Why 4:3 Looks So Good

[@AESTHETICS_TV]

An essay about 4:3 format rendered in 4:3 sponsored by SquareSpace

[@goatamatix894]

Perfect

[@perryeuan2748]

Yes.....perfection

[@ItsMeLarky]

Oh yeah. It's all coming together

[@boskee]

4:3 is not a square

[@perryeuan2748]

@@boskee close enough

[@zigzag4491]

I'm so glad you actually rendered in 4:3 and didn't just stick two black bars on the side of the screen, I hate it when youtubers do that because it often doesn't format right on my tv.

[@Wackaz]

The way Karsten creates his videos are so soothing for me. Honestly, if I need to relax and experience something therapeutic, I always come to his videos. His format is so... distinctive and heartwarming.

[@KarstenRunquist]

i appreciate that a lot, thank you

[@tobyclarkthomson8443]

Exactly

[@jacksonjennings8728]

Well said, I agree completely

[@THE.N1KO]

I was feeling numb today. With a lot of anxiety afterwards. And I listened to some music. Took a shower and then I was like: I think I want to watch a Karsten video. And he uploaded this one. Now I feel better. It's funny I guess because I never made it conscious until I read your comment. So anyways I hope you feel better. And thank you Karsten. By the way I was eating cereal and for a moment I thought I spit some to my screen and I thought your logo in the square was some cereal. So apologies for look at you as a cereal just for a second.

[@strqcz]

exactly

[@ewan.cartwright]

Another important point is that 4:3 isn’t necessarily a “smaller” image, depending on the context. A film with scenes shot and viewed on IMAX will become much taller during those scenes, so that 4:3 scenes feel massive and immersive, and standard scenes short and narrow by comparison.

[@GringoXalapeno]

IMAX is actually slightly wider than 4:3 I think it’s 4:43 actually but I’m not sure

[@rogoznicafc9672]

@Jack Django its wider. Short screen would be taking top and bottom off, with wide screen they added pixels to the sides so its wider

[@VariTimo]

You can really feel that difference when you compare the way Nolan frames for IMAX and they way Denis Villeneuve used the full height of the IMAX frame for Dune. Villeneuve was inspired by 4:3 home video and framed certain scenes using the full height of the 1.43:1 frame to achieve a more psychological look at the characters. Nolan mostly uses common center for the widescreen extraction of the IMAX frame. This way he makes it feel more epic and more contextual. He doesn't look into the psychologically of the characters as much as he's placing them in the world.

[@ewan.cartwright]

@Jack Django Indeed, a 4:3 IMAX screen is a bit bigger than a 16:9 iPhone “widescreen”

[@Nikku4211]

Not to mention each human eye is a perfect sphere, so 4:3 comes closer to the eyes.

[@migsmoo]

i cannot explain how satisfying it was to have a youtube video completely fill my ipad screen

[@pacomatic9833]

"Our 4:3 screen is a new innovation in framing and UI, something never done before."

[@Alexus00712]

Fold4 user here, same, it's so satisfying

[@GodzillaKaijuGK]

what is a fold4...@@Alexus00712

[@cube2fox]

What did he intend with the white border though 😂

[@rusland9]

It feels much better watching 4:3 videos vertically on your phone, really cool

[@mygetawayart]

4:3 is beautiful to look at for intimate scenes but when it comes to action, i do find widescreen to serve the purpose better. The big box narrows you down on what is on the screen, it leaves your eye no room to escape, it makes you face what is happening in a brutal and unfiltered manner. The widescreen on the other hand, offers breath, scale, openness, a sense of something bigger. Every eye is more or less susceptible to these differences, one might not care about the limitation of the square box, one might hate having big black bars on the sides, others don't even care about the difference, but for me, the two methods serve different purposes.

[@VariTimo]

You should go to a GT IMAX theatre.

[@MrMonkeybat]

Wide-angle photography works great in 4:3. Widescreen should be called shortscreen it is just cutting off the top and bottom of what the lens can see. Widescreen films are constantly cutting off the top and bottom of peoples faces. IMAX is 3:2 and benefits from the taller image filling more of your vision.

[@alexandruciordas4941]

that's because old 4:3 tva weren't so big. But 4:3 is definitely more immersive than 2:1. 16:9 is oksh but 4:3 is the best.

[@naimatalis1457]

