Aspect Ratios - The Director's Vision

[Dotpattern]

Originally Posted by garyrc

But in a good theater (using my definition of "good") you have "Common Height," and the image gets bigger, not smaller, as you move from the old 1.37:1, through 1.85:1, to 2.40:1. So with the wider formats there is not more black space at the top and bottom of the screen ... all films would have the same black space at the top and bottom ... only the width would vary.

Well, that's the way it's supposed to be but I have been in theaters (recently) where they open up the screen at the top and bottom, not the sides, to display movies in 1.85.