Apple Final Cut Pro 5 - Manual (Page 1745)

394 Part V Appendixes
Why Shoot 16:9 Video?
There are three main reasons to shoot 16:9, or anamorphic, video.
Achieve a Cinematic Look
Even if you end up letterboxing your output for standard definition televisions, viewers
tend to associate the widescreen look with a cinematic feel. Using the widescreen
format also allows videomakers more room for creativity in their shot composition.
Keep Higher Resolution and Quality When Transferring to Film
Film and video have different aspect ratios: movie theaters generally project 35mm
film with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, while standard definition video is 4:3. Those who
shoot 4:3 video have to crop the top and bottom of the image to fit the video image in
the film frame, losing resolution and quality.
Videomakers shooting 16:9 can make higher resolution transfers by virtue of not having
to crop as many pixels (16:9 is still a bit narrower than the American film standard
1.85:1).
Transfer to High Definition Video
Videomakers who want to be able to upconvert their standard definition footage
should shoot using 16:9 anamorphic video.
16:9
1.85:1
2.0:1
70mm Film
35mm Film
Widescreen TV
Television
Lines of video lost
when cropping a
4:3 video to fit in
a 1.85:1 frame
A comparison
of aspect ratios
4:3