A new educational video has been published by Netflix. This time, the video demonstrates the importance of aspect ratio in storytelling, and why it matters to plan carefully this factor as a creative choice, together with the director and the cinematographer.

Aspect Ratio foundational video

Netflix has added the Aspect Ration foundational video as a recommended resource in the page of camera specification and image capture. According to Netflix, this important factor must be considered with the director and the cinematographer, even before production is initiated. Anyone should watch this video, no matter if you plan to shoot for Netflix or another platform. The video explains and demonstrates the importance of choosing the most correct aspect ratio derived from your project, and how it serves the storytelling as a whole.

Creative tool, technical details, and target display

This video provides an overview of aspect ratio as a creative storytelling tool, while also highlighting some technical considerations and the variability of consumer device aspect ratios. Please note: if you’re working on a Netflix production, all conversations about aspect ratio should begin with your Netflix creative team. Explore the video below: 

A strategic creative decision

Nowadays, when we watch the content of multiple displays, it’s crucial to simulate how our content is going to screen on different ratios. For instance, watching a film on your TV might look different compared to watching it on iPad, smartphone, and computer. Depending on your chosen aspect ratio, most probably black bars will be noticeable. Hence, it affects the story as the main objective might be focused differently. Netflix’s video proves that very well. Thus, the decision of the filmed aspect ratio is not less than being a strategic decision for your project, as it impacts the storytelling process.

Bigger is not always better

In the video, Netflix claims that a bigger aspect ratio is not always better. For instance, the thesis presented by IMAX defines that the bigger picture dramatically enhances the experience (IMAX Enhanced). On the contrary, Netflix doesn’t claim the same. According to Netflix, the aspect ratio should serve the story, and if it’s more appropriate to utilize less screen’s real estate, then it might be a smarter creative decision. Furthermore, Netflix understands that most of its content is being viewed on smartphones, which own a very narrow aspect ratio. In that situation, an ‘IMAX aspect ratio’ will be resulted in black bars on the side (defined as Pillarbox), which can harm the viewing experience (explore the slide below). 

Summary

The aspect ratio is not just the size of the black bars in the picture, but much more than that. It’s a strategic creative choice that should be addressed carefully before production starts. The decision of the chosen aspect ratio (or multiple ratios) has to be made by the director (pre-production) and implemented by the cinematographer during the principal of photography.