Open Matte

More Than Meets the Eye

Open matte is a filmmaking strategy that involves capturing a larger image area—typically in a 4:3 or 1.33:1 ratio—than the one audiences will see in the cinema. For a theatrical release, this full frame is then ‘matted’ by masking the top and bottom to create a widescreen aspect ratio, such as 1.85:1 or even 2.39:1. The key advantage of this technique is flexibility. The extra visual information captured above and below the widescreen frame (the ‘open matte’ area) is not discarded. Instead, it is preserved and can be used for subsequent releases on home video, television, or streaming platforms, which historically used a 4:3 aspect ratio.

This approach became particularly popular in the era of VHS and standard-definition television. Instead of panning-and-scanning a widescreen image to fit a 4:3 TV screen—a process that often ruined the director’s original compositions by cropping the sides—an open matte version could be created. This version would simply reveal the additional picture information at the top and bottom of the frame, presenting a full-screen image without cropping the original widescreen composition. Director James Cameron is a famous proponent of this method, shooting films like Titanic and Avatar in an open matte format (specifically, Super 35) to ensure he had creative control over both the widescreen theatrical and the 4:3 home video versions.

Creative and Technical Considerations

While open matte offers a practical solution for multi-format distribution, it places unique demands on the production team. The director and cinematographer must compose every shot for two different aspect ratios simultaneously. The primary composition must work for the ‘matted’ widescreen theatrical release, but the entire ‘unmatted’ frame must also be clean and free of unwanted elements. This means that microphones, lighting equipment, or crew members cannot be hidden in the areas just above or below the theatrical frame, as they might become visible in the open matte version. This is often referred to as ‘protecting for 4:3’.

With the advent of high-definition widescreen televisions (16:9, or 1.78:1), the traditional open matte technique has evolved. Today, some filmmakers shoot in a taller aspect ratio to create special versions for IMAX screenings, which often use a 1.90:1 or even 1.43:1 ratio. For example, several sequences in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight were shot with IMAX cameras. When viewed in an IMAX theater, these scenes would open up vertically, filling the entire screen and creating a powerful, immersive effect. For the standard theatrical and Blu-ray release, these scenes were matted to match the 2.39:1 ratio of the rest of the film. This modern application of the open matte principle uses vertical space not just as a practical tool for different formats, but as a dynamic storytelling device.