More on the widescreen conversion

[B5JMS Poster]

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From: jry at pinn.net (Wingnut)
Date: 12 Nov 2000 23:23:17 -0700
Lines: 34

On 12 Nov 2000 10:44:51 -0700, xyzzy at grace.speakeasy.org (Trent Piepho) wrote:

>In article <3A0E7024.AEE0E9C9 at wanadoo.fr>,
>Patrick MARCEL  <manticor at wanadoo.fr> wrote:
>>Taum wrote:
>>> What gets me is that even with all the inside info you have, there is still no
>>> explanation for the current LTX snafu.
>>
>>> How did they get Season 1 right?
>
>What about the possibility that season 1 and season 2 were filmed differently.
>
>Most 1.66:1 films are shot flat with an open matte.  When they get released
>on video, you see a "full-frame" version, with extra picture on the bottom
>(and top, but less).  The widescreen version show in theaters has less image
>in fact.  Well, maybe B5 season 2 was shot the same way.  What we saw
>before was the full frame, and this 16:9 version has the bottom cropped off.

No, was stated long before any widescreen form of Babylon 5 that all of Babylon
5 (save The Gathering) was shot in anamorphic widescreen, and the sides cut off
for the 4:3 version.  Babylonian production was careful to film so that there
wasn't any action in the parts of the frame to be clipped. Though with Babylon
Squared, they went a little too far and shot one of the crew members in the area
that was cropped for small-screen.


Wingnut

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GCS d- s-:+ a--- C++ ULS P L+ E---- W+ N++ !o K- w(---) O-- M- V?
PS++ PE-- Y+ PGP- t-- 5+++ X- R tv b DI+ D+ G e>++ h! r--- y--
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 13 Nov 2000 00:13:39 -0700
Lines: 30

I expect that we will have some kind of resolution on this situation next week.
 I've been in discussions with several people from the technical division at
SFC, giving them the information they need to backtrack with WB and figure out
what happened.  They had no idea there was a problem until several second
season eps had aired because there was no reason to do any kind of check
against the regular aspect ratio episodes since all of season 1 was correct.

We know they're ALL in widescreen in PAL format because we worked closely with
WB to ensure they were all fully conformed when B5 was completed.  And a number
of us visited WB technical ops and also went to Laser Pacific to view eps from
two later seasons during season 5.  (We made the field trip so we could
evaluate how the cgi comps were transferring to PAL in order to make some minor
adjustments to color value balance in future comps, which sometimes showed line
trading.  And I received confirmation from WB at that time that they were
finishing up the last of the widescreen deliveries.)

Anyway, as stated we should have some reading on this next week.


 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2000 by
synthetic worlds, ltd., permission
to reprint specifically denied to
SFX Magazine)




-***
-*** B5JMS SUBSCRIBERS: Replies to messages go to the list maintainer,
-*** <b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu>.  If you want to reply elsewhere, adjust
-*** the "To" field.  See http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~ezk/b5jms/ for all
-*** other information about this list.