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Fillingthebox:TheNeverEndingPan&ScanStory
PostedBybordwellblogOnJanuary25,2015@9:34amInFilmandothermedia,Filmcomments,Filmtechnique:
Cinematography,Filmtechnique:Widescreen,Television|CommentsDisabled

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TheLim ey(1999).
DBhere:
Heresastory,sofarnotfinished.

Chapter1:Youcantputtenpoundsofmudinafivepoundsack(DollyParton)
Onceuponatime,beforehomevideoandcable,movieswerebroadcastontelevision.TheymightbedrawnfromlocalTV
stations16mmcollectionsortransmittedfromthenetworksonmovieoftheweekshows.Whenthefilmwasawidescreen
film,especiallyinanamorphicprocesses,itwasadjusted,aswenowsay,tofityourscreen.
ThatTVscreenwasinanaspectratioofabout1.33:1(4x3),likepre1950scommercialfilms.Butthefilmtobeshownmight
be1.75,1.85,or2.35.Howtoshowit?
Youcouldretainthewholeoriginalframewithletterboxingattopandbottom.ThiswasdonemoreofteninEuropethanin
theUS,Ibelieve.OurTVsystemhad100fewerlines,sothetinypictureareabecamequitedegraded.Andthen(asnow)
therewerepeoplewhopersistedinbelievingthatthoseblackbarsattopandbottomweresomehowtakingawaypartof
themovie.
Farmorecommonwasthetacticofsomehowmakingthewiderimagefillthebox.Thistacticcametobecalledpanand
scan.ItgainedthenamebecauseinpreparingtheTVversion,anengineerwouldsometimesswiveltheTVframeacrossthe
originalimage,carvingintoitandslidingtoandfro.Thetermpanandscancoveredanothertactic,simplymakingtwoshots
outofone.Wemightcallitcutandscan.HeresaninstancefromanoldVHStapeofAdviseandConsent,oneofthemost
daringAmericanwidescreenfilms.TheslightlyfatterfacesareduetothedistortionoftheCRTmonitorIshotfrom.

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Sometimestherewasneitherscanningnorcutting,justsimplecropping.Theengineerwouldfinda43chunkandextractit
fromthebiggerimage.Tokeepthingssimple,thatchunkwasusuallyaroundthecenter.Thiscentercutting,asitwas
called,couldyieldsomefunnyresults,asintheprotrudingnoseina16mmTVprintofTarnishedAngels.

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Chapter2:Shoot,protect,screwup
Somewidescreenprocessesfromthe1950sonwarddidntframetheimagewideduringfilming.Theimagewouldbe
capturedfullframe.Theresultmightlaterbehardmatted,orletterboxed,duringprinting,asintheshotfromTheLimey
surmountingtodaysentry.
Sometimes,the35mmtheatricalprintswouldretaina4:3image,orsomethingevensquarer.Theframesina35mmprintof
DotheRightThingareabout1.19:1.Notetheextensiveheadroomintheleftimage,froma35mmprint.Forscreeningsthe
projectionistwouldmasktheimagetotheproperproportionstypically1.85.HerestheversionontheCriterionDVD,at
1.75forwidescreenmonitors.

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Thefullframeimagewasavailableforcroppingto4:3TVviewing.Manycinematographersusedtheshootandprotect
methodbycomposingforboth1.85and1.33.

Therewereproblemswiththisopenmatteprocessintheatres.IrecallamisframedversionofJerryMaguireinwhichthe
lockerroomsceneshowedmoreofCubaGoodingsgoodiesthanwasintended.AndafullframeprintofGodfatherIIreveals
theducttapedmarksonthesetfloor(asifPacinowouldeverhitthem).
ThesameproblemwouldappearinfullframeTVversionsthatwerecarelesslytransferredfromfilm.Microphones,unfinished
stretchesoftheset,andotherproductionelementsmightjutin.SomecinematographersdidntconsiderTVversions
importantenoughtoworryabout.FuckTV,washeardoccasionally.
Morebasically,thefullframeresultwasntfaithfultotheoriginaltheatricalversion,whichwasdesignedtobeshownwide.
PuristsobjectedthatTVversions,evenifshotfullframe,didntfulfilltheintentionofthedirector.

