Parallax Dreams

Aspect Ratios and Why I’m Tired of 16:9

Dean — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:13:18 +0000

I’m sick of the 16:9 (1.77:1) screen ratio that’s so prevalent these days. Is that a strange opinion to have? Probably. So what if our new TVs and monitors all have a 1.77:1 aspect ratio? Do we need to shoot everything to match it? (Of course, our cameras by default shoot in that ratio for us.) There’s a kind of visual laziness creeping in everywhere I look.

Let’s turn to motion pictures for a moment. Directors and cinematographers work together to choose the best shooting format for a particular project. Some prefer certain formats over others. (For example, all of John Carpenter’s films are shot in Panavision, an anamorphic format that results in a roughly 2.40:1 aspect ratio.)

It used to be that anything that was shot wider than 4:3 (the old analog television ratio) seemed more “cinematic”, but now with the abundance of high definition footage floating around the Internet, it seems that even 16:9 is becoming visually boring.

As you look at the movie stills included in this post, you’ll notice that they are all in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio. It is my opinion that this ratio provides the greatest opportunity for “visual storytelling” in a single frame, although I can’t tell you why I think that. What I do know is that my next project will be shot 2.40:1. If I had an unlimited amount of money (or just a really high limit), I’d shoot it with anamorphic lenses, but that’s not realistic for now.

So the next time you watch a video, whether on YouTube or through Netflix, take a moment to determine its aspect ratio. If you’re a filmmaker or photographer, stop to question why you’re shooting in a particular ratio. Is it deliberate, or just convenient?

That night, a clear evening sky

Dean — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 03:30:43 +0000

My next project, That night, a clear evening sky will go live on December 16th. Make sure you check it out next month at www.that-night.com. In the meantime, here is a special preview image:

Now Online: Adrift

Dean — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:10:49 +0000

At long last the photo project censored by Apple comes to the web! (It spent 8 hours on the App Store before it was pulled.) Adrift is the story of a young woman who is lured out of her shell by a mysterious event.

Midori

Dean — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:02:27 +0000

Midori is the title of my latest project. Treat the photo below as a (very) brief preview. More to come.

Project M Progress

Dean — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:31:17 +0000

Everything for Project M has been shot, and now I’m in the editing phase. Almost there!

Special thanks to Bella Coffee (929 Maple Street, Carrollton, GA) for allowing me to use their location for some of the shots.

Nearly There

Dean — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:57:27 +0000

Everything is coming together for Project M now. Shooting will be complete before Christmas. I have lots of last minute planning details to arrange over the next week or so. Good thing I am skipping Thanksgiving this year.

Lisa Furukawa

Dean — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:40:35 +0000

I’ve got a photo shoot coming up later this evening for a local band, so I’ve been thinking about music a lot today. Last weekend, I got the chance to see Lisa Furukawa perform at JapanFest. She was really amazing, and I manged to pick up a signed CD after her show. Check out her official site for more information.

(Note: Photo taken from her website.)

Kana Handel

Dean — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:21:55 +0000

I have a couple of photo shoots coming up. In the meantime, I wanted to share the website of an artist I met at JapanFest over the weekend. Kana Handel’s work comes from her interpretation of sumi-e (Japanese ink painting). Check out her website at www.kanasarts.com.

Understated Opening

Dean — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:22:52 +0000

Welcome to the new site. From here, you can access my portfolio and recent projects, and contact me to respond to notices I’ve posted about needs for current projects.