Viewfinders

Do viewers at the cinema or at home ever really see the image intended by the director, or what the cameraman saw through his viewfinder? Increasingly, not only the size of an image but also its relative dimensions are tampered with. An image's aspect ratio is a comparison of its width to its height. The exact dimensions aren't important, as long as the ratio remains the same. The term is most commonly used with reference to graphic images, cinema, computer displays, paper sizes, photo prints, business cards, pixel ratios etc. As there usually are multiple aspect ratios, this places burdens on film makers and consumers, and causes confusion amongst TV broadcasters. For many artists, however, aspect ratio should not be determined by the constraints of the technology or medium, but by the content of the story. From early 20th century directors such as D.W. Griffith to the Itchy and Scratchy sketch in The Simpsons Movie, playing with aspect ratio can convey important aesthetic meaning.
Presenting a wide-ranging selection of trailers and stills from film archives, Ronald Simons and Mark-Paul Meyer question the extent to which the size of an image still matters. Film professionals will join the discussion, which will also comprise some special appearances and screenings from festival guests.
This programme is a coproduction with the NFM (Dutch Film Archive).