TV Câble, Canal+ : TF1 Antenne 2 FR3 Canal + La Cinq La Sept M6 RTL Lorraine TV5 Europe Canal J Canal Jimmy MCM CinéCinémas Émissions télé. Club Dorothée Téléshopping Tournez manége ! La roue de la fortune Le juste prix Une famille en or Le journal de la une Le bêbête show Stars 90 Ciel mon mardi ! Sacrée Soirée Tous à la une Avis de Recherche Histoires d'en rire Automoto Téléfoot 7 sur 7 Télé-matin Matin Bohneur DCDL Dimanche Martin L'école des fans Stade 2 La derniére séance Le 7/9 Les Arénes de l'info Demain Mon Zapping à moi Ça Cartoon Top 50 Nulle part ailleurs Les Arénes de l'info Les Simpson TV Câble, Canalsatellite, Canal+. TF1 France 2 France 3 Canal+ Arte M6 RTL TV Planéte Câble TV5 Europe Canal J Canal Jimmy MCM CinéCinémas CinéCinéfil Émissions Télé Club Dorothée Téléshopping Tournez Manége ! La roue de la fortune Le juste prix Une famille en or Coucou c'est nous ! Le journal de la une Le bêbête show Stars 90 Sacrée Soirée Ciné Gags Vidéo Gag Disney Club Automoto Téléfoot Millionnaire 7 sur 7 Ciné Dimanche Télématin Matin Bohneur Motus Pyramide DCDL Le journal La météo Envoyé Spécial Frou-Frou Ardimat Dimanche Martin L'école des fans Stade 2 La cuisine des mousquentaires Une pêche d'enfer Zapper n'est pas jouer 40 à l'ombre Question pour un champion La Marche du Siécle Faut pas rêver Thalassa Soir 3 Le 7/9 de Canal + Le journal du matin sur Canal + Canaille Peluche Bêtes à Craquer Le film du cinéma sur Canal + 20th Century Fox La Grande Famille Le Zapping TF1 France 2 France 3 Canal + Arte M6 RTL TV Planéte Câble TV5 Europe Canal J Canal Jimmy MCM CinéCinémas CinéCinéfil Ça Cartoon Bugs Bunny et Daffy Duck. Nulle part ailleurs Les Guignols Le journal du Cinéma Le film du cinéma 20th Century Fox Décode pas Bunny Warner Bros. Television Télés dimanche Le juste prix (TF1) Pyramide (France 2) Une famille en or (TF1) DCDL (France 2) Question pour un champion (France 3) Coucou c'est nous ! (TF1) Nulle part ailleurs (Canal +) Stars 90 (TF1) Sacrée Soirée (TF1) Dimanche Martin (France 2) Fréquenstar (M6) Le bêbête show (TF1) NPA des Guignols (Canal +) Vidéo Gag (TF1) La Marche du Siécle (France 3) 7 sur 7 (TF1) Envoyé Spécial (France 2) La Bourse (TF1) Les Enquêtes de Capital (M6) Capital 6 (M6) Capital (M6) Histoires d'en rire (TF1) Frou-Frou (France 2) 40 à l'ombre (France 3) La Grande Famille (Canal +) Culture pub (M6) Automoto (TF1) Téléfoot (TF1) Stade 2 (France 2) Le foot (Canal +) Turbo (M6) Sport 6 (M6) La semaine des Guignols L'équipe du dimanche Les matins d'M6 Contact 6 manager M6 Express M6 Boutique 6 minutes Jazz 6 Multitop Turbo Ciné 6 E=m6 Fréquenstar Sport 6 Capital Culture pub TPS, Canalsatellite, Canal+. TF1 France 2 France 3 Canal + La Cinquiéme/Arte La 5éme/Arte M6 RTL 9 Paris Premiére LCI Eurosport France Canal J Canal Jimmy Monte-Carlo TMC MCM TV5 Europe Série Club Ciné Cinéma I CinéCinémas 1 Ciné Cinéma II CinéCinémas 2 Ciné Cinéma III CinéCinémas 3 Ciné Cinéfil Ciné Classics CinéClassics Émissions Télé Téléshopping L'Or à l'appel Tout est possible Vidéo Gag TF! Jeunesse - Pokémon Nintendo - Woody Woodpecker Universal Cartoon Studios Téléshopping BUT Le juste prix intermarché Le journal de TF1 Exclusif Télé Loisirs Le Bigdil Y'a pas photo ! Peugeot Combien ça coûte ? Les enfants de la télé Sans aucun doute Téléfoot Darty Columbia Pictures Television Motus Les Z'amours Columbia Tristar Television Gitem Télé 7 jours Ça se discute Union libre La Française des jeux de Loto Tout le monde en parle DMD Vivement dimanche Vivement dimanche prochain QPUC Nulle part ailleurs Les Guignols Zapping Le vrai journal La semaine des Guignols Arrêt sur images Culture pub TPS, Canalsatellite, Canal+. TF1 France 2 France 3 Canal+ France 5/Arte M6 TMC RTL 9 Paris Premiére LCI Euronews Eurosport MCM TV5 Europe Voyage Série Club Canal + Confort Pokémon, Woody Woodpecker, Nintendo, Universal Cartoon Studios, Téléshopping, Attention à la marche !, BUT, intermarché, Télé Loisirs, Le Bigdil, Peugeot, Combien ça coûte ?, Sagas, Les enfants de la télé, Sans aucun doute, QVGDM, Star Academy, Disney!, Automoto, Téléfoot, Vidéo Gag, Le maillon faible, Darty, Columbia Pictures Television, Motus, Les Z'amours, Columbia Tristar Television, Gitem, Télé 7 jours, On à tout essayé, La française des jeux, Ça se discute, Envoyé Spécial, KD2A, Warner, Paramount, Tout le monde en parle, DMD, Vivement dimanche, Vivement dimanche prochain, Stade 2, France 3/Canal J, Quick, Warner Bros. Television, McDonald's, France 5, Debout Les Zouzous, France 3/Canal J, Le journal de la santé, 100% Question, M6, Fun TV, Fun Radio, Wanadoo, Gallery, Morninglive, 80 à l'heure, Notre belle famille, Loft Story, Opération Séduction, Graines de star, Les moments de vérité, Hit machine, Turbo, + vite que la musique, Fréquenstar, E=m6, Capital, Zone interdite, Culture pub. Playstation 2 GTA San Anderas 23 CANAL + DECALE Zapping L'année des Guignols 2005 12 mois au Groland Best of En aparté. 22 NRJ 12 149 MTV 4 CANAL + Les Guignols à Cannes 4 CANAL + Best of Les Guignols Playstation 2 GTA San Anderas 11 CANAL + SPORT Fin des programmes 4 CANAL + 25 I-TELE La matinale 6 M6 Morning Café 5 FRANCE 5 Debout Les Zouzous 1 TF1 TF! Jeunesse 2 FRANCE 2 Télématin 12 CANAL + DECALE Les Guignols 22 NRJ 12 Dédi'Hits 36 RTL 9 Téléachat 1 TF1 Star Academy À prendre où à laisser France 2 On à tout essayé France 3 DCDL QPUC 4 CANAL + 245 Game One 145 MTV Album de la semaine 4 CANAL + 12 CANAL + DECALE Grace 4 CANAL + 25 I-TELE Le JT de Canal + 4 CANAL + Le grand journal de Canal + 4 CANAL + 12 CANAL + DECALE Les Guignols 12 CANAL + DECALE Zapping 4 CANAL + 25 I-TELE La matinale 4 CANAL + H Brother En aparté 4 CANAL + 245 Game One 145 MTV Album de la semaine 4 CANAL + 12 CANAL + DECALE Grace 4 CANAL + 25 I-TELE Le JT de Canal + 4 CANAL + Le grand journal de Canal + 4 CANAL + 12 CANAL + DECALE Best of Les Guignols 4 CANAL + 245 Game one 145 MTV Best of Album de la semaine 4 CANAL + 12 CANAL + DECALE Les Griffin 4 CANAL + 25 I-TELE Le JT de Canal + 4 CANAL + 12 CANAL + DECALE Les grandes vacances de Canal + 4 CANAL + La météo 4 CANAL + 12 CANAL + DECALE Zapping 4 CANAL + 12 CANAL + DECALE Les Simpson 4 CANAL + 12 CANAL + DECALE Best of 7 Jours au Groland UMP : Présdientielles 2007. 10 CANAL + CINEMA 4 CANAL + Rentrée 2007. 12 CANAL + DECALE Salut les terriens ! Bienvenue au Groland Les Guignols : l'intégrale Zapping : l'intégrale Groupe d'action discréte 3 FRANCE 3 QPUSC 12 CANAL + DECALE Groupe d'action discréte Les Guignols : l'intégrale 27 GULLI Ralf et le rat record Une fusée d'enfer Pokémon : la ligue indigo Pokémon : Les 1les Orange Foot 2 rue Inspecteur Gadget Plus belle la vie Notre belle famille In ze boîte L'instit 28 DIRECT 8 Morandini ! 29 W9 Buzz le jeu musical Highlander Les Simpson Les Simpson Enquête d'action 30 Europe 2 TV/Virgin 17 Next Next Next Next Next 30 VIRGIN 17 NEXT NEXT NEXT NEXT NEXT MADE IN FRANCE 31 RTL 9 Friends 04 CPLUS L'effet papillon