Chapter3:16into9wontgo

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Inthe1990stherecamelaserdiscsandDVDs.Theseoffered
properlyletterboxedframings.Cinephilescheered.Itseemedthat
thedaysofpanandscanwereover.
Actually,panandscanhungonquiteabit.Manylaserdisceditionswerentletterboxed.Airlineversionsofferedcropped
images,andstilldo.(Thosetinyscreens,afterall.)SomeDVDswerereleasedinpanandscanversions,whileothersoffered
aletterboxedversionofthefilmononesideofthediscandafullframeversionontheother.Butseriouscinephilescould
assumethatthegeneralpublicwasstartingtounderstandthatfilmsintendedtobeseenatacertainratioshouldbeshown
thatway.
Asthenewdiscformatsemerged,sodidaplantostandardizeHighDefinitionvideofora16x9display.TheEuropeanUnion
[10] promoteditduringthemid1990s,andoverthenexttwentyyearsitbecameacceptedforbothcomputermonitorsand
videodisplays.ThenewformatdevelopedinsyncwiththegradualreplacementofanalogbroadcastingbyHDtransmission.
Theproblemisthat16:9isaratioof1.77:1,closeenoughto1.85formostpurposesbutfarofftheratioof2.20:1(many
70mmfilms)and2.40(anamorphicwidescreenafterabout1970).Yetmaybethisisntaproblem.Whynotjustletterbox
thosewiderimageswithinthe16:9format?
Ifonlythingsweresosimple.


Chapter4:Slightlyoff,andmore
Today,atleast77%ofUShouseholdshaveHDmonitors.
(Surprisingly,41%ofTVsstillinuseareStandardDefinition,many
presumablycomfortingchildrenandoldpeople.)Broadcastersmake
concessionstothe4:3ratiobykeepingthekeyactioncenteredand
croppingthe16:9image.
Natureabhorsavacuum,andTVmonitorsapparentlycantbear
blankspace.Sosomepurveyorsofmoviesonvideohaveupdated
panandscanfortheHDage.Cable,forinstance.
ItsbeenyearssinceIclickedmycableremotetotheSundance
ChannelandtheIndependentFilmChannel,nowknownasIFC.
Seeingthemacoupleofweeksagowasamildshock.Noweach
boastedabug[11] inthelowerrightcorner,andswarmingoverthe
imagewerelotsoftextspluggingotherprograms.Worse,there
werecommercialsforweightlossscams,BurgerKing,andPortlandia.
Moretothepointhere,theseservicesgiveusanewversionofpan
andscan.
Thankstothecentercuttingmethod,Ifoundplentyofexamplesof
anamorphic2.40filmssliceduptofitourmonitor.HereareacoupleofexamplesfromIFCsversionofJaws.Inthefirstpair,
thewiderimagegivesBruceroomtomove,andBrodyismoresalient.Inthesecondpair,Hooperisspeaking,butintheIFC
imagehesevenmoreperipheralthanMr.NoseinTarnishedAngels.

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Inrarecases,IFCseemstorunfullscopeprintsIspottedoneofChinatown.Butitdoesntseemtobethenorm.Maybe
IFCsNewAgepanandscanistryingtoliveuptothechannelsslogan:Alwayson.Slightlyoff.
Manyfilmsoftheearlywidescreeneraarecompromisedevenat16:9.ThenoseshotfromTarnishedAngelswouldbeabit
crampedina1.77format,andmanyothershotswouldsufferaswell.

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Whenthewideformatwasstillnew,filmmakerswereexploringwhattheycoulddoit,andthatincludedscatteringimportant
informationthroughouttheframe.PremingerwasallovertheplaceintheSenateandCommitteeRoomscenesofAdviseand
Consent.Whatwouldyoudotofittheseshotsinto16:9?Imakeasillystabatcentercutting.

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Filmslikethisremindyouofhowthetechnologyofhomevideohasmadeourfilmmakerslessdaringintheircompositions.
WouldanyonetodayrisktheboldcompositionthatRichardFleischerusesinthemortuarysceneofCompulsion?Asyoucan
seefromtheimageattheendoftheentry,thecrucialpairofeyeglassesrestsonthelowerframeline,asifonashelf.
Scopenudgedsomedirectorstowardquiteintricateshotdesigns.
BythetimeTootsiewasmade,withhomevideoontherise,filmmakerswerepressedtoshootandprotectbetter.Sohere
theresplentyofunusedspaceonthesides,andmostactionwillfitintoanyoldframeproportions.Intheshotbelow,the
1.33version(availableontheflipsideoftheDVD)isextractedfromtheScopeversion(andslightlysqueezedaswell).The
1.77versionIgrabbedfromtheSundanceChannelisalsoextractedfromthewiderframing.Bothreframetheimageto
emphasizeMichaelandJeff,thecomicduo.Theoriginal2.35imagecentersthefoodcounterandforsomereasongives
equalspacetotheinconsequentialaisleandstoveontheright.

