ATTN JMS: Widescreen Cost Effects

[b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu]

Subject: ATTN JMS: Widescreen Cost Effects
 No.   DATE           FROM
-----+-------------+--------------------------------------------------
+  1: Apr  6, 1996: paron at uiuc.edu (Dean Paron)
+  4: Apr  6, 1996: jimmy at peter.com (Jimmy Aitken)
*  5: Apr  6, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

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From: paron at uiuc.edu (Dean Paron)
Lines: 14

JMS,

	It is my understanding that, with the exception of the pilot, B5 is
filmed in widescreen format;  episodes are then cropped to standard TV
size.  While I can appreciate the beauty and grandeur that widescreen
provides, I wonder if it also inflates B5's special effects, or
filming budgets.  It seems very unlikely that widescreen episodes will
ever be broadcast in the U.S.   Video cassettes and laserdisc --
should they be produced -- seem the only outlet for the widescreen
format.  Do other benefits exist for widescreen?

Thank you,
Dean Paron


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From: jimmy at peter.com (Jimmy Aitken)
Lines: 21

In article <corteseDpFCKs.K6M at netcom.com>,
Janis Maria C. C. Cortese <cortese at netcom.com> wrote:
>
>This is a sticking point for me as well but for another reason.  How the
>HELL does a director frame a shot for TWO different aspect ratios?!
>

I think James Cameron designs his shots for pan and scan as well as
letterbox.  There was a programme that I saw which showed him putting
together a shot for the two versions of "The Abyss" when it was
released on video.  I think it was "Film 9[0-5]" in the U.K.

Cheers,
Jimmy
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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 16

"It is my understanding that, with the exception of the pilot, B5 is
filmed in widescreen format;  episodes are then cropped to standard TV
size.  While I can appreciate the beauty and grandeur that widescreen
provides, I wonder if it also inflates B5's special effects, or
filming budgets."

Negative.  You have a *slightly* higher cost per foot for film stock, but
that's fairly minimal.  Once it's in the camera, it's no more expensive
than anything else.  The only cost factor comes in once somebody decides
to re-telecine all the film stock *back* to that format.  But that's a
one-time price.


 jms


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