| Academy: |
In 1889 Thomas Edison developed an early type of projector called a Kinetograph, which used 35mm film with four perforations on each side. The frame area was an inch wide and three quarters of an inch high, producing a ratio of 1.37:1. 1932 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the Academy Ratio the standard Ratio, and was used in cinemas until 1953. Prior to the advent of Sound on Film in 1926, the Aspect ratio was 1.33:1.
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| ArriScope-ArriVision: |
ArriScope and ArriVision were designed by the Arriflex Camera Corporation, both are a form of the CinemaScope/Panavision process with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, 2.35 times wide as it is high. ArriScope was first used on the production of Body Snatchers (1993). ArriVision was used for two 3D feature film Amityville (1983) and Jaws 3 (1983), is still in use today as an Anamorphic process on such films as Star Wars Episode 1 (1999) and Lord of the Rings (2001).
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| Cinerama: |
In 1928 at the London Tivoli MGM released the French film maker Abel Gance's masterpiece Napoleon. It was shown from three projectors onto a triple width screen. Twenty four years later Fred Waller of Paramount's Special Effects Department, along with Michael Todd, developed a large screen system called Cinerama, which utilised three cameras to record a single image. Three electronically synchronised projectors were used to project an image on a huge screen curved at an angle of 146 degrees. The three images did not always match properly causing an irritating effect where the three images were joined. This Is Cinerama was released on the 30th September 1952, a thrilling travelogue, which featured a roller-coaster ride. In 1962 MGM released the last feature film in Cinerama How The West Was Won. See Cinerama Film List.
 |
The frame on the left is one of three films used to film Cinerama. The image in the right is how the three films appear on the screen |
Film Gauge: 35mm
x 3 |
 |
| Cinerama 70mm: |
In the 1960's MGM produced films like Khartoum, Grand Prix and 2001: A Space Odyssey in 70mm Ultra Panavision for the Cinerama screens , also known as Super Cinerama. See Cinerama 70mm Film List. www.in70mm.com/news/2002/cinerama_1983/west_in_cinerama.htm
 |
Film Gauge: 70mm |
 |
| CinemaScope: |
Developed by Professor Henri Chretien and copyrighted by 20th Century Fox, the CinemaScope image was photographed on a standard 35mm film with an Anamorphic Lens. When projected in the cinema through another anamorphic lens, it produced a ratio of 2.35:1 and a screen size that was two and a half times the size of the conventional screen aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The Robe was the first film released with this new system by 20th Century Fox on the 16th September 1953. CinemaScope, or Panavision as it is now called, is the most common format shown in cinemas today. Several years later similar anamorphic systems were developed, WarnerScope 2.35:1 from Warner Bros, and SuperScope 2:1 from RKO. See CinemaScope Film List.
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| CinemaScope 55: |
20th Century Fox experimented with other anamorphic formats and in
1956 released Carousel which was originally shot on CinemaScope 55 using 55mm
film and reduced to anamorphic 35mm.
See CinemaScope 55 Film List.
|
Film Gauge: 55mm |
 |
| Dimension 150: |
Dimension 150 was developed over a period of several years by Dr, Richard Vetter and Carl Williams faculty members of the University of California. The system used several wide angle lens to produce a projected image on a 150 degrees screen. It was used in two productions, The Bible (1966) and Patton (1970).
 |
Film Gauge: 70mm |
 |
| Fearless SuperFilm: |
The Fearless Super Camera was designed by Ralph G. Fear in 1930 but was never used on a Feature Film, but it is was used for the early Todd AO cameras. It is thought that the first Ultra Panavision and MGM Camera 65 cameras were adapted from the Fearless Super Camera.
 |
Film Gauge:
65mm |
| Grandeur 70mm: |
Grandeur was introduced by Twentieth Century Fox in 1929 and filmed Song of my Heart and The Big Trail in 1930, These were the only films filmed in this format. Grandeur failed to get the industry to accept a change in the film gauge and was soon abandoned. Twentieth Century Fox quickly turned there effects to the Cinemascope process designed by Professor Henri Chretien. See Grandeur Film List
 |
Film Gauge: 70mm |
| Imax: |
The latest in big-screen entertainment came in the early 1970's called IMAX. The 70mm film is projected horizontally with a frame, three times the size of a standard 35mm. The Screens are 80 feet high, half the size of a football field and are designed to encompass your peripheral vision. Feature films like Star Wars Episode II Attack Of The Clones and Apollo 13 have been remastered to IMAX. See Imax Film List.
 |
Film Gauge:
70mm |
 |
| J-D-C Scope: |
The J-D-C Scope stands for the Joe Dunton Camera, and is still in use today.
