Masking: Difference between revisions

Although it is more rare some theaters have fixed-width screens in which case the visible screen size with the masking all the way open would be 1.85:1 and the top and bottom masking would close down for wider aspect ratios like 2.39:1 or 2.2:1. This is common in theaters built before the widescreen era that retained their original screen footprint (rather than installing a wider screener in front of the original front of house).

Although being able to only accommodate 1.85:1 "flat" and 2.39:1 "scope" works well for venues screening mostly new releases and older titles produced after the "widescreen chaos" era (so after the 1950s) American films, those committed to the proper presentation of films from any era, and any country, need more flexibility. They require masking systems that enable them to properly mask films of a wider variety of aspect ratios that span the entire history of cinema. While it's rare to encounter a venue operating today that has the masking, lenses, and aperture plates needed to accommodate every single aspect ratio, including those for both 35mm and [[70mm]], venues who routinely screen a wide variety of repertory titles will usually be able to accommodate 1.33:1 (for silent films), 1.37:1, and widescreen aspect ratios 1.85:1,1.66:1, and 2.39:1.