P3D Re: Techniscope and Vistavision

[ROLANDROLA@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 11/26/98 1:00:04 AM Eastern Standard Time,
photo-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

<< Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 12:39:50 -0800
 From: "William Carter, Ph.D." <wc@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
 To: photo-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 Subject: P3D Re: Info about movie screen perspectives and a reference
 Message-ID: <2.2.16.19981125004222.2b9f0524@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
 
 At 12:22 PM 11/24/98 -0700, Bill Costa wrote:
 
 >... There has been
 >    discussion in the past about aspect ratios of TV screens vs. movies,
 >    etc.   If this topic is of interest to you point your web browser at
 >
 >         http://www.straightdope.com/columns/981120.html
 
 It seems to me that Cecil Adams fell a little short of delivering the
 "Straight Dope" on this topic.
 
 "So your movie has had its theatrical run, and now you're releasing it on
video.
 What do you do? You could ship it out in the original 1.33:1 format, taking
the
 risk that extraneous items would sometimes be visible."
 
 Both Techniscope and VistaVision were shot in special cameras exposing the
 negative in a 1:1.85 ratio. Most of the "scope's" use an anamorphic lens,
 squeezing an image on the frame. There is no "extraneous" masked information.
>>

Just wanted to make a few corrections.  Techniscope and VistaVision are
completely different film processes.

The Techniscope negative uses 2 perfs per frame, frame image of 0.868" X
0.373" with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. 

The VistaVision negative uses 8 perfs per frame, exposed horizontally, frame
image of 1.485" X 0.991" with an aspect ratio of 1.50:1.  The release print
was masked between 1.66:1 to 2:1 depending on the theater's preference.

Roland Lataille


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