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#The Return of the 4:3 Aspect Ratio

#The Return of the 4:3 Aspect Ratio

     <span class="mx-1">You know what they say: it’s hip to be square.</span>
</p><div id=""><figure class="sf-entry-featured-media "><img width="800" height="599" src="https://filmschoolrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/First_Reformed.jpeg" class="articlethumb wp-post-image" alt="First Reformed 4:3 aspect ratio" loading="lazy" srcset="https://filmschoolrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/First_Reformed.jpeg 800w, https://filmschoolrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/First_Reformed-768x575.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"/><p>
                    <span class="sf-entry-flag sf-entry-flag-creditline">A24</span>

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        By Meg Shields · Published on October 15th, 2021 
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    <em>Welcome to The Queue — your daily distraction of curated video content sourced from across the web. Today, we’re watching a video essay on what makes the aspect ratio 4:3 so visually appealing.</em>

First off, for all my fellow number-challenged folks out there, I hear you: memorizing aspect ratios is tough. So before we go any further, let’s stop and make sure we’re all on the same page. Aspect ratios use two numbers separated by a colon to describe the width (the first number) and height (the second number) of a screen or image.

The aspect ratio of 1.33:1 means that the width of the image in question is 1.33 times the size of its height. Because decimals are confusing, you can write the 1.33:1 as 4:3 instead. It’s the same ratio, just multiplied by three.

The earliest films were presented in a 4:3 ratio. And until the invention of wider formats, 4:3 was the standard definition on television sets. All to say, until new technology came about, 4:3 wasn’t an artistic choice. It was the only way to shoot a movie.

Today, 4:3 is no longer a restrictive standard but a distinct, purposeful choice. And in a cinematic landscape that seemingly keeps getting bigger and bigger in scope (cough Dune cough), the intimacy, intention, and specificity of 4:3 create a fascinating opposition to the expansionist trend in blockbuster filmmaking.

And as the following video essay suggests, the recent revival of 4:3 is much more than a visual trend for stylish arthouse types or an aesthetic marker for period pieces. Rather, it is an intentional storytelling decision that can tell us a lot about the cinematic lay of the land.

Watch “Why 4:3 Looks So Good”:


Who made this?

This video on the visual appeal of the 4:3 aspect ratio is by Karsten Runquist, a Chicago-based video essayist. You can check out Runquist’s back catalog and subscribe to his channel on YouTube here. You can follow Runquist on Twitter here.

More videos like this

    Related Topics: Cinematography, The Queue
    <!-- AUTHOR BOX -->
Meg Shields is the humble farm boy of your dreams and a senior contributor at Film School Rejects. She currently runs three columns at FSR: The Queue, How’d They Do That?, and Horrorscope. She is also a curator for One Perfect Shot and a freelance writer for hire. Meg can be found screaming about John Boorman’s ‘Excalibur’ on Twitter here: @TheWorstNun. (She/Her).

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