Derrickson gives the example of Jack Nicholson iconic scene in Some good men. Initially, Nicholson is framed wide enough that you can see the top of his head, but soon the camera cuts him off to deliver the line, “You can’t handle the truth!” The shot was close enough to cut off the top of his head. It drew attention to his tense facial expression.
As an added bonus, the harsh line on his forehead where it meets the edge of the frame emphasizes the parallel horizontal lines of his eyebrows, shoulders, and even his pursed lips. In the wider shot, you can see the curvature of his head, but in this laser-focused shot, Nicholson’s frame is stiff and sharp to bring out his harsh features.
I’ve added red bars to show how much less space a higher aspect ratio can take, and while that may be fine, the extra space makes wider shots feel empty. much more, this only enhances the effect when the camera goes in so closed so that Nicholson’s face fills the screen. Like every other filmmaking tool, the aspect ratio a director chooses can have a dramatic effect on how a movie feels.
Shape change
For a lot of cinematic history, choosing an aspect ratio was a premature choice. The entire movie must be delivered in a single size frame, even if several movies are shot with multiple aspect ratios for different editing, such as theater and home distribution. But lately, it’s become quite common to watch movies that change the aspect ratio — or even let the viewer decide.
“The first movie I remember watching that switched between 2.40 and 1.9 in IMAX was the dark Knight,” said Derrickson. In that movie, the most epic action scenes shot with a much higher aspect ratio, allowing more vertical space in the frame. In the cinema, the movie switches between them, often without the audience – or even the experts – noticing. “It’s remarkable that I didn’t even notice the change because 2.40 on that giant screen is still too big.”
Derrickson’s own superhero movie, Sorcerer Supreme, used a similar technique for many of its action scenes. And while the original Derrickson clarification on Twitter that Imax scenes were not shot for home viewing purposes, he told me, “I recently watched the IMAX 3D version on my 55-inch TV screen and I thought the switch was much more noticeable, but the power of opening up the frame and providing home viewers with a significantly larger image for the main components to function properly. ”
Many movies are also experimenting with uncommon aspect ratios. Joel Coen’s Macbeth’s Tragedy captured in black and white in a high 1.33:1 ratio. And the movie 2019 Lighthouse even taller with a 1.19:1 ratio to evoke the classic look of boxy cameras from the 1890s.
Now that it’s easier than ever to shoot and deliver movies in a variety of aspect ratios, you may find yourself watching movies that revolve around the story being told rather than the frames in which they were captured. limit. You may even have several dealers in that choice.
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