Cinema formats / Aspect ratios

• What are film formats defined by?

  Width of film in millimetres.
• What are the film formats currently being used?

  Super 8mm, 16mm, 36mm, 65mm
• Regular 8mm (R8)

  Home movie format released by Kodak in 1932

  Photo one side, flip, and rethread the photo other side.

  The film is slit in half and then spliced together.
• Super 8mm

  1965 by Kodak

  Plastic cartridge for film, no threading required.

  Notches in the cartridge auto sets camera light meter ISO, and also contains a pressure plate.

  Colour negative/reversal

  Black and white reversal

  Film can be:

  Transferred to video or projected (reversal only)

  Prints for projection are available from colour negatives.
• 16mm

  Colour negative, black and white negative/reversal, colour reversal

  Film can be:

  Scanned to digital files, transferred to video, and printed for projection.
• Super 16mm

  Super 16mm frame and camera gate is wider than the the standard 16mm. This creates a wider aspect ratio camera original.

  Scanned to digital files or transferred to video for post and exhibition."

  Cant be used for film projection with sound.
• 35mm

  Colour negative

  Black and white reversal

  Super 35

  Academy

  Film can be: Scanned to digital files, transferred to video or printed for projection
• Super 35 and academy

  The Super 35 gate is wider than the academy gate.

  Super 35 utilizes more available image area on the frame reducing grain. Most commonly used
• PERF

  35mm film cameras can produce frames of different heights, 4,3,2 perforations affect aspect ratios and budget.
• 4 PERF

  Framed and formatted for a wide variety of aspect ratios (1.37:1 to 2.40:1)

  Is the frame size typically used when shooting with the anamorphic lens to produce 2.40:1

  Scanned to digital files or video for post and exhibition
• 3 PERF

  Capable of being framed and formatted for a wide variety of aspect ratios (1.33:1 to 2.40:1)

  Uses 25% less film than 4 perf

  Is scanned to digital files for post and exhibition
• 2 PERF

  Capable of being framed and formated for (1.78:1, 1.85:1 and 2.40:1)

  Uses 50% less film than 4 perf

  Is scanned to digital for post and exhibition

  Not common
• 65/70 mm

  Colour negative

  Original film is 65mm

  15 perf (IMAX) 5 and 8 perf (vertical)

  Film can be: scanned to digital files, transfered to video, or printed for projection on 70mm film
• Video Standard?

  SD (NTSC, PAL, SECAM) (analogue and digital)

  HD (Analogue 1125/60 Hz) (Digital 720P, 1080P, 1080i, 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97...)
• Recording?


  Analogue recording (Composite full bandwidth, heterodyne.) (Component Y,R-Y,B-Y;Y, Cr, Cb)

  Digital recording (Composite, Component, Over-sample rate, Data transfer rate, Compression algorithm, Compression ratio, Signal transfer method)

  Recording Media (Tape, Optical disc, Hard drive, Memory card.)
• Legacy formats?

  2'', 1'', 1/2'' reel to reel tape

  3/4'', 1/2'', 8mm,6.35mm, 1/4'' cassettes
• Aspect Ratios?

  Width to height ratio of an image

  -Decimal ratios (Film and digital cinema) 1.85:1

  -Whole number ratios (video) 16:9
• Aspect ratios 35mm?

  Spherical lenses

  • Academy, 4 perf, 1.37:1. Academy gate left. space for a future3 sound track

  Anamorphic lenses (2.40:1)
• Anamorphic lens?

  (cylindrical) (2.40:1)

  • Academy, 4 perf, 2.40:1 or 2.39:1. Anamorphic lens with 2x squeeze factor is used on the camera to squeeze the image horizontally, which requires a 4 perf camera. An anamorphic lens is used on the projector to de-squeeze creating the 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The 2.40:1 (2.39:1) ratio is used for digital cinema screens. A 2.35:1 ratio has also been used for anamorphic films in the past.
• Aspect ratio, 35mm Spherical lens?4 PERF

  -Super 35, 4 PERF, 1.78:1

  1.78:1 HDTV aspect ratio

  AKA 16x9 aspect ratio

  -Super 35, 4 PERF, 1.78:1 and 1.33:1

  1.78:1 HDTV and 1.33 (4:3) TV aspect ratio

  Used whne framing for possible release in 4:3 SD TV as well as HDTV

  -Super 35, 4 PERF, 1.85:1

  1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio used for cinema screens

  -Super 35, 4 PERF, 2.40:1 (2.39:1)

  Ratio used for cinema screens
• Aspect ratio, 35mm Spherical lens?3 PERF?

  • Super 35, 3 perf, 1.78:1

  *1.78:1 HDTV aspect ratio* AKA 16x9 ratio

  • Super 35, 3 perf, 1.85:1

  *widescreen aspect ratio, used for cinema screens*

  • Super 35, 3 perf, 2.40:1

  *ratio used for cinema screens* created by cropping original image
• Aspect ratio, 35mm Spherical lens?2 PERF?

  • Super 35, 2 PERF, 2.40:1

  *Ratio used for cinema screens* This ratio is created by cropping the original image.
• Aspect ratio Super 16mm?

  Camera negative is 1.66:1

  Super 16 cropped to 1.78:1 ratio

  Can be framed and cropped for

  1.85:1, 1.33:1

  2.40:1 (spherical)
• Aspect ratio standard 16mm?

  Camera negative is 1.37:1

  Standard 16 is often cropped to the 1.33:1 (4:3)ratio for SD TV
• Aspect ratio Super 8mm?

  ORIGINAL IS 1.37:1
• Aspect ratios Max 8mm?


  Specially modified and widened super 8 camera gates create a wider aspect ratio camera original

  Camera original is 1.58:1

  Image cropped to 1.78:1 for HDTV transfers
• Aspect ratios digital cinema cameras Super 35mm?

  Most digital cinema cameras have sensors equivalent to a 35mm 3 perf 1.78:1 film frame.

  Camera viewfinders generate aspect lines.
• Aspect ratios Digital cinema cameras full frame?

  *Some digital cinema cameras have full frame sensors (24 x 36 mm)
• Digital cinema aspect ratios?

  1.85:1

  2.39:1
• Video common aspect ratios?

  4:3

  16:9
• Aspect ratio for HDTV?

  1.78:1 (Super 35 4, 3 PERF)
• Aspect ratio for cinema screen?

  2.40:1 (Academy 4 PERF, super 35 4, 3, 2 PERF)

  1.85:1 (Super 35, 4, 3 PERF)