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| Magnascope: |
In 1924 Paramount developed a widescreen format using the Magnafilm process developed by Lorenzo del Riccio of Magnascope, and in 1926 released Old Ironsides in black and white running 112 minutes produced in Magnascope.
 |
Film Gauge:
65mm |
| Matted 1.66:1 |
Paramount was the first to break away from the traditional 1.37:1 aspect ratio when they released the film Shane in 1953. Photographed conventionally, it was projected with the top and bottom masked to achieve a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Paramount established this aspect ratio for their conventional matted non anamorphic widescreen productions.
|
Film Gauge: 35mm Direction of travel: Vertical - four perforations - 24 fps Aperture Dimensions: 0.825" x .0.496" nominal Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 |
|
| Matted 1.85:1 |
Another aspect ratio was used by Universal and Columbia Pictures where they cropped the1.37 frame to an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. as can be seen in the film clip Jason and the Argonauts (1963).
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| Metroscope: |
See Metroscope Film List.
 |
Film Gauge: 70mm |
 |
| Natural Vision: |
Developed by: George K. Spoor and P John Berggren.
| Film Gauge:
63.5mm
|
| Panavision: |
See Panavision Film List
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| Realife 70mm: |
In 1930 the Realife70mm widescreen process was used by MGM to film Billy the Kid (1930).
 |
Film Gauge: 70mm |
| Shawscope: |
Shawscope is basically the Shaw's version of CinemaScope, it should not be confused with Panavision
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| Super 35mm: |
Super 35mm is a format designed to utilize the frame area of the film that is occupied by the optical sound track, utilizing more of the picture area. This process does not use anamorphic lenses, but rather the picture is framed to fit the ratio of the screen. The advantage is the ability to chose what aspect ratio to release the film in. Using an optical printer, the interpositive image is then contact-printed to produce an anamorphic Panavision, or standard Widescreen release. For a Television release the full Super 35mm frame can be used, reducing the need for Pan and Scan. James Cameron has used this format in many of his films, Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), True Lies (1999), Titanic (1999), It was also used by Ron Howard in the production of Apollo 13 (1995).
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
| Standard 1.33:1 | Widescreen 1.85:1 | Panavision 2.35:1 |
 |
 |
 |
| SuperScope: |
One year after 20th Century Fox set the widescreen revolution in motion with The Robe, RKO introduced SuperScope. This anamorphic process was developed by Joseph and Irving Tushinsky and had two variations, a 2:1 aspect ratio version and a 2.35:1 version that was compatible with CinemaScope, This process was created in the laboratory rather than the camera, it was used by other small studios and independent producers. In 1954 United Artists released Vera Cruz, and Allied Artist released Invasion of the Body Snatchers in SuperScope in 1956. It was not until 1955 that RKO released Underwater in SuperScope producing a screen image twice as wide as it was high. In 1956, RKO changed to CinemaScope when they released The Conqueror. In 1965 Allied Artist released Invasion of the Body Snatchers in SuperScope. See SuperScope Film List.
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| Super Panavision 70mm: |
In 1960 Otto Preminger's production of Exodus was the first major film produced and released in Super Panavision 70. A year before, in 1959, an independent film company produced The Big Fisherman. The Super Panavision 70 system was introduced by Panavision, Inc., from the development of the MGM Camera 65/Ultra Panavision 70 project and these systems were originally intended to be used to produce extremely high quality 35mm reductions. It was also referred to as Panavision 70, Super Panavision and Panavision Super 70. See Super Panavision-70 Film List.
|
Film Gauge: 70mm |
 |
| Super Technirama 70mm: |
Super Technirama 70 was a Todd-AO compatible 70mm format using optics developed by Panavision, Inc. In 1959 Walt Disney used this process in the production of his animated feature Sleeping Beauty. See Super Technirama-70 Film List.
