...the hell?!

[ColonelColinCaine]

I've been noticing this in just about every movie by Columbia Pictures I see on t.v. I was watching Ghostbusters a few weeks ago, and I noticed that every time the camera moved to the right or the left, the screen just, I don't know, looked weird. It's almost like the camera didn't even move, but everything on the screen did.
I know that sounds weird, but my sister noticed it too. I've seen it in just about every Columbia film for the past couple of years. It's mainly in some of the older films, though I noticed the same thing a few years ago when I was watching (of all things) The Cable Guy.
Anyone out there know what the hell that is?

[This message has been edited by ColonelColinCaine (edited 09-11-2000).]

[ColonelColinCaine]

C'mon, someone has to know what the hell that is!

[QUENTIN]

I'm not sure the technical name...but I lovew the effect and it is the best thing about Cable Guy...

[retardinAz]

I know exactly what you are talking about. It is very weird but it is a very cool effect.

[the night watchman]

I think you are talking about "Pan & Scan." Most movies are filmed with an aspect ratio that is intended for a longer frame or screen. In other words, sometimes you will see a movie on TV that has been "letterboxed" or is presented in "widescreen" (they have the "black bars" across the top and bottom of the frame). Most DVDs are presented in such a format. What you are seeing then is the entire picture reduced to fit onto your TV screen. Since the film was made for a longer frame than your TV, the top and bottom "bars" are just empty spaces.
Well, some people don't like widescreen or letterboxing, because they can't shake the feeling that the top and bottom of the picture is being cut off. (This isn't the case. Like I said, you are actually seeing the whole image as the filmmakers intended it to be seen.) "Pan & Scan" is a way to get the image "full-frame" on your TV without loosing any important action that may take place on the extreme sides of the screen.
For example, if you watch a movie in a theater, an actor may walk from the right side of the screen to the left. Because the filmmakers anticipated a longer screen, the movement of the actor was contained, and the camera didn't need to movie to follow him to keep in in frame. When the movie is shown on TV in full-frame, however, the actor might be off-screen because of the shorter length of the TV screen. "Pan & Scan" moves the TV frame from one extreme to the other.

illustration:

Movie theater screen:
[ ]

TV screen:
[ ]

You can see how much image is lost when refitted for television. "Pan & Scan" simply moves the frame of the TV along the length of the theatrical frame, so none of the important images are lost, producing that strange effect you saw.

[the night watchman]

The illustration should have looked like this:

theater

[-----]

TV

[---]

[ColonelColinCaine]

Thanks night watchman. I figured it had something to do with pan and scan. But why is it only on movies from Columbia?

[Scarface]

The version of The Proffesional that i saw had a lot of this. I thought it was some special effect the director used but guess not. Thanks for the info!

[QUENTIN]

No I do not believe it has anything to do with aspect ratios. I noticed it in Cable Guy when I saw it in theaters, it is a similar effect that they use when the director has to switch for Pan & Scan (when Jules shoots "flock of seaguls" it does this) but I am almost certain it is not the same effect.

[Phydeault]

I guess too it was the "pan and scan" ...

The second URL is very good if you want to learn more about the film to video process. (with pictures ...)
http://www.philipwilliams.com/widescreen/panscan.htm

===> http://www.mgm.com/mgmhv/letterbox/letterbox2.html

BTW, it's not just made by Columbia. I don't know why you notice it more in their movies. I guess that the other companies try to avoid that odd effect unless it is needed.

Phydeault

[This message has been edited by Phydeault (edited 09-15-2000).]