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A Ranking of Ratios

1. The document ranks and describes various aspect ratios used in film and video, including CinemaScope, 2:1, 16:9, 4:3, square, 9:16, and others. 2. Aspect ratios like 16:9 and 1.85:1 are now common as they allow for wide shots with little letterboxing on modern displays. 3. Older ratios like 4:3 are better for close-ups but result in more noticeable letterboxing. Widescreen formats like CinemaScope enable expansive views but can be problematic for other shot types.

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231 views10 pages

A Ranking of Ratios

1. The document ranks and describes various aspect ratios used in film and video, including CinemaScope, 2:1, 16:9, 4:3, square, 9:16, and others. 2. Aspect ratios like 16:9 and 1.85:1 are now common as they allow for wide shots with little letterboxing on modern displays. 3. Older ratios like 4:3 are better for close-ups but result in more noticeable letterboxing. Widescreen formats like CinemaScope enable expansive views but can be problematic for other shot types.

Uploaded by

hookshotgreycastle
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A RANKING OF RATIOS

A PowerPoint By Hookshot
CinemaScope
2:1
1.85:1
16:9
4:3
Square
9:16
2:1
• Created in 1998 by Vittorio Storaro
• Popularized by the movie Jurassic World as well as TV shows such as most Netflix shows
from 2013 onwards
• Benefits
• Good middle ground between CinemaScope and the other aspect ratios
• Easy way to make your video look slightly more classy
• Downsides
• No matter what, there’s forced letterboxing
• Might make it look a bit try-hard
Square
• Popularized by the internet, particularly Instagram
• Benefits
• Great for close ups
• Downsides
• Not great for wide shots
• Letterboxing is unavoidable
16:10
• Started being sold around 2003
• Pretty much the screen you’re watching this on right now (assuming you’re not on a phone)
but slightly taller and more closely matching the golden ratio
• Basically, the transitional ratio between 4:3 and 16:9 for computers
• Pros
• More vertical real estate than 16:9
• Better for productivity applications
• Cons
• Virtually no media fills it up the whole way
9:16
• Popularized by the internet
and smartphones
• Benefits
• Fills up vertical screens
• Downsides
• Horrendous for wide shots
• Not nearly enough
horizontal space
• Looks the worst when on a
horizontal screen
16:9/1.85:1
• Also known as High Definition
• 1.85:9 was initially created to compete with TV
• 16:9 was created in 1984 by Kerns H. Powers and gained traction in 2009
• IMAX (1.90:1) is extremely similar so I’m mentioning it here
• Benefits
• Very little to no letterboxing on modern displays
• More vertical space than CinemaScope, more horizontal space than 4:3
• (For IMAX) The highest definition film stock
• Jack of all trades
• Downsides
• Master of none
• When making a movie it might make it feel cheap or too much like a TV show
4:3
• Also known as the Academy Aspect Ratio or Standard Definition
• Created in 1892 by William Dickson
• Benefits
• Great for close ups
• Gives an older feeling to media
• Sometimes TV just feels better on it and suffered from the shift to HD
• Downsides
• Wide shots are limited
• Letterboxing is more noticeable than wider ratios
CinemaScope
• Typically 2.39:1, but also encompasses 2:35:1, 2.40:1, 21:9, and 2.55:1
• Created in 1953 by Henri Chrétien, Earl Sponable, and Spyros Skouras
• First used in the movie The Robe
• Benefits
• Incredibly wide shots
• Makes your media look more cinematic
• Downsides
• Other ratios better for close ups
• Letterboxing can get annoying

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