|
Film Gauge: 70mm |
 |
| Techniscope: |
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
|
| Technovision: |
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
|
| Technirama 35mm: |
In the early 1950s Technicolor Corporation developed an anamorphic projection attachments called Delft's "Delrama" anamorphic system. The Technirama frame was very similar to VistaVision except that Technirama has an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and an optical soundtrack on top. See Technirama Film List.
|
Film Gauge: 35mm Direction of travel: horizontally - eight perforations - 24 fps Aperture Dimensions: 1.898" x .0.715" nominal Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 |
|
| Todd-AO: |
In the early 1950s producer Michael Todd, one of the original partners of Cinerama, played an important role in Hollywood's widescreen rush in the wake of TV competition. With movie mogul Joseph Schenck, he announced the formation of the Magna Corporation. Together they exploited the 65mm widescreen process and developed a system named Todd-AO. Todd-AO is a 70mm process with a ratio of 2.20:1 and six track magnetic stereophonic sound. It projected faster than the normal, at 30 frames per second rather then 24 frames per second, with the image five perforations high and an overall frame size of nearly 250% of standard 35mm. The optical system centered around the famous 12.7mm "Bugeye" lens that photographed an image 128 degrees wide. Todd-AO used 65mm film in their cameras but the negative was then printed onto 70mm positive stock. They added 2.5mm to each side of the film which allowed two magnetic tracks to be recorded on the left and right sides of the film outside the sprocket holes and one track each was recorded on either side of the image inside the sprocket holes. Their first production was Okalahoma released in 1955. See Todd-AO Film List.
|
Film Gauge: 70mm |
 |
| Todd-AO-35: |
See Todd-AO35 Film List
|
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| Ultra Panavision 70mm and MGM Camera 65: |
In 1956 Metro Goldwyn Mayer was planning a massive remake of their 1926 silent classic Ben Hur. Widescreen systems were still new and they drew audiences. MGM wanted to film Ben Hur in the best available system . MGM approached Robert Gottschalk, the president of Panavision, Inc., and asked him to design a system that did not suffer the distortions created by the anamorphic lens. The result was Camera 65 later changed to Ultra Panavision 70. See Ultra Panavision Film List.
|
Film Gauge: 70mm
|
 |
| Vitascope: |
In 1931 Warner Bros anticipating Cinemascope, VistaVision and other wide screen processes released Kismet and The Lash, photographed in 65mm Vitascope, using an interlocked Vitaphone soundtrack, this format had space to the left of the picture that was available for an optical soundtrack.
 |
Film Gauge: 65mm |
| VistaVision: |
Paramount Pictures were the only major studio that did not immediately embrace CinemaScope for use on its major productions. The studio preferred to stick with an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 but sought ways to improve overall picture clarity and definition on ever increasing screen sizes. John R. Bishop, head of Paramount's camera and film processing departments, acquired a William Fox "Natural Color" camera built in the late 1920s by the William P. Stein company. This camera exposed two frames of film at the same time through colour filters. Bishop cut out the separation between the two frames, rolled the camera over on its side and fitted it with Leica 35mm still camera lenses. This camera, dubbed the "Lazy-8" because it pulled the film across horizontally in 8 perforation frames, provided a total negative area 2.66 times greater than the conventional 35mm camera with a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. In 1954 Paramount released White Christmas the company's first film in this format which was their answer to CinemaScope. See VistaVision Film List.
|
Film Gauge: 35mm Direction of travel: horizontally - eight perforations - 24 fps Aperture Dimensions: 1.485" x .0.990" nominal Aspect Ratio: 1.6:1 |
 |
| WarnerScope: |
In 1952 Warner was determined not to be left behind in the battle of the widescreen and develop his own process with the Germany's Zeiss Optical Company for a system that would be call "WarnerScope" with the release of Santiago in 1956 also know as The Gun Runner. See WarnerScope Film List
 |
Film Gauge: 35mm Direction of travel: Vertical - four perforations - 24 fps Aperture Dimensions: 0.864" x 0.732" nominal Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 |
 |
| Widescreen 1.85:1 |
The aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is now the standard widescreen format in use today Cinemas, with Stereo Optical and Digital 5.1 Sound , as can be seen by the digital sound between the sprockets on the left hand side of the film.
 |
Film Gauge: 35mm |
 |
| New Formats: |
With the advent of Digital Media such as the Digital Versatile Disc, Digital Television, High-Definition Television (HDTV) and Digital Cinemas. Hollywood are looking at alterative way of producing Feature Films . In 2001 George Lucas made a bold move from the conventional 35mm film to HD Video when he shoot Star Wars Attack of the Clones entirely on High-Definition Video using the Sony CineAlta digital camera.
 |
On the left is an image on High Def Video with a masked aspect ratio of 2.35:1. On the right the same image transferred to 35mm Panavision 2.35:1, as would be used in the Cinema |  |
|
For further information on Film Formats visit the |
The Movie Frames on this
page are for demonstration purposes only and are in no way intended to infringe copyright. |
Large Screen Formats: |
- AgaScope—2.35:1 Sweden and Hungary.
