Two-Dimensional Field

(Herbert Zettl, 2008)

Aspect Ratio and Framing

Traditional TV and classic movie screen aspect ratio.

Wide screen (standard) motion picture aspect ratio.

“Panavision 35” motion picture aspect ratio.(CinemaScope 1 : 2.35)

HDTV Aspect ratio.

4 units3 units

1.33 units1 unit

1.85 units

2.39 units

1.78 units9 units

16 units

5.55 units3 units

7 units

1 unit

1 unit

1 unit

3 units

Smaller Screen Aspect Ratios

iPOD 4:3 Aspect Ratio(or, 1.33: 1 aspect ratio)

Nokia multimedia cell phone 4:3 Aspect Ratio(or, .85 : 1 aspect ratio

Vertical Vectors, Images

Horizontal, Vertical & Height Views, Lines, Forces

4:3 4:3

Close Ups & Extreme Close Ups

Framing CU in 4:3 Framing XCU/ECU in 4:3 Framing XCU/ECU in 16:9

Establishing a Scene

16:9 Easier to establish a scene w/o using a LS or pan

Interiors, Woody Allen (1978)

Wide Vista, 16:9

Diagonal Lines Forces,Vertical Vistas

4:3

16:9

Framing Dialogue

4:3 16:9

Stretching, Squeezing

Aspect Ratio and Framing, cont.

Object Size & Scale

Changing Secondary Frame

Split Screen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbqUSdN2C8I

Mixing / Matching Aspect Ratio

Wide screen within

Full Screen

Pillar Box

Pillar BoxingIntolerance, D. W. Griffith, 1916

New York Times, 2/29/08(Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chair)

Masking Natural Pillar Boxing in this case.

Mobile Devices & Cell Phones

• Aspect ratio that works w/ multiple screens• Close Ups• Inductive sequencing / Deductive sequencing• Brief – avg. new story

• avg. news story :20 • +< 3:00 max.

• Audio track: – dense vs. sparse

Screen Size, Image Size & Relative Energy

• Large = More energy– Screen

• Aspect ratio• Overall size (theater, TV, HDTV, cell phone)

– Image• CUs, MS, LS, etc.• Scale

– Sound – Huge screen & high volume surround soundtrack

trumps smaller screen regardless of CUs, inductive sequencing, and a dense audio track.

Review

• Aesthetic field– fixed but can be manipulated

• Clarify

• Intensify