[@naimatalis1457]

Culture pub (M6) Morninglive (M6) Le Bigdil (TF1)

[@jaaanai]

I really love 4:3. It feels like everything is compact, sometimes restrictive, sometimes intimate and in order.

[@chansaber3048]

I love this because the iPad support 4:3

[@trapez77]

It’s not more restrictive. You can take a widescreen video and add more to the top and bottom

[@GABE_is_here]

i like it because it's nostalgic. reminds me when TV used to be 4:3 instead of the common 16:9. it feels home-y

[@ProDudeFilmsGaming]

It feels like everything on screen serves a purpose because it does when there is such limited space to set a tone on screen

[@trapez77]

@@ProDudeFilmsGaming It’s not more limited though. You can take a widescreen video and add more to the top and bottom

[@yellowchino3883]

watching this on a 4:3 CRT monitor, it was pretty shocking to see a modern video in this aspect ratio, and I goddamn love it.

[@ray-sattler]

You too^^

[@thetearsoftime]

4x3 isn’t smaller. It’s just a different shape

[@SingularityEngine]

You could even argue it is bigger, depending on how it is composed.

[@arifridwanabriyanto9286]

Maybe its subtle math joke.. 4x3 = 12 16x9 = 144

[@MaybeGodwillsaveMe]

Not true whatsoever

[@EagerSleeper]

@@TheHMan Exactly. If we viewed 4x3 on a rectangle screen or 16x9 on a square screen; many of the pixels go unused and the image is literally squeezed down, thus "smaller"

[@Name_cannot_be_blank]

@@MaybeGodwillsaveMe you could say 16:9 is 4:3 with less space on top and bottom OR That it is extended on left and right Ether way It depends on the screen

[@gardawg]

4:3 is somehow is perfect enough for human eyesight to focus directly, because every content is like packaged perfectly on one display. Widescreen is like having blurry side and kinda dizzy to focus.

[@diejaycee]

I like 4:3 because I feel like it resembles the aspect ratio of my sights focus area. Whenever I watch 16:9 I often look around the scene which makes it immersive, but sometimes I feel like I am missing out on some details because there is so much to see on such a wide screen. To me personally, 4:3 feels more personal and intimate as you described.

[@pineapplevlogs1267]

human vision is in roughly 4:3, that’s why i like it too

[@JorgetePanete]

sight's*

[@deepsleepcuts]

@@pineapplevlogs1267 5:4, pretty close

[@__Lento__]

16:9 was a mistake, it's a good for nothing middle ground.

[@HarriRobins]

Quick correction, It wasn't technical constraints that made 4:3 the standard for film, 4:3 35mm film was already produced for still photography, and that was chosen for the first film cameras for cost reasons. Also, there were other formats available, just less so. In 1929 there was 2:1 widescreen 70mm Grandeur film

[@thewindthatblows]

What was that 2:1 1929 movie?

[@JodyBruchon]

35mm photo film is 3:2, not 4:3.

