How to shoot with a 2.4:1 "cinemascope" aspect ratio

[Peter Evans]

This is an age old photographer/cinematographer method of getting correct framing, but not everybody knows about it.

In post-processing, there are various ways to crop your footage to get a 2.4:1 aspect ratio, producing a great 'Cinemascope' look. How this is achieved will depend on the software you're using.

But how do you shoot the footage so that you don't inadvertently lose important top or bottom sections of the image when you come to crop in post-process? Well, you could guess it and just leave yourself plenty of room, but the best way is to shoot using a frame.

I've made one for my Black Pearl using a 20 cm length of black electrician's tape from which I've cut two 5mm wide strips (apx) using a Stanley knife. I then stuck the strips over my BP screen leaving a 6.4 cm gap centred between the two strips. Using thin strips like this means that I can still see all the important data from my iOSD-mini.

So, when I want to produce something that I plan to show in Cinemascope format, I just make sure that the image I want my audience to see fits between those two lines. And when I don't, I just ignore them and use the whole screen

 

[Pull_Up]

Simple solutions are the best! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Peter Evans]

Yes, there's a photography dictum that says, "The best piece of equipment is the one that does the job" - something I'm always hammering home to my students.

Actually, I took a little more time and care yesterday and found I could get the width down to 2mm

 

[4wd]

You could almost get away with two large elastic bands, good idea anyway.
Maybe a mark a dot each side for the correct spot.

 

[Peter Evans]

You could almost get away with two large elastic bands, good idea anyway.
Maybe a mark a dot each side for the correct spot.

Yes I tried that too but the bands moved every time I put the monitor into the case. But 'Duh!' you're right! Two dabs of nail polish or correcting fluid on each side would solve that problem and save having the sticky surface of the electrician's tape permanently against the screen. I shall do that right now!

 

[STAINLESS]

Genius

(patent pending)