Cinemascope Workflow Question

[filmcraft]

Hey whats up everyone. I have a question. I'm working on my first feature film, I would like it to be cinemascope (2.35:1) I would like to know what is the best workflow to achieve this cropping? I would like this to be displaed properly on a widescreen tv as well as a 4:3 this is also planned for film out & dvd.

Using DVX100a, Access to Mac and PC.

[MichaelP]

I would work 16:9 anamorphic and letterbox to 2.40 (2.35 went out in the mid 70's). When encoding to DVD, the anamorphic flag will allow the program to properly display on both 16:9 and 4:3 monitors.

Michael

[Mike_Donis]

That's exactly how I would do it too

[filmcraft]

I would work 16:9 anamorphic and letterbox to 2.40 (2.35 went out in the mid 70's). When encoding to DVD, the anamorphic flag will allow the program to properly display on both 16:9 and 4:3 monitors.

Michael

I thought about the same thing, however if I shoot in squeeze mode I will loose reolution in the frame and wouldn't that be bad for Film out?

[Shaw]

Going 2.35 for a film out isn't the best idea anyway for the DVX. It certainly can be done but you will loose about 50% of your resolution. If you want to go 2.35 I say shoot with the anamorphic adapter and then letterbox that in post.

[Bart_Boge]

Going 2.35 for a film out isn't the best idea anyway for the DVX. It certainly can be done but you will lose about 50% of your resolution. If you want to go 2.35 I say shoot with the anamorphic adapter and then letterbox that in post.

I agree 100%. This is how I do the vast majority of my work. For DVD it looks absolutely great. I suspect that a filmout would totally suck, however.

[Fitz]

I've heard of people shooting with anamorphic adapters and using the fake 16x9 in camera mode. You will end up with a 2.40 image screached to a 16x9 frame but you will have 25% more resolution to work with and using the in camera 16x9 mode your image will not have wasted compression on picture areas that will just be matteded over in post.

[Bart_Boge]

Fitz,

Everything you say is true. But in my experience the "wasted compression" is neglegible, and I much more appreciate having a little vertical "cheat space" in post to work with. When I shoot, I worry about left-right composition more, and in post I can add or trim headroom perfectly. So I say, shoot w/ the PanaAna16:9 without letterbox and add it later.

FWIW,
Bart

[machardi]

What is a good 2.40 image workflow -without- an anamorphic adapter, but maximizing for resolution? Maybe utilizing Photozoom?

M.

[Shaw]

Shoot standard 4:3 -> letterbox to 2.40 -> Stretch the 4:3 to 16:9 using photozoom