[@cacapupu1234]

The 4:3 aspect ratio keeps reminding me of medium format film photography

[@doctorwholover1012]

Reminds me of Polaroids, when you flip through your parents photo albums and see their life laid out in little cubes of moments frozen in time 👀

[@mastaw]

Makes sense, seeing how 6x4.5, the most accessible medium format... format, is 4:3

[@hughjassstudios9688]

Yep, its squarer than regular 35mm

[@reggiep75]

Another common ratio of medium format film is 3:2, as people opted for 6x4in (15x10cm) prints more often than not. 3:2 ratio monitors/laptops are an absolute joy to use too.

[@mastaw]

@@reggiep75 I rarely see cameras that can shoot 6:9 negatives though

[@loogatdisdood]

As someone who shoots a lot in many different aspect ratios, i will say that the times where I shot in 4:3 made me think a lot more creatively/thoughtfully about my shot composition. ALL of a sudden every single part of the frame feels like it has to be used with more intent, and while that's still certainly true of widescreen, it feels a lot more restricting in 4:3( in a good way).

[@GawxArt]

Very awesome video!

[@ReddPants]

Hi again!

[@Knightmessenger]

I grew up with the 4x3 ratio in everything I shot with a video camera. Widescreen seemed like it often cut off people's hair or neck and I never understood that. Im glad to see it is still considered a valid format even professionals will use.

[@emandutta4839]

I like 1:1.33 too like in the lighthouse, using these aspect ratios properly can elevate the story

[@godsfilmmaker8863]

4:3, 3:2 and square are also cool ways to watch a KZbin video like this with your phone vertical. it does make it pretty small, but it lets you have comments and stuff like that open while still watching the whole frame. Has kind of a nostalgic feel.

[@godsfilmmaker8863]

Good job on this video! And I would be remiss not to congratulate you on using Squarespace as a sponsor on a video about a much closer to square aspect ratio 😂

[@KibblezanBitz]

"Go watch a movie in 4:3 and form your own opinion." Great idea! Will do! * turns on pan-n-scan version of Ben-Hur *

[@spo0nofficial]

the horror

[@NathanMandjes]

Love this. As a photographer, 4:3 is my favourite ratio. Composition works so great. I try to switch between ratio’s depending on the composition, but I always come back to the 4:3. I have to watch more movies now.

[@fatuousinnovatorofsadness4640]

4:3 can create more balanced images much easier, there's a much larger relationship you can have with subjects and corners, and it allows for much more freedom to play with different ways of breaking an image down from golden ratios to perfect centering to boxes to diagonals, which is either more complex in wider formats or straight up impossible.

[@playmaker.3596]

4:3 also enables you to view videos in full while scrolling comments in landscape mode

[@holobucket7626]

I don't even watch movies, I just love your thoughtful discussions on them. Your passion for filmmaking is enough to keep me coming back

[@glendarjj3991]

I don't even watch videos. I just like your comment. Your passion for typing is enough to keep me reading.

[@acbeifus]

@@glendarjj3991 I don’t even read comments. I just like your reply, your passion for adding to what others say just keeps me coming back.

[@shade0636]

@@acbeifus I don't even read replies to comments. I just like your reply to a reply, your passion for adding to additions just keeps me coming back.

[@constantine9439]

@@shade0636 I don't even read replies, I just like randomly replying to replies without knowing what they're about. Your passion to write replies even though I don't read them is what keeps me coming back

[@zombiekiller225]

I don’t even read I just love the light

[@DoReid0]

I still was using a HD crt monitor for my computer for a while. I learned that 4:3 is awesome. Playing full frame minecraft in HD on that monitor was a new experience, it felt like I was being pulled into the game. Enjoying 4:3 movies and videos became something that felt more genuine, and more enjoyable perhaps. Thank you for this video, it was a great insight to 4:3 and I agree that it is and should have a bigger comeback.

[@realcjcruz]

Great take! In Dan Murell’s review of 4:3 Justice League, he mentioned how that aspect ratio lends itself to superhero movies because it lets the heros really fill up the frame like larger-than-life figures when they’re all standing beside each other in shots. Just another cap in the feather of 4:3 as a cinematic tool

[@BagOfMagicFood]

I remember the Justice League TV show was an early adopter of widescreen!

[@OM19_MO79]

Bringing up superhero movies in a video like this is like bringing up Chris Chan’s creations when talking about stuff at the Louvre.

[@aijena]

I use 4:3 in competitive FPS games (without stretching the frame to 16:9, that's another type of argument entirely) because such a "square" viewport just works better for me to focus on the center of the screen (crosshair) and where i aim at. Maybe that also somewhat relates to that "intimacy"...

[@alexmartian3972]

@Jessiebeanie Why lower field of view? Do you mean horizontal? Maybe he has same horizontal and even bigger vertical than others? It is just scaling and magnification IMO.

[@KapitanKaos]

​@@alexmartian3972Depends on how the game handles it

[@oliveiracaiolossless]

Waiting till ultra wide 4:20 aspect ratio drops

[@Mattstak]

The true "peeking through a mail slot" experience

[@TheHMan]

That would actually be ultra “tallscreen.”

[@km099]

ultra high screen

[@TheHMan]

@@km099 I can't tell you how fucking mad I am that I didn't think of that.

[@pinkajou656]

@@TheHMan I like yours better

[@parkerhyser3730]

I shoot most of my photography in 4:3 because I like how it looks and it focuses the shot way more on the thing I am taking a picture of compared to 16:9 or 21:9. I use other aspect ratios if they fit the subject, but I default to 4:3 because it seems to always work.

[@plasmasnake4774]

“Now this movie, if you watched my video last week, you know I just love it” Ah yes how could I forget the wonderful Ida analysis in the “ranking avatar characters” video

[@Qjimbo]

On the DVD commentary track for Family Guy Blue Harvest, Seth McFarlane commented on how much he likes the 4:3 ratio as well.

