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Originally posted by: Switch Radic
uhh... could ya'll explain the terms hard and soft matte please? I used to think there was just a matte period and not two types of mattes.
and I don't understand why filmmakers use super 35 in the first place. It's grainier and looks really sloppy on the final out. It just doesn't make much sense to shoot something and then have to re-frame it later. The shot should be properly framed before one frame of film is even exposed.
A hard matte is where the film is simply matted in a certain aspect ratio. If it's 1.85:1, it's 1.85:1 and that's that. A soft matted movie (or open matte) is where it is filmed in usually a 1.33:1 ratio, then is cut down for a theatrical release to whatever ratio the filmmaker wants (usually 1.85:1).
Super35 is simply another way of shooting footage. It gives it more a of a gritty look, and is used mostly in action movies. The shot is properly framed, monitors make sure of that. No director would ever just shoot something without it being framed properly.