I was curious why director Pete Docter chose the 1.85:1 for both of his films (Monsters, Inc. and Up) as opposed to the 2.35:1 framing used in in The Incredibles, Ratatouille and WALL-E and some of the other more recent Pixar films. The aspect ratio of a film is always the director’s choice and part of their artistic vision. It always fascinates me to learn what goes into their decision making process. So I decided to write Pete a letter and asked for his thoughts. My biggest surprise was how quickly he responded and how thoughtful his answer was:
“Aspect ratio, like any other choice in making a film, has an effect on the audience and how they perceive the story. For A Bug’s Life and The Incredibles, spectacle was a key part of the experience, hence the choice to go widescreen. Though both Monsters and Up also have grand vistas where scale and movement is important, I wanted a more intimate feel overall – especially for Up, which has some tender emotional scenes. I also felt that 1.85:1 is more friendly to comedy (not that there aren’t films that are funny in widescreen).
Here’s a picture from Pete’s letter back to me (complete with Pete’s drawing of Carl and Kevin!). Enjoy!
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