[@rpdt96]

My own experience with appreciating 4:3 actually came with revisiting an old favorite. I finally re-watched Neon Genesis Evangelion when it released on Netflix and the aspect ratio, along with the cel animation of the production brought a unique warmth and physicality that the new Evangelion movies didn't have (still love the new ones, don't get me wrong).

[@skiss_skiss_houwhi_houwih40]

I've always loved the 4:3 aspect ratio, my family has this VHS-C camcorder that records in 4:3 and there are quite a few videos of me as a baby in that aspect ratio that look oddly artistic and satisfying to watch. I love and respect movies and tv shows that use 4:3, and I feel that more often than not movies (and or tv shows) shot in fullscreen visually look a bit more pleasing than those that are shot in widescreen.

[@kaeslabyrinth]

This is easily one of your best videos! Short, sweet, passionate and cozy

[@Andy-qs1ox]

Me still having a 4:3 PC monitor enjoying the video very much. How nice it is to have a filled out picture.

[@jakewhite7141]

I work in post, I actually got to work on First Reformed, Da5 Bloods, and I’m Thinking of Ending Thing. There’s a super interesting conversation going on around aspect ratios-specifically in streaming television, and the use of 2.0 instead of 1.78 rather than full 2.39 or 1.33

[@mario101395]

Yeah 4:3 is a really interesting choice that I'm enjoying seeing in general. My favorite use of it recently is definitely The Lighthouse, because it makes you feel cramped in the space w/ Pattinson and Dafoe, but also during darker scenes, the edges of the shot bleed into the black sidebars of your screen, creating a really cool effect, and that effect I feel like ties into the ending thematically but my thoughts still aren't fully formed on that yet lmao, I gotta watch that film again

[@crazycow6117]

Aspect ratio seems like the time signature of cinematography. Your choice is informed by how you compose your shots just like in music where your time signature influences how things like melodies will be delivered.

[@mmartel99]

Watching this on the large (4:3) iPad Pro is honestly an experience. Love watching older content on this device because of the 4:3. But at the end of the day I still feel like 16:9 or thereabouts is the sweet spot.

[@Void-im9hg]

SAME! Especially with the rounded corners it makes content look so good as it takes full advantage of the display

[@svensantesson2020]

​@@Void-im9hg Never Zoom in! 🥲

[@busterscrugs]

I love watching open matte movies on my Trinitron. Recently re-watched the Back to the Future trilogy and it was incredible. Glad academy ratio is coming back.

[@danieldaniels7571]

Open matte Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory off LaserDisc rocks

[@busterscrugs]

@@danieldaniels7571 never knew there was an open matte version! I'll have to find a copy on DVD

[@librequestpodcast]

4:3 is just so lovely. And it's so nice to watch on a display meant for 4:3 as well.

[@natalieko3468]

Really loved this vid! You explained something (aspect ratio) which I didn’t know much about really concisely and with passion and made me notice and care about aspect ratio in the things I watch without making it “snobby” or “things only film bros know.”

[@MaybeGodwillsaveMe]

Idk what would be worse, whatever a film bro means or having to deal with someone who uses the term 'film bro'.

[@natalieko3468]

@@MaybeGodwillsaveMe If you don't know who the sucker is at the poker table it's probably you

[@xard64]

It's easy to forget that there's one new thing for 4:3 which was not practically available before: better resolution. With analog TV resolution the shots needed to be very tight or details would be lost. Doing such compromises is not needed anymore as we have larger screens with vertical resolution of 1080 and above.

[@originaozz]

To me 4:3 gives of a postcard aesthetic; intimate and focused. If film makers want to create that kind of experience to viewers, I don't see why not. The only usage that irk me recently was Zack Snyder's Justice League since what it has going for was the epicness (& we know it looks better because we've seen it look better), but I still think creators should do whatever they want with their art.

[@thespacemanfil]

Finally, a video that uses up my whole 4:3 vga monitor!

[@sxkb]

Same! I'm really happy whenever I find a video that takes up my entire CRT TV

[@l4ndst4nder]

4:3's weakness is that the subjects are either tight or in the distance. 16:9 gives the filmmaker more space to show additional information in the shot while still having a character at thirds. Creating visually appealing 4:3 shots is significantly harder but your characters can communicate more emotion in 4:3. Personally I think the recent trend of 4:3 films might have more to do with an increasing number of expressionist and naturalist films that are able to utilize the strengths of the format. I'm just worried that it will be over hyped and is used on films that should have been shot on 16:9, like Justice League for example.

[@delphicdescant]

Couldn't you just make that same argument about a vertical 9 : 16 ratio giving the filmmaker more space to show additional information in a shot about, say, rock climbers? It just doesn't sound that universally applicable either way. Besides, if we're talking about raw space, 4:3 provides more area per unit perimeter than a less square ratio. But that also doesn't matter much, either.

[@FlameRat_YehLon]

Except all the displays are much larger nowadays. If the display is so large, further away shots can look just as close to the eye. And that's the whole promise of IMAX really. If you are in VR, even further objects can look closer up. Which is hard to explain but definitely try taking a screenshot in VR and view it on flat screen later when you got the chance. You'll know what I mean.

[@FlameRat_YehLon]

@@delphicdescant It's about the size of the display, not the aspect ratio. The popularity of whatever aspect ratio is pretty much just the result of technical limitation on how large the display can be made in a reasonable cost at sometime and that's it.

