Cropping (image)

Cropping [ kɹɒpɪŋ ] (English for cut, lop ), the cropping image edges to accept the image format to another format, thereby arise without black borders or the image must be distorted. In particular, the film certain aspect ratios ( aspect ratio) are taken into account.

Film

This method is often used for the porting of movies for television. Here, the image overhang from 16:9 to 4:3 of the cinema film picture is cut off on television. In this case, although you prevent the " letterboxing ", but this information is lost. Significantly, this loss of information when opening credits, when a part of the name is no longer visible because it is outside of the 4:3 image is ( clearly visible " 1.33:1 image " on the right, the word Image: Bryce Canyon National Park is only noticeable in part ). As it is usual to cropping the movies, especially in the 2.35:1 image to 1.85:1 (16:9), is usually taken during the filming of the fact that at least all the important information in the 16:9 frame visible are. There is the scope (english safe area ) which on an extra monitor displays the current camera picture the cameraman and the director, but with more than the image on-screen aspect ratio frame. Broadcasted on TV or on DVD present films in their original aspect ratio are also referred to as Original Aspect Ratio ( OAR ). Film makers, it is frowned upon if broadcasting arbitrarily adjust the aspect ratio of your transmission format.

Automatic - Manual

When new releases (eg, a 2.35:1 movie on a 16:9 DVD ) Cropping is often unavoidable. Besides the selection of the target format here is the choice between automatic and manual cropping necessary:

Automatic Cropping

The image section is determined once for the whole movie and then requires when converting any more interventions. This is the cheapest, but sometimes destroys the image composition. In extreme cases, entire scenes seem pointless; typical example is here CinemaScope Western duel with scenes in which both duelists are in the 4:3 TV version outside of the visible image.

Manually Cropping

The picture is set for individual scenes or by individual camera settings according to artistic aspects. Sometimes the picture detail even during a scene continuously ( using a joystick ) or even taken at individual scenes letterboxing in purchasing. The additional costs for this process are typically at about 1000 € for a 90 -minute feature film; it is - such as color correction - mainly applied in high-quality publications.

Examples

Brought 1.85:1 image letterboxed to 4:3. Typical 16:9 image, not the entire image is visible.

Brought 1.55:1 image with letterbox on 4:3. Compromise between 16:9 and 4:3 is often used in the UK.

1.33:1 image. Letterbox need not be inserted because it already is 4:3. Hardly visible image information, especially when writing.

Declaration on the screen layout:

• Frame can adjust the visible area of ​​the respective aspect ratio dar. Blue: 2.35:1
• Red: 1.78:1 (16:9)
• Yellow: 1.55:1 ( 14:9 )
• Green: 1.33:1 (4:3)

Compromise

In the UK a " cropping " of the image to 14:9 ( 1.55:1 ) is at 16:9 movies occasionally made ​​, in which lost a little of the image content left and right, but only a small black strip. This is the other way around also carried out at 4:3, while maintaining the image content is clipped above and below. While there is a general obligation 16:9 transmission with new productions, but there are enough viewers with old 4:3 TV, and that is the reason for this compromise. In Germany, there are hardly any programs in 14:9. Either will be sent in 4:3 or in the cinema widescreen format 1.85:1 and 2.35:1. Except for sporadic documentation of "BBC exclusive".

Handle of aspect ratios when purchasing media in the U.S.

In the U.S. even movie DVD releases are offered in two versions of the same film. In the original widescreen version (English " widescreen " ), as was also seen in the cinema, and as a 4:3 pan & scan version. So you can decide whether you prefer to have the cinema feeling at home, or prefer to have the screen completely and effectively.

Future

In the future, there will be at introduction of HDTV with a fixed aspect ratio of 16:9, a " cropping " of the 4:3 image of old material, in which the black bars do not appear above and below the image, but the left and right.

Digital Video

With digital video (DV) cameras it is used to save disk space ( an option many MJPEG cards ), or because it is the DV standard of 704 visible lines, in contrast to the full PAL resolution, so pretending.

Image processing

In image processing an image section is produced by cropping, who need not have a fixed aspect ratio compelling as the film. It can also be aligned vertically off-center or. By format just cut to the main subject the original aspect ratio can also be obtained or another are generated. In addition to improving the image composition, the cropping is used with a fixed aspect ratio of the receipt of a uniform appearance and the systematic adaptation to standard formats, eg for the expression.