Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Big Hero 6 pillarboxing?

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Posted by Connor Wilson (Member # 6088) on 11-22-2014, 08:38 PM:

I attended a screening of Big Hero 6 earlier today and I noticed some odd thing about the movie. It seemed to be pillarboxed throughout the entire film, from "Feast" to the very end. The aspect ratio looked roughly 2.2:1, about Frozen's aspect ratio on Blu-ray (Frozen was 2.4:1 in theaters). The scope trailers filled the entire width of the screen, but Big Hero, as well as the Tomorrowland trailer, was pillarboxed.

Another thing to note is that it was in 3D, so I was also wondering if the "floating window" was applied. That would make it the largest floating window I have seen in a 3D movie.

So tell me, are the 2D DCPs of Big Hero 6 pillarboxed also, or is this a 3D thing?

Cobb Village 12, Leesburg, VA
11/22/14 2:40pm
Theater #9

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-22-2014, 08:49 PM:

It was indeed a 3-D thing and the 2-D version was the "normal" scope shape.

I was kind of surprised that there wasn't a note about this in the box, but we didn't get one at least.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 11-26-2014, 07:13 AM:

It's something with the 3-D.

We ran both the 2-D and 3-D versions at our new location that just opened the week BH6 came out.

It only did that on the 3-D version.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 11-26-2014, 01:18 PM:

The 3D Big Hero 6 trailer gave me a scare yesterday. After going thorough the song and dance to get the screen files set up again on my projector, I played trailers in various formats to make sure that everything looks like it should.

Big Hero 6 was the first on the list of available 3D Scope trailers so I put it first on my test playlist. Well damn, the 3D Scope picture is too small and now I'll have to find out why. Then the next 3D Scope trailer on my list started playing and it fits like it's supposed to.

If I had played a different 3D Scope trailer first I would have avoided a few bad moments.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 11-27-2014, 05:22 PM:

They likely had to limit the 3-D range because something either didn't work right in 3-D or the 3-D required may have been too much for our little brains. This is why many 3-D movies have their own framing chart supplied.

Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-27-2014, 06:14 PM:

Was it using the "floating windows" thing? That would be a reason for pillarboxing or otherwise underscan.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 11-28-2014, 04:46 PM:

Disney has been actively using the "floating window" technique since somewhere in 2006 for many of their Disney 3-D® releases. If it was the floating window, you should be able to spot it quite easily, if your screen is properly masked. It's not a fixed thing, it is constantly moving, especially between cuts.

The effectiveness of the floating window can be debated, as it can also lead to annoyances. For some more information about how this floating window thing is supposed to work, you might want to check this* document.

* Yellow Warning Lights Enabled: PDF document ahead

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 11-28-2014, 07:27 PM:

Somewhere there is a Disney video geared for kids on the subject.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 11-29-2014, 07:34 AM:

I think you're referring to this one? I remember it in better quality though [Wink]

. And it's also not really geared to kids...

Posted by Jarod Reddig (Member # 6363) on 12-01-2014, 08:34 AM:

I seen Big Hero 6 in 3D the two weeks ago and a Starplex Cinemas and noticed the floating window. Although the theater had it masked to the point in which it was barely noticable.