The cinematographic format of Projection defines the relationship between the width and the height of the projected image.

Projection in room makes it possible to restore several formats of image, we will thus be interested here only in the formats of film 35 mm and 70 mm.

The formats are indicated by reports/ratios. For example, “1,85:1” means that for height of 1, the width will be equal to 1,85; some note “1,85” or “1:1,85”, others, by abuse, note “1:85”.

Origins of the various formats

Since the origins of the Cinema, many formats followed one another or coexisted. Those depend at the same time on the format of the Pellicule employed at the time of the catch of sights and the format of Projection itself. The second is not always equal to the first. These formats correspond to various periods, various technical constraints or artistic wills.

Historical evolution

First films

At the beginning of 1 ³ /8 was the film inch of width, the film 35  mm, invention of William K.L. Dickson. In the Light family one with the idea to make it ravel vertically in an apparatus, d´abord named Domitor, each image being impressed with the step of 20 millimetres. The cinema is then dumb, and uses all space available: 18  mm (the height of four perforations dicksoniennes) × 24  mm (the width available between the two lines of the perforation), is a format 4 out of 3, report/ratio running in the French photographic supports of the time.

When the cinema becomes speaking, one draws the sound (optical analogical coding) on the positive film, between the image and the perforations of right-hand side. That has two effects: it is necessary to reposition the optical axis of the cameras to center it on the frame shifted on the left (in order to hold this space for pulling), and the format of image becomes almost square, which is rather not very esthetic. The American academy of the cinema (Academy off Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) defines in 1929 a new standard: the format 1,375:1 geometrically exact, 4 out of 3 retained in projection, called format “ Academy ”. It is always into force today.

It is only well later that the German Oskar Barnack with the idea to use this film cinema in a camera, the Leica, but in horizontal run. It is always the film which one charges in our “24×36”.

Broad formats

As of 1927, Abel Gance had carried out a film on triple screen, its famous Napoleon , in order to exceed the usual limits of the framework.

In the Years 1950, to compete with the arrival of the Television, one invents the broad formats in order to give a spectacular side. They are primarily of two types:

  • formats known as panoramic: 1,66:1 (Europe), 1,75:1 (Italy) and 1,85:1 (the USA) obtained while cutting down on the height of film, and by increasing a little the image with projection, thanks to a different objective on the projector;
  • very broad formats of type Cinemascope (35  mm anamorphosis) or 70 mm with vertical run (ToddAO), for the most used.
Nowadays, the 1,75:1 is not used any more with the cinema.

The defect of the panoramic formats is that to have a broader image with projection, it should be increased more, it thus is solved, although in general the grain remains invisible except exception (image with important grain for esthetic reasons or catches of sight with little light). The cinemascope mitigates this defect partly: the image is increased in a direction than in the other, there is thus a loss of less important resolution in height than in width; on the other hand, one observes a deformation of the reflections in the objective.

The Cinemascope was in fact created in 1925 by a French, Henri Chrétien. The idea consisted in filming through a kind of prism, the “Hypergonar”, which crushed, “anamorphosait” all the image on the sides towards the center. The images were deformed in height. With projection, it was enough to pass by again by this lens to find a very broad image, always starting from a traditional film. It yielded its patent to the Twentieth Century Fox.

It is always for trade names that one uses mainly broad formats nowadays. The broad format is often regarded as “better” and more spectacular; it is said often nearer to the “human field of view”, although this concept is not very relevant (see on this point focal Distance > “Enlargement of the object” ). The processes Cinemascope and Vistavision widened the image starting from a reel 35 mm.

The Vistavision, proceeded American invented in the Years 1950, required the use of a special camera, since the film 35  mm circulated in the side direction (horizontal, rather than from top to bottom as it is the case normally). In this manner, the image was thus already rectangular without another process, more stable, but especially larger and thus of much better quality. The problem they is that, theoretically, the projectors were them to also make ravel the film horizontally, from left to right, which was economically difficult to set up in the majority of the cinemas. The solution then consisted in reducing the image of negative on positive to vertical run to the format 1,85:1 or Cinemascope, or to inflate it on positive a 70 mm, as it was the case for Cold sweats ( Vertigo ) of Alfred Hitchcock, the Ten Commands of Cecil B. Of Thousand, and well of others still. One of first films turned in this process was the Kitchen of the angels (according to the play). The Vistavision is still frequently used nowadays, exclusively for the catch of sights of sequences for special purposes.

