Another Assinine Aspect Ratio Decision

[Ryan Gallagher]

I've got one to add to the assinine ratio pile, Netflix feature coming up in festival mode:

"Train Dreams"

DCP is labeled as F145 (1.45:1) as well as contents claiming it will thankfully have a F145 framing chart. My huge pile of custom test files for setting our masking if key is not valid yet does not include a F145! Closest I have is F143 (Imax, though haven't needed it yet). lol.

For those rational fraction folks that is a 29:20 aspect ratio! Will share more in feature info thread once I've got offsets.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Our smaller room for this festival is hosting two F190 films, as well as a C190 (full 2K container). That might be a first for him over there too.

To make it worse, festival only delivered their branded pre-roll as F178. Usually at least we'd get a scope alternate. Spent most of yesterday on top of another show making Scope, F166, F190, and F145 versions cause neither of us have functioning zoom ILS motor. Wouldn't be so bad except for the 25min walkin slide deck DCPs.

It was delivered on an exFAT drive too. ;-) lol

[Benjamin Ruder]

Our smaller room for this festival is hosting two F190 films, as well as a C190 (full 2K container). That might be a first for him over there too.

To make it worse, festival only delivered their branded pre-roll as F178. Usually at least we'd get a scope alternate. Spent most of yesterday on top of another show making Scope, F166, F190, and F145 versions cause neither of us have functioning zoom ILS motor. Wouldn't be so bad except for the 25min walkin slide deck DCPs.

It was delivered on an exFAT drive too. ;-) lol

Festivals are the worst! (about to host one and suffering through a number of similar issues).

[Jim Cassedy]

Festivals are the worst! (about to host one
and suffering through a number of similar issues).

s-l960.jpg
Oh Noooooooooo.....

[Sascha Roll]

Yeah well...

IMG_20251023_210516.jpg

[Ryan Gallagher]

Yeah well...

Hah. Someone wishes 25mm film was a thing I guess.

[Ryan Gallagher]

Yeah well...

Actually, I'm quite curious what is going on there. Is that a 166 film printed out inside of a matted 185 image area? Or something even smaller?

[Sascha Roll]

Actually, I'm quite curious what is going on there. Is that a 166 film printed out inside of a matted 185 image area? Or something even smaller?

1.50 Image inside 1.85.

[Scotty Wright]

1.50 Image inside 1.85.

Bugonia is another VistaVision-shot title, but unlike One Battle, all versions are the full 1.50 VistaVision frame and it was a digital finish with the prints being filmouts of the DI.

[Jim Cassedy]

What's really silly is that the studio sent us a boxload of BUGONIA
souvenir 35mm film clips- - with an aspect ratio of appx 1:35 . lol!
BugoniaFilmClip.jpg

[Ryan Gallagher]

1.50 Image inside 1.85.

ooof. It's one thing to have to do this dance all the time in digital. But having digital post production whackiness bleed back over into printed film triggers a slew of other issues.

Is it purely the modern lab process to blame? Or are they assuming venues will only have F+S lenses and taking the path of least resistance approach... which in steep venues still might warrant new plates anyway. Nevermind that it might be 3%-5% undersized due to lab processes too. And throwing away 20% of the film detail in a sacrifice to the analog presentation gods?

I'm not sure releasing new 35mm prints of these odd ratios is even worth it if this is how we do it.

Edit: I guess I can see a slight argument, putting 1.5 in a flat container guarantees max height with existing flat lenses. Doing a larger 1.5 printed image and expecting 1.33 lens to do the job guarantees the width instead, which would be too small for the screen. I suppose this is why we had standard formats! lol, cause doing 1.5 proper with max detail would require additional lenses to target the height.

[Ryan Gallagher]

A big festival always has a curve ball.... I believe this one is playing in our smaller room so not my problem and there will be no movable masking there, but....

Obsession_FTR-3_F-150_EN-XX-CCAP_US-CA_51-VI_4K_FF_20260304_DLX_SMPTE_OV

Deluxe projection note reads:

Note for aspect ratio: SET UP FOR A FLAT SHOW (1.85).
The feature content is 1.50 aspect ratio, the black bars on the left and right of the screen are normal.

At least 3:2 is a real aspect ratio... it just happens to be a still photography one, or a VistaVision call out.

If it was in my room i'd be all set, cause "Train Dreams" last year's festival was that ratio too. (Good albeit depressing movie by the way).

[Jim Cassedy]

I did a private advance screening of UNDERTONE early this morning.
> Undertone_FTR-6_S-212_EN-XX_OV_51_4K_A24_. . etc, etc <
It was for only a few people, in our smallest room, and the garage-door
opener driven masking system in that auditorium won't do "S-212".

[Ryan Gallagher]

I did a private advance screening of UNDERTONE early this morning.
> Undertone_FTR-6_S-212_EN-XX_OV_51_4K_A24_. . etc, etc <
It was for only a few people, in our smallest room, and the garage-door
opener driven masking system in that auditorium won't do "S-212".

Okay now that is a weird one. I will give 1.5:1 a pass compared to that.

Oh wait, oh dear... is this a NEW trendy tv screen ratio? The google AI result would seem to think so:

A 2.12:1 aspect ratio, specifically associated with the ARRI ALEXA 265 camera's 6.5K Open Gate mode (6560 x 3100 pixels), provides a wide, cinematic format slightly wider than standard 2:1, often used to maximize resolution and image area in production. It is part of the trend toward "hybrid" aspect ratios, designed to blend widescreen cinematic feel with modern display filling.

Key Details Regarding 2.12:1 and Similar Ratios:

• Camera Usage: The ARRI ALEXA 265 camera utilizes this precise ratio (2.12:1) in its 6.5K Open Gate recording mode, offering a resolution of 6560 x 3100.
• Context within 2:1: While 2.12:1 is specific, it falls into the broader category of "2:1" or "Univisium" (developed by Vittorio Storaro), which is a common compromise between 1.85:1 and 2.39:1.
• Cinematic Feel: Similar to 2:1, this ratio is used to achieve a "cinematic" look (as seen in House of Cards and Stranger Things) while still filling modern television screens better than wider formats.
• Comparison: It is slightly wider than the standard 2:1 (2.00:1) and narrower than traditional cinemascope.