1 The Director of Photography – an overview

Aspect ratios when shooting for television 195
Figure 21.7 A 4 � 3 Standard 17
telecine transfer from a Super 16
negative
Figure 21.8 An ‘ideal’ 14 � 9
composition
assume fiction will be transmitted 14 � 9, but might be persuaded to
transmit 16 � 9. It is important to recognize the word ‘deliver’ – things
will change as the UK goes over to digital 16 � 9; only then will we be
allowed to truly realize the artistic potential of the 16 � 9 format.
The important thing, therefore, is to establish in what aspect ratio
your primary transmission will be and in what other aspect ratios you
must deliver, and come to an agreed compromise before you start
shooting. A change of mind later can be both unpleasant to look at
and very expensive.
My own position is that I would prefer to make the best composition
for the primary transmission format – if this were 14 � 9, then
the composition would now look like Figure 21.8. But I would ask for
a budget to make a pan and scan transfer to any narrower format. I