HugoRBMarques t1_iy35s2q wrote
Reply to comment by AlanMorlock in Dune IMAX by kjoro
According to this video, the sourcing of the ultra-wide version from the 4:3 IMAX version was not done with "digitally adding sides to the image".
That process would not make any sense anyway. Why spend time and resources to add CGI to the sides of the screen, if you can just film the shot you want in ultrawide with IMAX cameras and crop out the top and bottom sections you don't want for the theatrical ultra-wide release, release the full picture in IMAX and spend all the CGI budget refining the effects so they look as realistic as possible?
cupofteaonme t1_iy39gky wrote
That video only has the shots in it that were made available in a couple of IMAX teasers and a VFX real. People involved in the film have already explained that while most of the IMAX shots were just done by shooting at the 4:3ish ratio, there are also some shots that were extended on the sides for the widescreen version, along with some shots where objects in the frame were moved around digitally to better fit the framing for each format.
HugoRBMarques t1_iy3t4qs wrote
That's interesting. It makes sense to move objects around to fit the framing on both formats, and makes me less sad that I'm not getting the most visual information possible.
I mean, I was sad that there were some shots that the 4:3 worked so much better, like the circular rotating ceiling door opening up, or the shot from the balcony above overviewing the spice harvester carriers with the baloons (there's a whole ship missing in ultra-wide) or the shot of Paul being pulled by Gurney into the thopter while the sandworm swallows the harvester in the background.
cupofteaonme t1_iy3u7ob wrote
Yeah, the way I tend to think about it, especially in the case of Dune, is that it was specifically design for two aspect ratios (and a third technically in between). So with the scope ratio I’m not actually missing anything per se, I’m just seeing the image Villeneuve intended for the majority of screening venues, including at home. I can be confident that he composed the images to work well in that aspect ratio, and they do.
Meanwhile, the 1.43:1 ratio shots were designed both for that ratio, but also for viewing that ratio on the IMAX-sized screen, and I can respect deciding not to expand it for the home video version.
What’s too bad is that the 1.43:1 version is not made available for us to see at home how those images were composed. I wish we could get that version, even just as an extra. I know there was a Dark Knight trilogy box set that had a special feature with all the IMAX footage full frame, and I’d happily take something like that for movies like Dune, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Tenet, etc.
HugoRBMarques t1_iy4kqux wrote
Full agree. It's just another version. Why not let the consumer choose how to watch your media, if you have options available?
I'd also be pretty happy with the 16:9 IMAX version. Same with Blade Runner 2049.
AlanMorlock t1_iy3re0h wrote
The Imax versions isn't the wider image. What you describe is indeed the more typical approach but wasn't the approach they used in several shots in Dune. I'll try to find some dirrct comparison and vfx reels but in a presentation I attended with thr layout supervisor, and in other reels I've seen, they explained how with the way certain shots were framed in IMAx, there wasn't a good way to crop it down and so they did indeed commit resources to creating more imagery to create the less square aspect ratio versions.
HugoRBMarques t1_iy3s2mt wrote
Please do. I'm interested to hear more. Also, did you work in the production of this film, or in something related to it in any way?
AlanMorlock t1_iy4gtm1 wrote
No. I attended an animation conference at Webster University last Spring. One of the the presenters was Kristin Pratt, formerly of DNEG who served as the layout supervisor on Dune.
HugoRBMarques t1_iy4l140 wrote
DNEG also appears as a logo on the video I posted. Interesting.
But do you work or are studying filmmaking or animation?
AlanMorlock t1_iy4igb1 wrote
https://youtu.be/UARrOsNPviA in this video, around the 47 minute mark they cover their "mega frame" techninique of rendering more of the image to the sides to create the non imax versions of the shot when Villeneuvr wasn't haply with the traditional cropping approach.
HugoRBMarques t1_iy4lsjk wrote
Thank you so much. I'll eat my words, you were right.
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