Why are old movies and videos are in a square frame and nowadays they are in a rectangle frame?
In: Technology
The oldest and earliest movies were done with at the time new equipment and often shot square or 4:3 (thats 4 wide by 3 high). This was due to the film they used and the screens they were shown on. Those classic silent films were generally 4:3, like almost all of them are 4:3. It was the nature of the equipment they used primarily.
Gradually more aspect ratios were introduced, and movies, for both practical (the film and screen they used) and artistic reason, started to move to much more wide than tall. Some common aspect ratios in movies became 2.39:1 and 2.35:1, 2:1, 1.85:1 (1.85:1 and 2.39:1 are most common) and others as techniques and film and screens evolved to be able to support more diverse ways to make and show a movie. Artistically, a wider screen is viewed as being more “cinematic” while a less wide screen is more “trapped”. Depending on the movie, you may want one or the other feeling. Many “epics” movies are shot very wide screen to feel more cinematic! Some crazy ones ae even stuff like 4:1
TV has a similar story, but the TV standard went from 4:3 to 16:9, which is significantly less than the movie ratios used which are now usually 2:39:1 or 1.85:1
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