[@l4ndst4nder]

@@delphicdescant The “aspect ratio” of the human eye is around 5:3 so it is nearly identical to 4:3. In 16:9, if the viewer is watching a character positioned at thirds, the other half of the screen falls into the periphery, creating a sense of space and provides additional information like reactions or characters entering frame. For example, the standard over-the-shoulder shot can be awkward to frame in 4:3. With the lack of horizontal space the subjects are too close, too small, or you can only show a little of the foreground character. And if the foreground subject is too close, if they move at all, the shot can be easily ruined. Now if the subject is in center frame or multiple things are happening at the same time, then 4:3/IMAX is great. But standard dialogue scenes aren’t framed this way. As for 9: 16, there just isn’t anything happening above or below the subjects normally since points of interest are generally along the ground line. It would be fun to shoot a fashion documentary in 9: 16 or maybe an alien invasion movie if the sky is always doing something interesting. But it’s just not practical for most situations. When you watch vertically shot videos on KZbin the camera normally frames the full body of the subject which is not really needed for most situations.

[@MrMonkeybat]

Wide-angle photography works great in 4:3. Widescreen should be called shortscreen it is just cutting off the top and bottom of what the lens can see. Widescreen films are constantly cutting off the top and bottom of peoples faces. IMAX is 3:2 and benefits from the taller image filling more of your vision.

[@concerninghobbits5536]

I like that 4:3 can be easier to see more details. Especially with the extra wide screen stuff people try to do with gaming, I'd rather a smaller space where I can just focus on the center and not feel like I need to scan the whole screen or just look at the focused area and worry I'm missing cool details in the background.

[@closeben]

Seeing Cold War in a cinema was where I discovered the true beauty of 4:3. It really helps me focus on the actual shot compositions, some of which were the best looking and most interesting I’ve seen in any movie.

[@adrinmatthew5098]

I'm glad I came here, I usually take photos and videos in 4:3, pretty cool to see how how filmmakers use it.

[@EagerSleeper]

I've always associated a 4:3 image with VHS tapes and early potato-quality KZbin; so when we started being able to see things in high resolution/detail in a square format, it made brought back the nostalgia factor without also bringing back the limitations in quality of the day.

[@danieldaniels7571]

Film has always been very high resolution and was 4:3 long before it was anything else.

[@DaedalusYoung]

As a photographer, I use different aspect ratios depending on subject and what I want to show. Sometimes, I crop my photos to 16x9, sometimes to 3:2, sometimes to 4:3, sometimes to 1:1, and sometimes to non-standard ratios. And yes, sometimes in landscape and sometimes in portrait mode. 4:3 has its uses, but I'd also love to see 1:1 productions, and hey, why not portrait mode videos? Although I find 9x16 to be too tall, 3:4 is a much more pleasing aspect ratio for portrait, but again, it depends on the subject.

[@gabrielstrandli955]

Hey Karsten, any updates on the short film? I can’t wait!

[@blakeplace]

i want updates too!

[@KarstenRunquist]

finished the cut, currently being sound mixed and color graded! hope to have a little festival run with it and then posting online as soon as i can

[@blakeplace]

@@KarstenRunquist YEEEEEEEEEEEEAYYYYYY!!!!

[@domclegg1225]

@@KarstenRunquist what about the indiegogo rewards? any timeline on those? excited for the short film :)

[@alexalexalex362]

HYYYYYYYPE

[@savantshuia]

I wish laptop screens were 4:3, it's just more comfortable to be able to look at everything.

[@akshhat]

4:3 looks good in films that already have the somewhat nostalgic vibe. I like to see 4:3 in artsy films like ones by Wes Anderson sometimes, and even loved the 1:1 aspect ratio of the French film 'Mommy'. However, using it for modern sci-fi or action is constraining for the filmmaker.

[@Ady.B]

Mommy is on my watch list for this fall. I have to watch it. Heard it's really good

[@nevenaivanova1661]

Actually, Mommy is French Canadian (from Quebec) and the accent is very different from metropolitan French!

[@Keanu.J]

I think why I enjoy 4:3 so much (watching and using it) is because it almost always feels so intentional, in part because you kinda have to think about framing more. Wide shots have a art to them but it kinda just feels like it’s showing you what’s going on, more taking in information then it feeling like an art. Of course that’s subjective and theres ton of artsy stuff shot in wide but never as much as 4:3…

[@mg6945]

When talking about that ratio I think people almost always forget that film stock still to this day is 4:3. If a movie shot in 1.85:1 it’s still using a 4:3 outer frame and then hard matted. And if it’s 2.39:1 it’s either cropped from a Super 35 frame or it’s shot anamorphic, in which the native anamorphic 2.39:1 frame comes from stretching out a 4:3 film frame with the anamorphic lens. The 4:3 aspect ratio is the backbone of cinema and it will never go away. Even more and more digital cameras these days shoot in 4:3 or a similar ratio so you can use anamorphic lens properly and get a more expansive frame to crop down from. It’s eternal

[@FullaEels]

4:3 can be less visually overwhelming, which I like. It also feels cozy, like digging out an old comfort movie.

[@calebhessing7593]

I love how kind and level he is with his arguments. He doesn't rage or attack the opposing argument---heck, he even says he accepts the opposing argument. I love that, it's a refreshing break from the many, many video essay-ers who use their videos as rant seshes.

[@ErmenBlankenberg]

I like all aspect ratios. They all have their place as a specific tool in the filmaker's toolbox.

[@thelombaxsystemtv7492]

I really dig this aspect ratio for the use of creating content! It's unique! 😁

[@Benny-tb3ci]

I really loved the part at 1:28. Comparing a 4:3 scene from Twin Peaks, the series, right next to a scene from Twin Peaks, the movie. Damn cool.

