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Author
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Topic: Why Doesn't The Picture Fill The Screen?
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Melvin England
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 707
From: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Feb 2016
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posted July 24, 2017 12:35 PM
I have just got home from Dunkirk. Not literally,of course, but a presentation of what I can now call a magnificent film.
One major gripe, but nothing to do with the film itself.
The film was projected in the same ratio as the shape of the screen.No problem,you would think. BUT..... they insisted on projecting it as a smaller image therefore not only leaving a huge gap on either side of the screen, but also above and below,too. Why,oh why do they let this happen? Has it got anything to do with screen size limits of 4K before image deterioration starts, or is it just laziness?
I would be curious to know.
.
--------------------
"My name is for my friends!"
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Bill Brandenstein
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1632
From: California
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted July 25, 2017 05:03 PM
Yes, either this is a lack of knowledge of setting up to run the DCP, a lack of concern, or lack of ability to make the equipment fill the width.
Which is why directors should think twice about doing weird ratios for digital projection.
The reverse is possible. I saw one of our last local screens running Jurassic World (odd 2:1 ratio) from 35mm. It was an old cinema with a common height screen (so far so good). But it was released on 35mm as cropped "flat." So this cinema could only fill half its screen! Had it been released as scope with black on either side, or more sensibly, straight scope, then of course the whole screen would've been filled.
However, many digital cinemas are now "common width" so that scope is letterboxed and small, PLUS they use no masking or curtains. I can do that badly at home, thank you, that's just awful!
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Ken Finch
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 543
From: Herne Bay, Kent. U.K.
Registered: Oct 2011
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posted August 11, 2017 10:33 AM
Hi everyone. Apologies for the late response to this posting. I have been having a very hectic time of recent weeks, including the birth of 2 new grandchildren in the past month involving making 2 more "memory boxes" and family movies to put in them and copies for other family members. There have also been holiday "sleep overs" with trips to the beach to bury me in the sand, and film shows in Grandads cinema. Regarding presentation of films in different aspect ratios, I have always found the presentation in the multiplexes appalling, None of the screens appear to have any masking, or if they have, are not used. However, this is not the case in the little independent "Kavenagh" in Herne Bay. It has 2 screens and the masking is always used and in one screen, behind closed curtains. With the other screen the curtains were removed but the whole screen edges are lit with blue coloured lights so there is never a blank white wall between films. They also now produce their own daysets for trailers and local adverts. Just like the "good old days"!. Ken Finch.
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Ricky Daniels
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 587
From: London & Kent UK
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted August 12, 2017 09:23 AM
Believe me I think there are way too many aspect ratio options available in digital cinema these days and quite often films are not presented correctly due to the limited technical ability of present-day cinema technical staff. Digital presentation has dumbed down cinema technical staff, the majority of who are completely out of her depth... but, or more importantly, cheap to employ!
Deluxe produced a technical paper for the presentation of Dunkirk and no doubt it flew across the heads of many cinema techs!
http://digitalcinema.bydeluxe.com/site/dlxportal/docs/projectionistletter_dunkirk_usa_20170721_170358.pdf
http://www.highdefdigest.com/blog/dunkirk-imax-theater-comparison/
There are far too many aspect ratio options available to Directors today and I believe many of them adopt non-standard ARs just for the kudos.
Let's be honest, film presentations were not always spot on back in the day, particularly in the later decades, and projectionists back then only had a mere handful of aspect ratios to deal with! So, what chance has a modern 'projectionist' 'button pusher' got of getting the presentation right... and they don't have to change backing plates, lenses, etc!
What a mess modern cinema has become.
Best,
Rick
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