Anamorphic format is the cinematography technique of shooting a widescreen picture on standard 35 mm film or other visual recording media with a non-widescreen native aspect ratio. It also refers to the projection format in which a distorted image is “stretched” by an anamorphic projection lens to recreate the original aspect ratio on the viewing screen.
Anamorphic lenses have a three dimensional quality that I absolutley love. The unique characteristics and flaws of the glass actually add to the visual aesthetic that most cinematographers strive to achieve..
Characteristics of Anamorphic Lenses:
- Wider field of view
- Oval Bokeh
- Unique Lens Flares
- Three Dimensional Quality
When it comes to shooting with actual anamorphic lenses, shooters these days have several options. The first, and the one that most low-budget filmmakers use, is anamorphic adapters. The other option is traditional cine-style anamorphic lenses. In future blogs, we will go deeper into shooting with anamorphic adapters, the difference between shooting anamorphic with a 4:3 sensor vs 16:9 sensor and the difference between anamorphic and spherical lenses.