Tillie Doyle
Pan and scan is a technique used to reformat movies with widescreen aspect ratios to fit the 4:3 aspect ratio of standard television screens. This technique involves panning and cropping the original image to fit the smaller screen, often resulting in the loss of up to half of the original image. While pan and scan can provide a full-screen image without the black bars of letterboxing, it has been criticized for altering the director's original vision and removing important visual information. With the rise of widescreen TVs and consumer awareness of aspect ratios, pan and scan has become less common, but its legacy continues to impact how films are viewed and distributed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio of television sets when first created | 1.33:1 or 4:3 |
| Aspect ratio of widescreen TVs in the 1950s | 2.35:1 (CinemaScope) and 1.85:1 (VistaVision) |
| Aspect ratio of films before 1960 | 4:3 |
| Aspect ratio of films in the early-to-mid 1950s | 2.55:1 |
| Aspect ratio of films in the 1970s and 1980s | 2.76:1 |
| Aspect ratio of widescreen TV sets receiving digital broadcasts | 16:9 |
| Aspect ratio of films in the 1950s | 1.33:1 or 4:3 |
| Aspect ratio of films in the 1970s and 1980s | Wider than 4:3 |
| Aspect ratio of DVDs | 16:9 |
| Aspect ratio of VHS tapes | 4:3 |
| Aspect ratio of LaserDiscs | Limited formats in the 1970s and 1980s |
| Aspect ratio of BetaMax tapes | 4:3 |
| Aspect ratio of TVs in the late 1990s | 4:3 |
| Aspect ratio of films in the 2000s | Original ratios |
| Aspect ratio of HD DVDs and Blu-rays in the mid-2000s | 16:9 |
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What You'll Learn
The history of pan and scan
In the early days of television, the standard aspect ratio for TV screens was 4:3, which was also the standard for most theatrical films before 1960. However, as television became more popular, filmmakers sought to differentiate the cinematic experience and attract audiences back to the theatres. They did this by adopting widescreen formats such as CinemaScope and Todd-AO in the early to mid-1950s, which provided a much wider aspect ratio, often twice as wide as a TV screen.
This posed a problem for television broadcasters who wanted to show these widescreen films. The two main techniques available to them were "letterboxing" and "pan and scan". Letterboxing preserved the original widescreen aspect ratio but resulted in black bars at the top and bottom of the TV screen, reducing the image size and quality. Pan and scan, on the other hand, filled the entire TV screen but cropped the sides of the original widescreen image, resulting in the loss of up to half of the original image.
For decades, pan and scan was widely used, especially for VHS tapes and television broadcasts. It was a compromise that allowed people to watch widescreen films on their boxy 4:3 TVs at home. However, it was also widely criticized as it altered the director's original vision, removed important visual information, and changed the pacing and atmosphere of the film.
With the introduction of new technologies such as HDTV, Blu-ray, and widescreen televisions with 16:9 aspect ratios in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the use of pan and scan began to decline. These new formats could more easily accommodate different aspect ratios, making pan and scan largely obsolete. Today, pan and scan is mostly remembered as a relic of a bygone era, criticized as an abomination and the worst idea in movie history.
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How pan and scan works
The pan and scan technique is a film editing process used to modify widescreen images for display on a fullscreen screen. It involves cropping the sides of the original widescreen image and panning across it when the shot's focus changes. This technique was commonly used with VHS tapes before widescreen home media formats such as LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-ray became popular.
During the pan and scan process, an editor selects the parts of the original filmed composition that appear to be the focus of the shot and ensures that these are copied ("scanned"). When the important action shifts to a new position in the frame, the operator moves the scanner to follow it, creating the effect of panning. This method preserves the maximum resolution of the image since it uses all the available vertical video scan lines, especially important for NTSC televisions, which have fewer lines than other standards.
The widescreen format became popular in the 1950s with formats such as CinemaScope and Todd-AO, providing audiences with experiences they couldn't have at home. However, most television sets at the time had a 4:3 aspect ratio, so films had to be modified to fit this format. This modification involved cropping and stretching the image to fit the screen, resulting in the removal of substantial portions of the original image, sometimes up to half of its horizontal size.
The pan and scan technique has been widely criticised for altering the director's original vision and depriving the audience of significant visual information. It can also impact the pacing, atmosphere, and suspense of a film. In the 2000s, with the rise of DVDs and widescreen televisions, the use of pan and scan began to decline as viewers could choose their preferred aspect ratio.
