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Author Topic: Is Scope on the way out? Robert E. Allen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1078 From: Checotah, Oklahoma Registered: Jul 2002 posted 10-16-2012 03:28 PM                     When CinemaScope first came out in 1953 it was much WIDER than the 1:33 X 1 theatres were running. Both were the same height but scope was wider at 2:35 X 1. So use side masking NOT top and bottom masking. The flat ratio changed to 1:66 X 1 then 1:85 X 1 (although some now call 1:85 X 1 "widescreen"). The theatre I was working at the time had a stage arch that prohibited installing a wider screen so they made the scope picture fit inside the flat screen. It was ridiculous. They made a format that was supposed to impress the audience with its wide scope a tiny ribbon smaller than flat. You would do the same thing with top and bottom masking and it would defeat the director's purpose for using 'scope.  |  IP: Logged Dan Kessler Film Handler Posts: 10 From: Newport Beach, CA Registered: Oct 2011 posted 10-16-2012 03:53 PM                     Exactly right. True cinemascope never crops anything. It uses every bit of the 4-perf image height.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 10-16-2012 04:03 PM                     quote: Bajsic Bojan they stopped making them due to lack of interest. Nope, they still make them: http://www.philips.de/c/fernsehgeraete/cinema-219-platinum-series-147-cm-58-zoll-full-hd-3d-max-ultra-breitbildschirm-58pfl9956h_12/prd/ http://www.philips.de/c/fernsehgeraete/cinema-219-gold-series-127-cm-50-zoll-ultra-breitbildschirm-easy-3d-50pfl7956k_02/prd/ - Carsten  |  IP: Logged James Waite Film Handler Posts: 52 From: London ON Canada Registered: Nov 2007 posted 10-16-2012 04:12 PM                        I much prefer scope when it's shown as it should be but we are one of the few theatres around here that use side masking. Our theatre is built on a diagional in a square room and the width is limited by the exit doors. Our scope image is 28 feet wide which looks fairly impressive in the relaltivly small room. I've noticed the muliplexes have stopped using the masking. I can sort of see why as the digital make a fairly straight edge as opposed to 35mm but I still think masking looks more professional. At the very least people might wonder why the image isn't filling the whole screen. I'm probably not the only one who looks at the size of the screen to determine where to sit as well. I like to sit in the dead center if it's stadium seating.  |  IP: Logged Graham Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2009 posted 10-16-2012 04:58 PM                     I dont see Scope on the way out, but I dont like this top masking that the nearby multi-plex uses. To watch adds or trls that are bigger than the scope movie itself makes me cringe. The three screen where I last worked had side masking for two, and top for one. The conversion on that screen to top masking I opposed, but the owners wanted a bigger picture on flat, so they won out. However the two other larger screens with side masking I would use for our Scope films and keep them away as much a possible from the other one. I like the idea of a cinema slipping into total darkness just before that scope change. The next thing you should see is.. "da da"... a big picture not a smaller one. I am not up with the play with digital presentation, only film, but watching Doctor Zhivago, and Lawrence of Arabia on 35mm with our "side masking moving out" and using the full screen last year was amazing, it was a real treat.  |  IP: Logged Bajsic Bojan Expert Film Handler Posts: 190 From: Ljubljana, Si, Eu Registered: Aug 2008 posted 10-17-2012 01:42 AM                     quote: Carsten quote: Bajsic Bojan they stopped making them due to lack of interest. Nope, they still make them: Sorry for the misunderstanding then, i was looking at their press release from 25th August 2012. They do say they will keeep the 50"+ screens, but for only a limited time. --- Philips Cinema 21:9 is dead When the last Cinema 21:9 TVs on the market have been sold, it is over. The extra wide format TVs were not as big a success as Philips had hoped for. Therefore, Philips has decided to discontinue the Cinema 21:9 TVs definitely. Philips Cinema 21:9 Platinum is the last model. No new Cinema 21:9 TVs will be introduced - “Unfortunately the demand for this screen size is not any more on par with what we regard as basic requirement for mass production. This might change in the future, but for now we have decided not to come with new 21:9 models. However, we see larger screen sizes (50”+) becoming more important,” Philips says to FlatpanelsHD. An orbituary Philips has released a total of 4 Cinema 21:9 models over the last few years. Initially, consumers seemed confused about the format but Philips made an effort to highlight the advantages of the extra wide cinema format with large-scale campaigns. Below you see the time line. 2009: Philips launched the first 56" Cinema 21:9 TV in 2009. 