There existed also rooms especially equipped for popularization with a process:

  • the Cinerama, American technique requiring several projectors, exploited in Paris in the room of the same name in 1952. Although impressive, the Cinerama was difficult to implement and the junction between the screens was too visible;
  • the Kinopanorama, Russian (almost identical) exploited in Paris in the room of the same name, in 1957;

See also: broad Format anamorphosis

Giant formats (flat or spherical)

  • IMAX is rather a “cinema attraction” limited to the rooms equipped for this process. Its characteristic is to have a resolution of image ten times higher than the 35  Misters the screen can thus be much larger, which has a immersif effect seizing. Its format of image is 1,43:1 in plane version (IMAX), and does not have a format in its Omnimax variation, since the image on the film is a disc (slightly truncated on the top), projected on a half-sphere (seen under an angle of 180° by the spectator).

Circular projections (cylindrical)

The film in three dimensions

Processes of Cinéma in relief (known as also “3D”) exist for a long time. There be initially the relief with wearing of glasses with two colors (Anaglyph), an red eye and a blue eye, a film of Jack Arnold was turned for this process the Strange creature of the black lake ( Creature from the Black Lagoon , 1954), this process was used for the Noir and white.

More tardily, of the polarizing glasses with facets, process used still today with the parks Disney or the Quoted of sciences and industry of Paris, for their attractions of cinema in relief. An attraction to which was recently added a floating floor in the room in order to make “feel” with the spectators the emotions of film, movements of camera, moved, tremors, etc

The Futuroscope proposes cinema in relief functioning according to a third principle much more complex but also more effective. Two images different corresponding to the visual angle from each eye are projected alternatively on a screen in the shape of dome, the spectators carry glasses to liquid crystals which, synchronized with projection, opacify alternatively each glass so that the eye perceives only the image which is intended to him.

Alfred Hitchcock had recourse to the process of relief for its film the Crime was almost perfect ( Dial M for Murder , 1954), color film which imposed to the spectators the wearing of polarizing glasses, which increased the cost of exploitation and obstructed the comfort of the spectators.

Formats in the current cinema

At the end of the 20th century, the format is seldom dictated by the technique. It is an at the same time artistic, financial and commercial choice. The broadest formats are often more expensive to produce. In addition, the video market share and of the diffusions on television in the incomes of a film is increasingly important and certain formats put up badly with a screen 4/3 (which still represents the majority of the park installed).

Format and film

As we saw, it is initially the format of the film which determined the format of the image, and the technical constraints: need for placing the sound, spaces interimage sufficient because of the light variation of placement of the image, availability of various optics (various focal distances, anamorphosor…).

Nowadays, the near total of films of fiction is turned on film 35 millimetres.

One distinguishes two manners of impressing film during the catch of sight:

  • technique known as hardware matte : a mask in front of the film forms the black interimages as of the catch of sight;
  • technique known as software matte : it consists in filming with the reference marks of the 1,85:1 while printing the film full framework (1,37: 1), which makes it possible to put two versions of film on sale: a version widescreen (1,85: 1), and a version fullscreen (1,37: 1); as the image is tallied for 1,85:1, the version fullscreen contains sometimes parasitic elements like poles, electric cables…
The software matte is primarily used in the United States, it relates to in fact only the format 1,85:1 (the format 1,66:1 being used only in Europe).

With the cinema, the copy is drawn full framework, but the projectionist must take care to use the masks and objectives of the format 1,85:1.

It should be noted that in 1,85:1 it happens that one turns on cameras modified to advance only of three perforations per image instead of four, which is possible because of the very important interimage. That represents a saving in 25  % on the budget of the negative film. For pulling, the copies are obviously drawn on four perforations per image, thanks to a special printer.

Artistic choice

The framework represents the useful part of the image. By “useful” part, it is necessary to include/understand what the realizer decides to show to the spectator. It is an artistic choice of its share. It is him and the producer which decide format of film, according to esthetic and/or commercial criteria.

Thus, a “square” format of the 1,375:1 type allows tighter framings, the spectator is trapped by the central subject of the image and cannot escape (such as for example in Rosetta of the Frères Dardenne, 1999). The format 1,375:1 also makes it possible to have a “vertical” image more which can, for example, to evoke enfermement or the take-off (such as for example in Of noise and fury of Jean-Claude Brisseau, 1988).

A broad format makes it possible to represent broad landscapes (such as for example the scenes of desert of the Western S), or to put in scene of many characters (such as for example in Usual Suspects of Bryan Singer, 1995).

Projection

At the time of projection, the projectionist selects a framework (the black part of the image can be degraded, that avoids having parasitic white points out of the screen) as well as an adapted objective. Thus, the image is increased in 1,85: 1 qu ' in 1,375:1; if an image 1,375:1 were projected with an objective 1,66:1, the top and bottom would exceed screen; if an image 1,85:1 were projected with an objective 1,66:1, the image would be less high than the screen. For the format 2,39:1, the image on the film is deformed, “compressed” in the direction of the width, “anamorphosée”, except in the case of a film Vistavision (the film being taken with horizontal); it is restored during projection, which explains why the halations of light appear elliptic.

