Aspect Ratio
The correspondence between the height and width of a film is referred to as the aspect ratio. Aspect ratio is important to know in the formatting of film. In the 1940s and 50s, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts created a standard for aspect ratio of 1.33:1, which was later adopted by the National Television Standards Committee as well. This ratio indicates that the presentation of the film or show is 1.33 times as wide as it is high. As the years progress, the film industry began to experiment with newer formats in an effort to keep audience members interested in buying tickets. The following is a list of several well-used aspect ratios:
- Academy Flat- 1.85:1
- CinemaScope- 2.35:1
- European standard- 1.66:1
Back to Glossary
