The Filmmaker's Guide to Final Cut Pro Workflow

Appendix 6

Aspect Ratios, Anamorphic Image, and Wide-screen

One of the earliest decisions you need to make before production is the aspect ratio of the finished project. There are several ways to make a motion picture wide-screen. Most film frames are one and one-third times wider than they are tall. This is an aspect ratio of 1.33 : 1. This is often called onethree-three. Another way of expressing this aspect is 4 × 3, in other words, four units wide for every three units high. This was the aspect ratio for the first forty years of motion pictures and has been the standard for television until recently. The easiest way to make the picture wider is to mask off some of the top and bottom. Wide-screen has become popular and today the average film ...