[@RSpudieD]

Very well said! I kind of always saw films made in 16:9 and 4:3 either old or kind of unprofessional until I saw Grand Budapest Hotel. After that, everything changed. I like your points you raise about what exactly 4:3 does and how it can work for a film. Well done!

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

I imprinted on Leslie Halliwell's Film Guide back in the 1970s when I was first digging into the history of the cinema and he was a huge advocate for the old Academy ratio and hated widescreen. At the time it seemed like an odd and very out-of-step criticism but apparently he was behind the times and ahead of the times, at the same time.

[@FinancialShinanigan]

Ah, The Nightingale, a great movie I never want to rewatch ever again.

[@unyu-cyberstorm64]

I think 16:10 would also be a good aspect for film. Yes, it's mostly used for computer displays, but it's the best of both worlds.

[@josephmorales652]

I love 4:3 for video games. 16:9 definitely has its uses, but It sucks that it is the standard now

[@cmyk8964]

Technological limitations we have advanced away from but have come back to due to artistic reasons are, seemingly, quite common. Even in the world of typography, lots of trendy on-screen fonts have exaggerated ink traps, when they’re meant to be seen on screen, not printed with ink on low-quality bleedy paper; ink traps were invented to anticipate ink bleeding on newspapers and phone books.

[@tygical]

neat touch that this video is in 4:3 as well

[@kobyhill2036]

I think it’s incredible it’s really old fashioned and I really love that

[@tharun7290]

I stumbled upon this video totally by chance , and I just realised , 4:3 really does pull me in a way like that director said !

[@bencressman6110]

I think 4:3 is a lovely ratio and a lot of the clips you included really illustrated that. I remember when you could watch movies at home in “full screen” or “widescreen”… there is just something about 4:3 that feels full. Now I’m on an iPad and 4:3 is literally full screen again. Just in general though, for art in any medium, I like ratios that are squarish, but not square. I wonder if any films have been made using the golden ratio. Or a 1:1 ratio.

[@ShadowRubberDuck]

I do think there should be an option to change the aspect ratio in streaming services in case you want to watch an old film/tv show that has been stretched out Edit: I meant was when studios say the made it hd and all they did was take 4:3 and crop it to fit 16:9

[@oscarzavitz1147]

What director has ever intended to have their movie or show be stretched out???

[@ShadowRubberDuck]

@@oscarzavitz1147 apologies I meant was when studios say the made it hd and all they did was take 4:3 and crop it to fit 16:9

[@oscarzavitz1147]

@@ShadowRubberDuck oh I see what your saying, yeah I definitely agree

[@MatthewCobalt]

I like 4:3 for it's clearer image on resolution dedicated displays and it's greater viewing experience in pportai mode viewing on youtube.

[@JJLiew]

It's great because I can watch it in fullscreen without black bars on my iPad

[@JonnyInfinite]

that's why it's become popular, not the bullshido in this video

[@tpmiranda]

Like with everything in filmmaking, the aspect ratio is just a technical and artistic option that who does the filming has the freedom to choose. It can do or break a movie. It depends on how and why the artist chooses to use it, and how and why that artist ends up using it. You bet, if there was a re-screening of Interstellar on my local IMAX theatre, I'd go there IMMEDIATELY. The same way as with the Grand Budapest Hotel in a screen that is as wide and as high as the theatre, with rich colors and, preferably, no ear-piercing volume.

[@devinbaeten13]

4:3 fits perfectly on my ipad. sooooo satisfying

[@LNCRFT]

4:3 has already been the default standard for pictures. Every iPhone for example defaults at 4:3. It’s nice to see something what used to be normal coming back

[@zeththedarkmage]

As someone who watches 90% of my media on my iPad I would love more media to be in 4:3 so there would be no black bars and make use of the whole screen.

[@Mikejguevarra]

4:3 is a good challenge and showcase of cinematography talent, it seems a lot harder to compose a shot when you’re also trying to figure out more vertical space while not being too wide/distracting with every shot. Personally though I think 4:3 indicates something nostalgic like home movies or a b/w photograph.

[@mememaninsertdeadmemehere6382]

Fun Fact: 4:3 has also been used in video games in until the late 2000’s. 4:3 in games has rarely been used since.

[@ignacio4244]

what is the reason? lack of driver and game optimization? or it's inherent to the form devices are manufactured?

[@todesziege]

@@ignacio4244 Most TVs and computer screens are widescreen, so people will complain if any other aspect ratio is used in a game regardless of what suits it best.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

I actually hope that 4:3 becomes so popular again that Warner Brothers actually releases Stanley Kubricks movies in its original 4:3 aspect ratio just as Kubrick had it intended. And NOT as cropped 16:9 versions. Kubrick often shot his later movies with 16:9 in mine for the theaters but his intended and favorite format was 4:3. "The Shining" works so much better in that format and so does "Paths of Glory". Both movies are sadly ONLY available as cropped versions on Blu-ray.

[@robertcatesby4800]

When I got my DVD in SD of 'The Shining' off Amazon a few years back, I was angry it was in 4:3. I assumed it was cropped to fit old style TV's and I thought Kubrick shot it in 1:85 or wider. Good to see I was wrong.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

@@robertcatesby4800 Yeah for a while (and even today here and there) you can find older Videomasters of movies in the streaming library of Amazon, which sometimes differ from their DVD or Blu-ray counterparts.So yeah of you saw a 4:3 version of "The Shining" then it was the Videomaster that was available in the Kubrick DVD Box release from around late 2001. This Box also contained a 4:3 version of "Full Metal Jacket" and a repack of the then already available DVD of "Eyes Wide Shut".

