[Deserana 12]

Originally Posted by CLL Dodge

1.85:1 is the usual widescreen.

2.35:1 is the exception. There's always a specific artistic decision to shoot in scope over the less wide option.

2.35:1 is by far more common nowadays.

[grimtales1]

I noticed the black bars down the side when I saw The Raid and thought WTF? I dont think they were there during BATB 3D.
Now you mention I think they were there during Avengers too.

[Deserana 12]

Originally Posted by grimtales1

I noticed the black bars down the side when I saw The Raid and thought WTF? I dont think they were there during BATB 3D.
Now you mention I think they were there during Avengers too.

Yeah The Raid was filmed in 1.85: 1

[jalal]

To make it clear, Avengers was shot in a square type aspect ratio. So newer cinemas all have big black blocks on the side, WHY?

Because those are 2.35:1 screen sizes, so in order to project 1.85:1 films they add on the black bars. Older cinemas have curtains to replace the black bars.

Avengers mostly had black bars but it depends on the type of screen, they all vary, even at our branch we have a mixture of screen sizes. Black Bars is going to be the standard with more screens becoming digital and the removal of curtains and projectionist.

[jalal]

Originally Posted by grimtales1

I noticed the black bars down the side when I saw The Raid and thought WTF? I dont think they were there during BATB 3D.
Now you mention I think they were there during Avengers too.

Did you see BATB 3D in the same screen as the Raid or not?

[grimtales1]

In the same cinema (Hatfield) yes indeed, (at different times ) cant remember what number screen it was though

[PiazzaCharlie]

Originally Posted by kjhskj75

A common problem nowadays. Projectionists, especially at multiplexes, are incompetent.

Mark Kermode is always going on about this. Once it happened with a film he was watching, and when he complained, the guy didn't even know what "aspect ratio" meant.

Not so much incompetent projectionists, as no projectionists at all. Saw Kermode do a talk (rant!) about it a couple of years ago. Basically these days, its all digital, someone presses a button and off it goes. If its misaligned or anything, no-one is there to spot it and fix it. Someone suggested in the Q&A that all cinemas need is someone who can just nip in and sort things like that out. Yes, Mark agreed. They're called a projectionist.

[Parker45]

I saw Prometheus at a Vue multiplex. This film was made and presented in a 2.35:1 ratio but instead of being shown on the screen using the full height and width available, it was shown with the height reduced. So instead of getting a bigger, wider image, the screen actually presented an overall reduced size with the 2.35:1 ratio, fitting inside a 1.85:1 width.

I complained to Vue head office and they said "although the film is made in a 2.35:1 ratio, the screen you were in, has a natural ratio of 1.85:1. In order to show the film in it's correct aspect, a block of black is likely to appear at the top and bottom of the screen so as to avoid the image appearing stretched".

This reply was nonsense because there was huge amount of projection area all around the picture and I have seen other 2.35:1 films projected there using the full available screen size available. But they still wouldn't budge from what they said - other than offering me a gift voucher.

[mwardy]

Originally Posted by Parker45

I saw Prometheus at a Vue multiplex. This film was made and presented in a 2.35:1 ratio but instead of being shown on the screen using the full height and width available, it was shown with the height reduced. So instead of getting a bigger, wider image, the screen actually presented an overall reduced size with the 2.35:1 ratio, fitting inside a 1.85:1 width.

I complained to Vue head office and they said "although the film is made in a 2.35:1 ratio, the screen you were in, has a natural ratio of 1.85:1. In order to show the film in it's correct aspect, a block of black is likely to appear at the top and bottom of the screen so as to avoid the image appearing stretched".

This happened to me once. I felt very cheated and made a note never to go back to that particular cheapo excuse for a cinema (it wasn't a Vue) ever again!

Originally Posted by Parker45

This reply was nonsense because there was huge amount of projection area all around the picture and I have seen other 2.35:1 films projected there using the full available screen size available. But they still wouldn't budge from what they said - other than offering me a gift voucher.

Are you sure the particular cinema you were in (you mentioned it's a multiplex) had a 2.35 screen? You are of course right that this makes no sense at all if so.

PS regarding the OP I'm not surprised if people are getting confused about aspect ratios if there are no curtains to indicate the proper size of the screen, which is something I've happily never come across. How much does it cost to install a curtain and/or operate it properly??

[Tremse]

About 1 in every 5 visits to the cinema I have to go and report a problem to a member of staff because the film isn't being projected properly.

They've projected films in wide screen when it's not a widescreen film, making everyone about 3ft wide and 2ft tall, they've not filled the screen with the film so it's like watching through an open letterbox where you only see the middle bit and heads and legs are cut off. I've been to foreign language films where they project the film too low down so the subtitles aren't even on the screen so you can't read them, or you can only read a bit - and through all of this most of the audience just carry on munching their popcorn. I'm always the one that gets up and goes to report it!