Galaxy Quest aspect ratio change

[Behodar]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know exactly when the 1.85 -> 2.39 aspect change is? Everything I can find is fairly vague ("when they get to space", "when the ship lands" etc.) but does anyone have some sort of reference for when the actual switchover is?

I read somewhere that Netflix preserved the 1.85 ratio but I don't have an active subscription; is someone able to check? Also, is it an instant transition or does it slowly expand out like the first change out of 1.33?

I just want to knock up a "quick and dirty" fixed version

[Bigrob]

It’s not on UK Netflix. Just checked.

The version on Sky On Demand (UK service) is constant 2.35:1 throughout (exception being the TV show footage being framed at 1.33:1)

From what I recall, it’s the wide open shot when he realises he’s in space looking out from the ship platform

[Behodar]

Thanks; that seemed the most logical place and is where my "draft" version has the switchover. Good to validate that

[BronzeTitan]

See SanctuaryMoon - 20121029 Shapeshifting Films . .

1999: Three aspect ratio changes in one film…

…well, if you saw Galaxy Quest at the cinema, that is. If you see it on DVD, you only get one.  The first change, everyone gets to see ... Pretty straight forward. We start with a TV show presented in it’s original, pre-HDTV aspect ratio. Here [the DVD/Blu-ray] it goes directly from 1.33:1 to 2.35:1 ... In the theatrical release, however, it changes from 1.33:1 to 1.85:1 ...

Then, when Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) realizes that he’s on a real spaceship looking out at space, it changes to 2.35:1 ...

I remember when we were working on this sequence at ILM and Visual Effects Art Director Alex Jaeger had to design the shot with that transition in mind. And it worked great! Each change in ratio signaled a new scope of the story that Nesmith was being dragged into.

[Behodar]

Thanks for that link; the whole page is full of interesting examples!

[CSchmidlapp]

So would this have been pillerboxed on a scope print with a 'curtain' opening on the big moment/s??

[BronzeTitan]

Yes, it's all like that on the film. As you pointed out, for dynamic presentation in a theater, the curtain would open more at each change. Otherwise, in "cheap" engagements, the screen would stay open from start to finish. Being anamorphic-lens'ed, it made for this interesting side-effect . .

I just ran a promotional screening of "Galaxy Quest" and wanted to give everyone a heads up , this film is kind of unusual. It's a 2.39:1 anamorphic print but begins with a hard matted 1.33 frame. A couple minutes later, I looked out the port and saw that I was now running 1.85. Then, 15-20 minutes later, the ratio changed again to 2.39. ... One observation: The anamorphic 1:1.85 sequence looked better then typical flat 1:1.85 projection.