2009: Philips initiated a large-scale campaign under the name Carousel to promote the 21:9 TVs. You should spend a few minutes watching it as it is quite impressive. 2010: An updated Cinema 21:9 with 3D was released in 58 inches. 2010: Philips started the next big push for the Cinema 21:9 TVs. In a series of short movies produced by different artists, Philips tried to highlight the advantages of the extra wide format. The winner was chosen in collaboration with Ridley Scott. 2011: Philips introduced the Cinema 21:9 TVs in the US. 2011: Two updated Cinema 21:9 TVs in 58 and 50” were introduced with Philips’ most advanced picture systems. These two TVs are still available but only for a limited time. 2012: Philips stops production and development of Cinema 21:9 TVs. A new model was planned for IFA 2012 but has been cancelled. ---  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 10-17-2012 04:56 PM                     Allright - I guess as a consumer display, they never really had a chance. I mean, either having letterbox or pillarbox bars will not suit this target group. They want the frame to be filled as much as possible. There are a few other super wide screen displays, also in the public displays area. Anyway, it doesn't say much about the future of scope features. In europe, we see even local indie or low budget films in scope, don't we? - Carsten  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-17-2012 06:23 PM                     quote: Graham Ritchie To watch adds or trls that are bigger than the scope movie itself makes me cringe. And that is why I think it'll fade away. Perhaps not altogether, but substantially.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 10-17-2012 07:10 PM                     I don't think that the people deciding about a future movies AR will consider any ads or trailers that might be shown before it. These people still consider scope as a format with a special value, not just another AR. I have no numbers, but from my perspective, scope is more on the rise than on the decline. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged John Wilson Film God Posts: 5438 From: Sydney, Australia. Registered: Dec 1999 posted 10-17-2012 08:26 PM                     Hey Carsten...is the Drive-In still going in Koln?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 10-17-2012 08:33 PM                     Few people even know what the word "aspect ratio" means let alone differentiate between programs presented at different aspect ratios. Most people don't even notice when a 4:3 program is played on a 16:9 screen in "stretch mode." Many people think that movies are supposed to have black bands at the top and the bottom of the screen. Many of them think that it is better to watch a movie that way but have no clue as to why. It is "just better." Now, with the advent of wide screen TVs, the whole reason for different aspect ratios has been lost. In the past, movies were made at various ratios in order to differentiate the product from television. Today there is little or no difference between TV and movies. In fact, most movies will end up on television and most are designed with eventual viewing in television in mind. We really don't have a need for different ratios anymore and, to be honest, if I'm going to have to live in an all-video world, I wish that different aspect ratios would just go away. My whole life would be a hell of a lot easier. I think that, except for directors and producers who have some arty-farty reason, most movies and TV shows will eventually gravitate toward 16:9. I can't say that scope will entirely go away but I think it will certainly get a lot more rare.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Goeldner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1360 From: Washington, District of Columbia Registered: Jun 2008 posted 10-21-2012 11:44 PM                     there must be a new trend of stop motion animated films to be in scope since both 'The Pirates: Band of Misfits' and 'ParaNorman' were shot as such. interesting. that was interesting to see the new version of 'Wuthering Heights' shot and projected in 1.37 somewhat related question, aren't most new theaters actually constructed in that screens have horizontal masking? side masking seems less prevalent.  |  IP: Logged Carsten Kurz Film God Posts: 4340 From: Cologne, NRW, Germany Registered: Aug 2009 posted 10-22-2012 05:55 AM                     quote: John Wilson Hey Carsten...is the Drive-In still going in Koln? Hey John, which one? There were two - one at Porz (east bank of the rhine), one at Pulheim (outside of Cologne). The one at Pulheim (very close to where I live) closed down many years ago, they finally brought the screen down only last year. The one at Porz is still in operation: http://www.autokinos-deutschland.de/programm/unsere-kinos-kp.php They still do 35mm. I don't know if/how they will continue with digital. - Carsten  |  IP: Logged

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