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Obviously,compositionisntparticularlyimportanthere.SolidasTootsieisatthelevelofwritingandperformance(Oh,God,I
beggedyoutogetsometherapy),wewouldntpointtoitasamodelofpictorialfinesse.

Moreover,panandscanisntjustamatterofretainingtheactionindifferentframings.Recastingtheimagechangesthescale
ofthethingsinit.OldTVpanandscan,asinmyfirstAdviseandConsentexample,makesthefigureschoppedoutofthe
compositionseemclosertous.Sometimestodayspanandscanmakesthefiguresseemsmaller.Thatsbecausethefull
frameoriginalimageoffersabitmorespaceatthetoporbottomthanweseeintheanamorphicversion,andthatgets
incorporatedintothe1.77or1.33version.(YoucanseeitintheJawsexampleabove,withthespaceaboveQuintshead.)
Thepushpullofdifferentversionsisparticularlynoticeableincloseviews.Thecentercut(andperhapsslightlysqueezed)
IFCversionofTheMatrixkeepsCypherprominentintheforeground,withthecarcrashintherear.Yetdoyouseehimand
thecrashasclosertousinthewideoriginal?Ido.MaybeitsbecausebothCypherandthebackgroundplanearelargerin
thesecondframe.

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Bycontrast,severalshotsintheIFCversionofTheMatrixhaveareasatthetopandbottomnotvisibleinawiderframeDVD.
Inanycase,extractingfromananamorphicframeorhere,pullingthe1.77versionoutofafullframe,cansubtlyalterthe
scaleandperspectiverelationswithintheshot.
IntheoldTVdays,networkswouldshowcreditsequencesinfullwidescreen,astheywereobligedtomakeallthe

contributorsnamesvisible.Soyouoftenhadtheoddsituationofawidescreencreditssequencethatwouldendamovie
shownin4:3.Sundancehasupdatedthetechnique.TootsiespenultimateshotofJulieisat1.77,butassheandMichael
walkoff,wecutimmediatelytoafinalshotat2.35letterboxed,overwhichthecreditsroll.

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Anotheroldtrickhasbeenrevived.Backin1960sTV,youdhaveanobligatorywidescreenimagewithcreditsinformation,
buttheshotmightgoontoshowstoryaction.ThentheTVframingwouldcloseinonthewideimageandgraduallyfillthe
screenwitha4:3composition.DamnedifIdidntfindthesamethinghappeninglastweekendonSundance.Theopening
creditsforTheGraduatewereinfullscope.ThatshotdissolvedtothefamousshotofBenjaminsittinginfrontofhis
aquarium,blanklyfacingthecamera.

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Toretainthecreditsandkeepthedissolvesmooth,theengineerslowlyenlargedtheoriginalshotto16:9proportionsas
Bensfathercomesin.(YoucanseetheSundancebugliftslowlyintothelowerrightoftheimage.)

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Theresultisacameramovement,azoomin,thatisntintheoriginalfilm.Intheoriginalframingbelow,theshotscaleonBen
isntmuchdifferent,butthelittlescubadiverremainsprominentinawayheisntinthe169image.

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Chapter5:VOD=VariantsOnDemand
OncableTVweAmericanscangotoTCMforapurerexperienceofwidescreenfromtheolddays.Butthemorerecentfilms
shownonIFC,Sundance,Pivot,andothercablechannelsarelikelytobehackedupinthenewway.Inthisrespectaswell
asothers,cablehasbecomethenetworkTVofthenewage.Wegetshowsofalltypes,notjustsportsandmoviesbut
originalseries,exceptthatnowwegettopaytowatchcommercials.
Surelythingsarebetterwithstreaming?
InthespotcheckingIdidonAmazonandHuluPlus,Ididntfindinstancesofcropping.Inparticular,theCriterionfilmsI
checkedretaintheirproperaspectratios.Netflixisanotherstory.Atthispointwemustthanktheanonymousgeniusbehind
WhatNetflixDoes[34] .Thissiteexposesagreatmanywaysthatthemostpopularstreamingservicehasreliedonpanand
scan,withdifferentcropsfordifferentmarkets.

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Infairness,oncetheanonymousgeniuscontactedNetflix,somedeficientversionswerereplacedbyproperones.Butseveral
ofthemorerecentexampleshavenotbeenchanged.Whoknowshowmanyothersremainpannedandscannedbecause
thealterationshaventyetbeendetected?

