Aspect ratios

The aspect ratio is the ratio of the projected image's width:height when projected on the screen or printed on the film.

• define soft + hard matting, "native" aspect ratio, etc.

35mm

• 

  Aspect ratios as they appear in the film frame.
  Red 1.33, Blue 1.37, Yellow 1.66, 'Green 1.85

• 

  Aspect ratios as they appear on a full-width screen.

Aspect Ratio	Other names	Year of Introduction	Image	Notes
1.33:1	Silent / Full Frame	1907
1.19:1	Movietone	1926		Often projected with 1.37 lenses in theaters without specialized 1.19 lenses; however, doing this will chop off a substantial portion of the image.
1.37:1	Academy ratio	1932		Sometimes incorrectly called 1.33. Was used well past 1953 in some countries outside of the US. See also: List of 35mm features released in 1.37 after 1953.
Windowboxed 1.37:1		?		Projected with a 1.85 lens and aperture plate, these prints are often rereleases of films made in traditional 1.37 that will be shown in wide release at theaters not outfitted with 1.37 lenses.
1.66:1		1953		Warning: widescreen formats may be soft-matted
1.78:1				Used for films that originated on video.
1.85:1	Flat	1953		Warning: widescreen formats may be soft-matted
2.39:1	CinemaScope / Anamorphic	1953		Historically, CinemaScope aspect ratios have varied. Today's lenses are mostly calibrated for 2.39:1.

35mm aspect ratio gallery

(click to enlarge)

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  1.33 Full Frame silent print of The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

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  1.37 with mono optical track, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)

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  Windowboxed 1.37:1

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  Hard-matted 1.85:1

Determining 35mm aspect ratios for projection

For some film gauges, the aspect ratio will be obvious. 16mm is rarely anything but full frame (though there are variations - see 16mm page). Other small gauges are rarely anything but their native aspect ratios. 35mm, however, can be complicated. Determining aspect ratio is one of the reasons that prints should be inspected before being run. See Inspection for more details on the process.

• The first way to determine the aspect ratio is to find out when the film was made and using your knowledge of film history, assign its aspect ratio.
• The second and complementary way is to look at a frame of the print and using the different aperture plates, try to eyeball which looks best. You can do this first with at the light table, and then if possible by viewing some of the film on screen.
• It's often best to look at the framing of the opening credits, or at a scene with subtitles.

Be aware that there are always exceptions to any these rules. And: don't just trust IMDb!

• Determining correct aspect ratios for widescreen, etc.
  • Do not always trust what's written on the can or on the print! If you receive a print that is incorrectly labeled by another venue or projectionists (and you are certain of it) make sure to correct it or remove the label. If the label is from the distributor or archive, don't remove it but make a note that the information is incorrect.
• Eyeballing and measuring
• Educated guesses based on year, studio, country, etc. See Inspection page for information on determining the year a print was struck.
• Caveat: there is no "correct," historically - so contentious!
• For films that have been released on DVD or Blu-Ray there is often a lot of information online about the "original" aspect ratio of the film. Sites like IMDB and TCM can be helpful, but always use this information along with one of the above techniques as they are not always correct!

• List of 35mm features released in 1.37 after 1953

Small Gauges: 8mm, Super 8, etc.

• Super 8 - 1.36:1
• 9.5mm - 1.31:1
• 28mm - 1.36:1

Related Pages

• 16mm See: 16mm aspect ratios
• 70mm See: 70mm aspect ratios
• Aperture plate
• Lens
• Masking

External Links

• Essay: Invasion of the Aspect Ratios
• Advice from Jean-Pierre Léaud: YouTube