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Why 16:9 for online video?
This might be another stupid question but…
Let’s say I shoot a film in any of the common aspect ratios such as 2.35:1 or 1.85:1. Then, why do some film festivals require the film to be sent in 1920×1080 for viewing? Wouldn’t 1998×1080 or even 2048×858 play correctly on a computer no matter what the aspect ratio is? Like if I exported a 2:1 video in 2054×1024, wouldn’t that play just as fine instead of having to shrink it into 1920×1080 with a letterbox?
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4 Replies
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I am guessing to avoid playback issues. 1920×1080 is a standard format.
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If you’re talking specifically about film festivals, I’m sure they have a specific projection/screening system and 1080 HD is very common and most people can present content that way. Or, perhaps they will do 4K. But, always good to have a 1080 HD version on you just in case. Some small festivals may just loop a playlist from Vimeo or YouTube, and again I’m sure to keep things the same with a common format.
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I frequently attend film festival. And they don’t want any surprises when it comes to formats/resolutions.
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But why does 1920×1080 have to be the standard format though? Yeah, I know that’s 16:9 and the size of most TV and computer monitors. But wouldn’t any aspect ratio automatically fit on most video players on any monitor? Like why export a video in 1920×1080 if you shot the film for 2048×858? Wouldn’t exporting the video in the latter aspect ratio for both online and projection suffice? I’m thinking the festival could just ask for a maximum file size instead?
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