[@Fragile_Media]

I think the way Zack Snyder used it in Justice League was remarkably well done. It really makes each frame feel like a comic book panel and the scale of each of its characters get to be truly demonstrated, adding to that "larger than life" feeling that superheroes naturally lend themselves towards.

[@Double-R-Nothing]

Same. That shot of Darkseid at the end in particular I can't imagine would work in a wider ratio. In 4:3 he towers over the frame and looks gigantic.

[@Keizi]

I think it definitely emphasizes size and scope in the film but doesn’t do much outside of that. The film would relatively feel the same in 16:9. Sure some shots may be perceived differently but for the most part Snyder kind of used it in a very weak way in my opinion.

[@dangerousmothafucka1741]

That's because it was originally framed for 1.85, Snyder decided he preferred academy ratio in post.@@Keizi

[@Keizi]

@@dangerousmothafucka1741 I can tell

[@thegreatbadershow1810]

Family Guy was Fullscreen 4:3 until 2010 The family Guy episode back to the past, the shots during the pilot, Death has a shadow, is 4:3

[@thegreatbadershow1810]

In Jan 31 1999

[@arkya_sanyal]

4:3 just looks personal, and that's all I need when I watch a film.

[@cube2fox]

One the one hand, a wide scope makes sense. We, as humans, walk around on the approximately flat surface of Earth (that's why maps can get away with being 2D top-down projections), and therefore we look more often to the left or right than we look up or down. So widescreen makes sense. On the other hand, films in anamorphic 2.39:1 widescreen are so overly wide that they can hardly show any verticality. I think 1.85:1 (also used in cinema) or 16:9 (=1.78:1, used in modern TV and video games) are a good compromise. But the taller 4:3 (1.33:1) certainly has its place too for certain films. Only thing to notice is that most screens nowadays have a wider aspect ratio, so 4:3 means big black bars left and right. iPads are an exception.

[@tayojb]

I made my first film in 4:3 because it helped covey the emotion of the character

[@Webhead123]

For the right kind of movie, told through the right kind of artistic lens, 4:3 is beautiful. Grand Budapest (and the Wes Anderson sleepy, whimsical, fairy tale style) is a perfect example.

[@realjpegmafia]

I’m really happy for the new rise of 4:3 because there’s so many ways you can tell so much out of a small space :)

[@Tadfafty]

Is 4:3 narrower, or is it taller?

[@willmorrell488]

@@Tadfafty Taller but not necessarily narrower. If a film is shot on 35mm it will be boxy by default and you get the most out of the image leaving it uncropped. But it is usually cropped to 2.39. If you take Batman v Superman which had scenes shot on IMAX the recent remaster retains the IMAX aspect ratio for the scenes it was used. In this case the original was cropped to look wide from the original boxy IMAX aspect ratio so you're getting more top and bottom and not losing any width by going to 4:3.

[@Tadfafty]

@@willmorrell488 Aha.

[@knuckl6972]

I always just think about retro video games when 4:3 is brought up, and as someone who grew up with a PS2, it feels very nostalgic and comfy.

[@dodger3294]

CS players have known this for years. It's about time cinema caught up

[@kr3tzsch3]

wait till they learn about 4:3 stretched.

iPads also use 4:3 mostly.

[@ablueheartemoji]

i loved the opening shot in the movie "X" (ironically by A24) from inside a barn to make it look like 4:3 then the camera slowly starts to truck in and u realize the black on the sides was actually the walls of the barn

[@riverw4721]

I've noticed in all the hallway shots you've used here, it makes them feel taller and less cramped.

[@ob0-china]

finally a video i can watch without black bars at the top and bottom of my screen

[@sharonwong5688]

I love having the mentality of 'why not both?' rather than having one over the other. Awesome video!

[@Tbug20]

wandavision had that same idea lol

[@RAFMnBgaming]

There's a good swath of movies out there made with that in mind. Either shot in 4:3 but framed in such a way that you could pan and scan them down for the theatrical release, or shot in a wide resolution but framed in such a way that you could pan and scan them down for a TV release. Movies with two equally intended viewing experiences. Which is pretty cool.

[@Diyomaro]

While not the entire movie, seeing Jordan Peele's Nope in a proper IMAX (Where the whole screen is probably about 4:3 or maybe 1:1) really made some scenes hit different. Gordy looking at you after his rampage under the table made it feel a lot more terrifying and clusterphobic compared to the Dolby and regular cut where it was all widescreen.

[@christiandolz6272]

Not a single mention of Xavier Dolan's Mommy? Literally uses the aspect ratio as a narrative device in the character development and progression of the plot in a pretty astonishing way (came out of nowhere for me).

[@Group-935]

4:3 is really cool. I like that when I buy older TV shows as a box set, they are typically still in 4:3, not a huge fan of whenever they "enhance" the older footage. My personal feeling as to why 4:3 looks so good, is because, you don't need to move your eyes around as much to get the full picture. That's what I think.

[@bctalicorn809]

Can't believe you didn't at least mention Zach Snyder's Justice League, just for the simple fact that it introduced 4:3 into the mainstream. I would honestly love to see more superhero movies in that style, gives them a grander presence since their full bodies take up more of the screen.

[@syed123911]

100% agree with you on that. 💯

[@amandacapsicum686]

4:3 is my favourite on youtube because it makes the video bigger when my phone is in portrait mode

[@AliTaimurXV]

Its simply another tool for filmmakers to use, and I love that they're given the space to finally be comfortable using it

[@ulawan5]

soothing to the hands to be able to watch this video with my phone in landscape and not having to awkwardly hold my phone at the edges, I can just frame it with my hands! There are so many things to love about 4:3, it has many wonderful niches