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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Anamorphic lenses cropped to 16:9?

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David Wyatt

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Possibly a bit crazy but has anyone shot with anamorphic lenses and cropped the final image to 16:9 rather than 2:40 (i.e. so the cropped 16:9 image fully fills a 16:9 screen, no black bars like you'd get with 2:40)? This is for a project where the anamorphic "look" (bokeh, flares, DOF characteristics etc) would be perfect for the look & feel/atmosphere, but the final aspect ratio has to be 16:9 rather than 2:40. Don't know if that makes any sense...is this a case of anamorphic love gone too far :001_rolleyes:
 
Not sure exactly what the math would be but you would need to set yourself up with a custom guide close to 4:3 I would assume in 4k Ana mode to frame correctly for scaling the clip into a 16:9 frame rather than 2.40. It's doable though with a little trial and error and post work. Give it a shot.
 
With some HAWKS from Vantage Film on the RED, the anamorphic is on a new level. These lenses are insanely sharp, have little distortion, and the "feel" ... well... jaw-dropping.

I just loved them on the REDs.

Interestingly, Vantage has anamorphic with a 1.3x squeeze, instead of 2x. If you are tempted to go that way, have a second look. The squeeze is "less" than the anamorphic, you sorta feel, that there is something not quite there, that there is something missing.
And since with anamorphic we are in the domain of feel, rather than common sense, I would advise against those lenses, and rather go for the "full deal".

Of course, you have to be a fan of anamorphic in the first place and understand the drawbacks... Very shallow DOF, very big and heavy lenses, lower speed, need of larger sets, more light equipment, more money on 1stAC.... but it seems you know all that...

There is no such thing as "too much anamorphic love", in my opinion. If I would have this option as a filmmaker, the look would make sense for the project ... there is no technical limit, why not to do it.

It's the RED world. Nothing is impossible :emote_popcorn::beer:
 
mikeburton said:
Not sure exactly what the math would be but you would need to set yourself up with a custom guide close to 4:3 I would assume in 4k Ana mode to frame correctly for scaling the clip into a 16:9 frame rather than 2.40. It's doable though with a little trial and error and post work. Give it a shot.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Mike - that's the tricky part (custom frame line) - I guess I could shoot a frame leader to make sure (haven't shot one of those for a while!)
 
Jonas said:
With some HAWKS from Vantage Film on the RED, the anamorphic is on a new level. These lenses are insanely sharp, have little distortion, and the "feel" ... well... jaw-dropping.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Jonas - those Hawks are definitely on my radar for the future (for this project I think we've got the Crystal Express lenses available to us).
 
Jeff Brown said:
Hi David

I worked on this Saturdays Promo on Hawks a while back for that very reason (lense chracteristics).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YTJoY3Q4yA

The offline I saw and the TV output was cropped to 16:9 although this you tube one is only cropped to 2:1...

Cheers

Jeff Brown


Brownian Motion
Click to expand...

Nice promo, Jeff!! Good to know others are cropping 2:40 to 16:9 - just have to find out the dimensions now :thumbup1:
 
David Wyatt said:
Thanks, Mike - that's the tricky part (custom frame line) - I guess I could shoot a frame leader to make sure (haven't shot one of those for a while!)
Click to expand...

I didn't do a scientific method of testing and calculating but what i did do is put up a 4:3 guide in REDCINE on the 2.40 aspect ratio anamorphic shot with RED 4k ana mode. I eyeballed the edge of the 4;3 guide frame then scaled the image to the full 16:9 frame. I would say that the 4:3 guide applied to the 2.40 4k ana frame would be almost an accurate guide to frame your composition for a 16:9 scale of the 2.40 ana image. I would say there is just a tiny amount inside the 4;3 guide that will still get cut off but very little. With a little trial and error you could figure out exactly the ratio and set up the custom guide in camera.

In other words, setup on the RED a 4K ana frame, apply a 4:3 guide and use the 4:3 guide as your framing reference. The edge of that 4:3 guide on both sides of the frame will be the edge of your frame (give a tiny room just inside the 4:3 guide to be safe) once scaled to fit a 16:9 frame in REDCINE later on.
 
David Wyatt said:
Possibly a bit crazy but has anyone shot with anamorphic lenses and cropped the final image to 16:9 rather than 2:40 (i.e. so the cropped 16:9 image fully fills a 16:9 screen, no black bars like you'd get with 2:40)? This is for a project where the anamorphic "look" (bokeh, flares, DOF characteristics etc) would be perfect for the look & feel/atmosphere, but the final aspect ratio has to be 16:9 rather than 2:40. Don't know if that makes any sense...is this a case of anamorphic love gone too far :001_rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Rodrigo Prieto did just that on "Babel" for the sequences shot in Japan. Though, instead of cropping for 1.77 it was cropped to 1.85. He talks about it in the November 2006 American Cinematographer article.
 
David Wyatt said:
Thanks, Jonas - those Hawks are definitely on my radar for the future (for this project I think we've got the Crystal Express lenses available to us).
Click to expand...

I have a very good relationship with Vantage Prague. We did test the new 1.6x anamorphic on the REDs, and also the latest generations of the 2x anamorphic.

Let me know, if you need a demo or something... Prague is wonderful this time of year. :emote_popcorn::emote_popcorn:
 
Dizzee Rascal "Holiday" which is at number 1 in the UK charts was shot on my Red cameras in Ibiza using Crystal Express anamorphics.
 
I saw a video on Vimeo recently that I know was Red One/Lomo Anamorphics, and I believe it was cropped to 16:9. The video was Cassie Davis' Do It Again.

I'd post a link, but either China has blocked Vimeo, or my internet connection is being rascally.

And if it's not 16:9...it's fun to watch.
 
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