Explain how the fixed frame of a movie screen affects the way a director shoots a particular object or scene. What are some of the challenges presented by the constant size of the movie frame?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. In the traditional visual arts, frame dimensions are governed by the nature of the subject matter. Thus, a painting of a skyscraper is likely to be vertical in shape and would be framed accordingly. A vast panoramic scene would probably be more horizontal in its dimensions. But in movies, the frame ratio is standardized and isn’t necessarily governed by the nature of the materials being photographed.
2. The constant size of the movie frame is especially hard to overcome in vertical compositions. A sense of height must be conveyed in spite of the dominantly horizontal shape of the screen.
3. One method of overcoming the problem is through masking. In Intolerance, for example, D. W. Griffith blocked out portions of his images through the use of black masks. These in effect connected the darkened portions of the screen with the darkness of the auditorium.
4. To emphasize the steep fall of a soldier from a wall, the sides of the image were masked out. To stress the vast horizon of a location, Griffith masked out the lower third of the image—thus creating a widescreen effect.