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The drawbacks of pan and scan
The film editing technique of pan and scan has been widely criticised since its inception. Here are some of the drawbacks of the technique:
Loss of Key Visual Elements
The cropping of the original widescreen image can result in the loss of key visual elements, with up to 52% of the original image being removed. This can include significant details or changes to the field of view, impacting the pacing, atmosphere, and suspense originally intended by filmmakers. For example, in the film Oliver!, the audience sees Oliver's reaction as a murder is being committed, but not when the murderer steps backward from the wall after committing the act.
Altered Camera Movement
Pan and scan can change the nature of the camera movement within a scene. It can change a shot where the camera was originally stationary to one with frequent panning, or change a single continuous shot into one with frequent cuts. This can be jarring for viewers and alter the timing of when new elements appear on screen.
Inconsistent Aspect Ratios
The use of pan and scan can lead to inconsistencies in the aspect ratio of a film or TV show. This can be problematic when content is released on different formats, such as VHS or DVD, or streamed on platforms with varying aspect ratio requirements. The process of pillarboxing (adding black bars on the sides) or letterboxing (adding black space above and below the image) has been used to address this issue and maintain the original aspect ratio.
Impact on Filmmaking Techniques
The knowledge of pan and scan techniques has influenced filmmaking practices. Directors may adopt techniques such as shooting in an Open Matte format, where the film is shot in a full-frame aspect ratio but designed to be cropped for a widescreen format. This allows for flexibility in screening formats while maintaining the integrity of the original composition.
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Pan and scan in modern times
The pan and scan technique was developed to accommodate the wider aspect ratio of films on television screens. It involves cropping the sides of the original widescreen image and panning across it when the shot's focus changes. This technique was commonly used with VHS tapes before widescreen formats such as DVD and Blu-ray became popular.
While pan and scan helped maintain image quality and size on television screens, it often removed substantial portions of the original image, resulting in the loss of key visual elements. This could alter the director's original vision and impact the pacing, atmosphere, and suspense they intended to create. For instance, in a tap-dance scene, the dancer's feet may be cut off, or a character may seem to be speaking off-screen due to the cropping.
With the introduction of DVDs and the increasing popularity of widescreen TVs, the use of pan and scan declined. DVDs allowed consumers to choose between different aspect ratios, and widescreen TVs could comfortably display various ratios in a single frame. Today, pan and scan is rarely used, and films are more commonly presented in their original ratios or with minimal cropping or letterboxing.
However, the legacy of pan and scan still influences modern viewing experiences. Some streaming platforms and channels continue to crop and stretch images to fill widescreens, despite criticism from filmmakers and viewers. Filmmakers have embraced widescreen formats as a way to enhance storytelling and provide a more immersive experience for viewers. As a result, modern viewers now expect to see films as they were intended, with the understanding that black bars on the sides or top and bottom of the screen are acceptable compromises to preserve the original aspect ratio.
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Alternatives to pan and scan
The need for pan and scan has decreased in recent years as most modern televisions and display devices are already widescreen and have a 16:9 aspect ratio. These displays can naturally accommodate most widescreen films with minimal or no black bars. Viewers are now accustomed to letterboxing, and many even prefer seeing the original, unaltered composition. Streaming services and Blu-ray releases usually present films in their original formats.
Preserving original aspect ratios is now the standard industry practice. Thus, pan and scan is mostly a relic today, representing past technical limitations and viewing preferences. It was a widespread technical compromise for older screen technologies, but it often distorted or diminished the filmmaker's original vision and storytelling.
One modern alternative to pan and scan is to adjust the source material directly. Another alternative compromise that was popular for television around the turn of the millennium and in the 2010s is "shoot and protect". This technique involves framing important details within a 4:3 "safe area" in the middle of a 16:9 image. This allows the final product to be watchable when center-cropped to 4:3, but with the creative limitation that a shot's focus can't stray too far from the middle of the frame.
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Frequently asked questions
Pan and scan is a technique used to reformat movies with widescreen aspect ratios to fit the 4:3 aspect ratio of standard TV screens. This involves a technician moving a standard definition viewing window horizontally across the wide image to capture the most important parts of the scene.
Pan and scan was introduced to avoid displaying black bars at the top and bottom of the screen when playing widescreen movies on standard TVs. Without this technique, viewers would see black spaces instead of a full screen of images.
Pan and scan can remove up to 52% of the original image, including important artistic elements and visual information. It can also alter the timing of shots and the original vision of the director or cinematographer.
Pan and scan is less common now that widescreen TVs are more prevalent and viewers can comfortably watch various aspect ratios in a single frame. However, it is still used on some channels and sites, such as Amazon and FX.