See also: cinematographic Distance focale#Projection

Principal formats

In fat, principal standards still projected in room:

  • 1,31:1: 9,5 mm

  • 1,33:1 (or 4/3 ): it is the native format of the silent film, like that of the 16 mm and standard television. For the 35 mm, the surface of emulsion used on the film was of 24 × 18 mm = 432 mm ²
  • 1,35:1: Super 8
  • 1,36:1: Pathé Kok (28 mm), 8 mm
  • 1,375:1 : It is the general format camera of the talking films. If few films from now on are turned in this format, much of series are it still today. The surface of emulsion used on the film is of 20,96×15,29 mm ² = 320,47 mm ²
  • the 1,66:1 is a panoramic format used in Europe, like that of the Super 16. It corresponds to report/ratio 5/3. The surface of emulsion used on the film 35 mm is of 20,96×12,62 mm ² = 264,5 mm ²; This format tends to disappear from the rooms of projection. Super the 16 inflated in 35 mm spherical are exploited more and more in room with the format 1.85 only and the use of the 1.66 tends to be limited to the exploitation in television (telefilms turned into Super 16), because of its proximity with the 16/9 (1,77: 1).
  • the 1,75:1, Old panoramic format used in Italy, which is not currently used any more.
  • the 1,85:1 is undoubtedly the panoramic format more spread, initially used especially in North America and from now on more and more used in Europe. The surface of emulsion used on the film is of 20,96×11,33 mm ² = 237,47 mm ² which makes of it the format less solved in 35mm.

  • the optical 2,39:1 Cinemascope: it is currently the format 35 mm more solved: the surface of emulsion used on the film is of 20,96×17,53 mm ² = 367,43mm ²

  • the magnetic 2,55:1 Cinémascope: the surface of emulsion used on the film was of 23,8×18,8 mm ² = 447,44 mm ².
  • the Panavision often corresponds to Hollywood films with large spectacle. It tended to replace the Cinemascope. To note that since the Years 1970, this name does not correspond any more to one format but in the name of the company providing the material of turning.
  • the Todd-Ao, American (1955) is a format 70 mm launched by Fox.
  • the Vistavision, American, invented in the Years 1950, it still frequently is used nowadays, exclusively for the catch of sights of sequences for special purposes.

These formats are most frequent and most known. There existed or is still the different one, resting all on the same techniques and of which here names:

The 70 millimetres is a format which doubles the size of standard film. At the time of the catch of sights, the film ravels vertically on five perforations, so as to still obtain there a broad rectangular image without optical copying process as with the Cinemascope. It made it possible to obtain a report/ratio of 2,2:1. The image was of an amazing clearness. One does not turn any more in this format for reasons of costs.

Images on the film 65  mm and 70  mm are identical. With turning the film 65  mm is less broad because on the negative ones there are not the six magnetic tracks for the sound. For memory, the Imax uses film 70  mm, but with horizontal run, on fifteen perforations, it is not a broad format.

  • It arrives that films made in scope on film 35  millimetres are withdrawn in 70  millimetres per enlarging (or inflation ), because there remain projectors 70  mm in rooms of prestige. This practice was very widespread before the numerical sound, because the 70  mm offers a very good sound on six tracks.

Video and television

The Vidéo uses the format 4/3 and now 16/9.

The format 1,375:1: at the beginnings of television, all that was not on line (fictions, advertisements, reports, etc) was turned with cinematographic film, television had thus logically adopted the same format.

The 16/9 is a compromise between the cinematographic formats most current, which makes it possible to reproduce broad formats (1,85: 1 or 2,35:1) while limiting the black bands in top and bottom, via the process Letterbox. The commercial argument is that one has more a large surface of image; let us note that one could obtain the same surface by using a screen 4/3 of the same width, but higher…

The black bands being judged by certain unaesthetic, the films are sometimes recadrés, according to the technique known as of the Pan and Scan : the two edges of the image are cut. As the edges contain sometimes important components, there is sometimes a slip of the framework ( scan ), like panoramic artificial, or a recutting of the scene: one shows successively the left and the right-hand side of the image (like a kind of field-reverse shot in plan of cut).

At the time where the film was still used for the diffusion on television, one drew a copy side and scannée , that one described as “copy punt” (in opposition to the original anamorphosis in the case of an original in Cinemascope or equivalent). Some not very scrupulous distributers put in circulation these copies in the circuit of the rooms (case for example of the Journal of Anne Frank of George Stevens, 1959).

Often used in the United States this process is even completely assisted by computer and the eye follows the subject which speaks or the subject bulkiest… Some regard this process as holding of the heresy, because denying the fact that framing belongs to the choice artistic and harming the esthetic interest of work.

See also: Telecinema

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • http://www.in70mm.com, the site of reference on the broad formats
  • http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/cinemav/docu/format.htm
  • http://www.dvdenfrancais.com/ressources/index_ressources_template.php?key=1, the formats of images

*Projection

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