- ArriScope—2.35:1 Arriflex Camera Corp.
- ArriVision—2.35:1 3-D
- Cinepanoramic—2.35:1 France
- CinemaScope—2.35:1, 2.66:1 and 2:55:1
- CinemaScope 55—CinemaScope using 55mm film (Carousel 1956)
- Cinerama—2.59:1, (How The West Was Won 1962)
- Cinescope—2.35:1 Italy
- Colorscope— AIP Studios
- Cromoscope—2.35:1 same as Techniscope
- Daiescope—2.35:1 Japan
- Dimension 150—2.7:1 70mm
- Duo-Vision—2.35:1 (in split-screen)
- Dyaliscope—2.35:1 France
- Euroscope—2.35:1
- Fearless—2.05:1 65mm
- Franscope—2.35:1 France
- Grandeur—2:1 70mm
- Grandscope—2.35:1 Japan
- Hammerscope—2.35:1 England. (Nightmare 1964)
- J-D-C Scope—2.35:1
- MCS 70 65mm (Modern Cinema System - Germany)
- Megascope—2.35:1 England. (Sword of Sherwood Forest 1960)
- Metroscope—1.66:1 to 2:1
- MGM Camera 65—2.75:1 70mm (Ben Hur 1959)
- Natural Vision—2:1 63.5mm
- Naturama—2.35:1 Republic Studios
- Nikkatsu Scope—2.35:1 Japan
- Panascope—2:1
- Panavision—2.35:1 (Tomorrow Never Dies 1997)
- Panoramic(a)—2.35:1 Italy
- Realife 65mm—2.13:1 (Billy the Kid 1939)
- Regalscope—2.35:1
- Scanoscope—2.35:1
- Shawscope—2.35:1 Hong Kong
- Sovscope—2.35:1 U.S.S.R.
- Space-Vision—2.35:1 (in 3-D)
- Spectrascope—2.35:1
- Superama—2.35:1
- SuperCinescope—2.35:1 Italy
- Superpanorama 70—2.2:1 in 70mm form from Europe
- Super Panavision 70—2.35 for 35mm prints, 2.2:1 for 70mm (Grand Prix 1966)
- Superscope—2:35:1 RKO (Underwater 1955)
- Super Technirama 70—2.2:1 in 70mm (Spartacus 1960)
- Super Techniscope—ranges from 1.85:1 to 2.35:1 ( the same as Super 35)
- Super 35—ranges from 1.85:1 to 2.35:1 (a variable screen-size process). (Aliens 1986, The Abyss 1989)
- SuperTotalscope—2.35:1 Italy
- System 35—ranges from 1.85:1 to 2:35:1
- Technirama—2.35:1
- Techniscope—2.35:1
- Technovision—2.35:1
- Todd-AO—2.2:1 (Oklahoma 1955, South Pacific 1958)
- Todd-AO 35—2.35:1 (Macbeth (1971)
- Toeiscope—2.35:1 Japan
- Tohoscope—2.35:1Japan
- Totalscope—2.35:1 Italy
- Totalvision—2.35:1 Italy
- Ultra Panavision 70—2.76:1 (It's A Mad Mad Mad World 1963)
- Ultrascope—2.35:1 Germany
- Vistarama—2.35:1
- Vistascope—2.35:1
- VistaVision—ranges from 1.66:2 to 2:1 (Vettigo 1958, North by Northwest 1958)
- Vitascope—2:1
- WarnerScope—2.35:1 Warner Bros. (The Gun Runner 1956)
- Warwickscope—2.35:1 England
CinemaScope First Films released in this format.
Panavision. First Films released in this format:
Techniscope Film List (in part)
Technovision Film List (in part)
Ultra Panavision Film List Camera 65 Film List
|
