But movies are shown in theaters in wide formats like (2.39:1, that super skinny rectangle) or Flat (1.85:1, a mild rectangle).
For decades, when a 2.39:1 widescreen movie aired on 4:3 TVs, studios did "Pan & Scan"—they cut the sides off. But for some cheap TV broadcasts or foreign DVD releases, they did the opposite: they just opened the matte . open matte
When James Cameron’s Titanic came to VHS, most people bought the widescreen version. But the standard Fullscreen VHS wasn't a Pan & Scan hack job. Because Cameron shot the film on Super 35 (a format designed to protect the top and bottom), the VHS actually revealed more information than the theatrical cut. But movies are shown in theaters in wide formats like (2
We’ve all been there.
Watching Pacific Rim in Open Matte is a religious experience. The Jaegers (giant robots) actually look taller than the skyscrapers because you can see the scale from ground to sky. Sometimes, Open Matte ruins the magic. You see the boom mic. You see the edge of the set. The composition looks sloppy. When James Cameron’s Titanic came to VHS, most
But other times? It feels like you’ve taken a step into the movie. You stop watching a framed painting and start watching a window.