging too low.  In the widescreen it's not there, but in the matted full screen you see things the director never intended you to see.
: Now to Indy, I believe Spielberg didn't use a matte, so there shouldn't be anything lost on the top or the bottom of the film. 
: Now as far as widescreen or full screen being preferred.  I'm a widescreen buff.  I will not buy a movie unless they put it out in widescreen.  That's one of the main reasons I bought a DVD player, so I could get all my movies in Widescreen, but I'm afraid it's going to come down to what someone personally prefers.  I say that if you have a 25 inch screen or larger, give widescreen a try.  It might take some getting used to it, but eventually you could like it.  Some people try turning out all the lights while watching a movie in widescreen.  Give it a try.

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