Disney's Widescreen "for Dummies"

[frogboy4]

Yeah, that was a bad picture for Disney to demonstrate the process. I really think that all FX and animated films should be given to us in widescreen. There's always so much happening around the edges. I feel wanting a cropped film is disrespectful to the director and all involved in the production. No ifs about it. I can comprehend why some people would object to widescreen even after knowing the facts, but continue to find it incredibly disrespectful. Would you cut a Picasso canvas to fit an arbitrary frame? Of course not. I feel the same about the films and shows I love.

What I like about TV these days is that not everybody is doing this thing the same way. It offers us choices. Boston Public and other Fox shows are simulcast in widescreen, but you have to have a certain cable or satellite hook-up to get it. However, I’m not sure how they would format a letterboxed image on their television. I think it has a zoom feature and with HDTV the image would still be quite sharp. Maybe those are simulcast as well.

It’s just nice to not have a widescreen television and still be able to get the whole picture. You must admit that programs like ER are barely even letterboxed. I don’t see why it would matter. So then, what’s the point? Well, it shows that the medium of television is changing and is taking a step forward. That is always a good thing.

Anyway, I understand both POVs but only respect one. If anyone I know ever expresses that “they don’t like the little black bars” they will be condemned to death my muffining! LOL!

 

[Drtooth]

Actually... I have recently got a copy of ghostbusters on VHS. Now, apparently, the director wanted full use of the screen as well... it's painfully obvious... why?


Well, when someone's talking on the other side of the screen, an obvious pan cuts to the next person.. it slides all over. i thought something was wrong with the tape at first!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Frogboy:

Blueberry or Chocolate/Chocolate Chip muffins??

DrTooth:
I MUCH prefer widescreen on Ghostbusters, especially in the elevator. The joke about moving away from the proton pack is SO much better that way!!

 

[wolfy]

I enjoy seeing the older classic movies in widescreen on television now. Sure is a lot different to see who someone is talking to or why they are looking over into a certain area where action is going on without having to sit there and wonder...also, you don't get half a face like you do with regular TV, where it's "squashed" as my kids say...

Now, if we could only make the noisy commercials be QUIETER and the people on the important shows TALK UP a little bit so I don't have to put on the darned captions, things should work out fine...
wolfy

And regarding "Ghostbusters"...you're right. They did originally film it in wide-screen. My son is a BIG GB fan, and he complains about the fact that you can't see this or that actor when they are being spoken to onscreen because the stations have squashed (or cropped or "formated") it to fit your television.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Originally posted by wolfy
My son is a BIG GB fan

And a very cool son you have!!

 

[frogboy4]

Originally posted by wolfy
Now, if we could only make the noisy commercials be QUIETER and the people on the important shows TALK UP a little bit so I don't have to put on the darned captions, things should work out fine...

I agree. You know, that was discussed in my filmschool sound course years back. Apparently, the commercial really isn't any louder thatn the program, rather, the signal only stays in the loud portion of the range. Weirdness.

I'm an apartment guy (probably always will be) and I have neighbors. Nothing is more annoying than renting a film and having to keep turning up the volume when actors are talking softly and turning it down everytime there's a big explosion. DVDs really should have an "apartment audio setting" LOL!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I live in an apartment, too, but I just play the sound at a comfortable level so no big whoop on the neighbors--it's relatively quiet there anyways, and well insulated (for such an old building at that).

Now, another friend of mine had surround sound and he was not the least bit worried about his neighbors. He would play that thing SO loud--but MAN! it was cool for Star Wars etc.