Inthelightofallthis,Imwonderingiffilmmakershavebeenprotestingthismanglingoftheirwork.Duringtheearlydaysof
TVbroadcasts,directorscomplainedaboutcutsandcommercials,andinmorerecentyearswevelearnedthatdirectorswere
wonovertodigitalprojectionintheatresbecausethenthefilmwouldbeshownexactlyasthedirectorintended.With
manymorepeopleseeingthefilmonvideoplatformsthanseeitintheatres,youdthinkwedhaveheardmorefromthe
creativecommunity.Oncemoretheirmoviesarebeingjammedandloppedtofitwhateverboxtheyreputin.
Imtemptedtosaythatwhenwewanttogetthemovieinaformclosetothewaysitsmakerswantedittobeseen,we
needtoseeitinatheatreorgetitonDVD/Bluray.Thereareexceptions,ofcourse.Theatrescanbotchaspectratiostoday
justastheyhaveinearlierdecades,chieflybyusingthewrongmasking.Andwehavefilmmakerswhoaltertheaspectratio
onDVD,usuallytoexpandthefieldfrom2.35:1to1..77inhopes(vain)ofevokingtheImaxeffect(Tron:Legacy[39] ,The
HungerGames:CatchingFire[40] ).
Withoutgettingintotechnicalities,someofthe1.77versionsyoullseehaveabitmoreareaatthetopandthebottomof
theframethanwefindinthefullanamorphicimage.Inmanycases,liketheshotofCypherinTheMatrix,itsbecausethefilm
wasshotinSuper35.Thisveryfullframecaptureformatallowedfilmmakerstoextracta2.40proportionedimage,ora4:3
image,orimagesinotheraspectratios.TheWikipediaentryonSuper35[41] isveryhelpfulonthisandotheraspectratios,
bothforcinemascreensandTV.SomeshotsintheIFCJawshadalittlemoreverticalareaaswell.Iassumethatsbecause
thescopeimageontheDVDcroppedatadoffthetopandbottomofthefullframeimageonthefilm.
ThankstoJonahHorwitzforpointingmetowardthesiteWhatNetflixDoes[34] .MoregeneralthankstoJamesQuandtfor
ourlongrunningconversationaboutaspectratios.OtherentriesonaspectratioonthissiteinvolveFritzLang[42] ,JeanLuc
Godard[43] ,andWesAnderson[44] .IsetoutsomeideasonCinemaScopeaestheticsinthisvideolecture[45] .
P.S.28January:ThomasZorthianwasaheadofthecurveonthis.Backin2011henoticedtheNetflixpanandscan.
YourarticlehithomeformeasIhavebeentryingtobringattentiontothisproblemforawhile.IevenwroteRoger
Eberthopinghecouldusehisinfluence.Hewaskindenoughtopublishmy
letter:http://www.rogerebert.com/letters/netflixstreamsometimesoverflowsthebanks[46].Ihavealsowrittento
HBOandamconsideringapetitiontoaskthemtoshowmoviesintheproperratiobeforeHBOGObecomesa
standaloneservice.Thiswouldenhancethevalueofthisnewservice.
ThankstoThomasforcorresponding!

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Com pulsion(1959).

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[10]TheEuropeanUnion:http://ec.europa.eu/smart
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[11]abug:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2009/01/07/bugsthesecrethistory/
[12]Image:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/Brucescopeh225.jpg
[13]Image:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/Bruce1.77h225.jpg
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[16]Image:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/Tarnishedangels0011.77h225.jpg
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[26]Image:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/Tootsieendh225.jpg
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[33]Image:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/Benscopeh225.jpg
[34]WhatNetflixDoes:http://whatnetflixdoes.tumblr.com
[35]Image:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/GhostProtocol2.35h225.jpg
[36]Image:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/Ghostprotocol1.77h225.jpg
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[38]Image:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/Meatballs22251.jpg
[39]Tron:Legacy:https://digitalmediaservices.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/tronlegacyupdate/
[40]TheHungerGames:CatchingFire:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MDrnRkLAI
[41]TheWikipediaentryonSuper35:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_35
[42]FritzLang:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2010/12/19/ratiocination/
[43]JeanLucGodard:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2007/12/14/godardcomesinmanyshapesandsizes/
[44]WesAnderson:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2014/03/26/thegrandbudapesthotelwesandersontakes
the43challenge/
[45]thisvideolecture:http://vimeo.com/64644113
[46]http://www.rogerebert.com/letters/netflixstreamsometimesoverflowsthebanks:
http://www.rogerebert.com/letters/netflixstreamsometimesoverflowsthebanks
[47]Image:http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wpcontent/uploads/Compulsionglasses500.jpg

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