Why is the Academy Ratio Trendy Again?

Remember how movies looked rather square back in the day? Early silent films had a boxy aspect ratio of . When sound entered the picture, the extra space on the film stock required the aspect ratio to be adjusted to a slightly wider (but still square looking) . Known as the Academy Ratio, which is often represented as “4:3,” this remained the gold standard until the 1950s. However, the rise of television (which was also very square) caused cinema to journey into a new, much wider direction. Not only did this help cinema separate itself from television, but it also enhanced the scale of the theatrical experience. Fast forward a few decades, and these wide aspect ratios are still all the rage. In 2018, we have become accustomed to bigger and wider images through the popularity of IMAX and ultra-wide formats. However, this isn’t the case for every film. While giant blockbusters and grand epics will always remain wide, many smaller films have gravitated back towards the boxier 4:3. But why? It surely