Here’s the development history of anamorphics widescreen technology:
Origin of the Technology
The principle of anamorphics widescreen dates back to anamorphics art in the 16th century. In 1927, French physicist Henri Jacques Chrétien developed an anamorphics lens that could horizontally distort images to expand the frame. He named it the "Hypergonar" lens technology, based on periscope systems designed for tanks during World War I to provide a 180° undistorted field of view.
Early Application and Stagnation
In the late 1920s, various anamorphics photography techniques were introduced to the film industry. In 1927, Claude Autant-Lara first used the technology in his short film Construire un feu (Building a Fire). However, the Great Depression limited its application and led to a period of stagnation.
Rise and Popularization
In the early 1950s, the rise of home television threatened the film industry. To compete with TV, studios revived early 3D technologies and revisited widescreen solutions. In 1952, 20th Century Fox acquired Henri Jacques Chrétien’s anamorphics lens patent and rebranded it as CinemaScope. In 1953, Fox released the first anamorphics widescreen film The Robe using this technology, which was a huge success. The technique quickly gained traction—within a year, all major studios adopted CinemaScope and its 4-channel stereophonic sound.
Technological Improvements and Standardization
Initially, The Robe used a 2x horizontal compression, achieving a projected aspect ratio of 2.66:1. However, most theaters couldn’t accommodate such a wide frame in practice. Later, the addition of four soundtracks on the film negative reduced the projected ratio to 2.55:1. In 1957, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standardized it to 2.35:1. The standard was revised to 2.39:1 in 1971, and minor adjustments were made in 1993 while retaining the 2.39:1 projection ratio.
Subsequent Development and Diversification
Beyond CinemaScope, other widescreen formats emerged in the 1950s, many using 70mm film for improved image quality. These formats were rarely used due to complexity and high costs. Meanwhile, the 35mm matted widescreen system—a non-anamorphics solution—developed rapidly. It was cost-effective and easy to produce, becoming widely adopted globally.
Transformation in the Digital Age
In the late 1990s and 2000s, the advent of digital intermediate (DI) technology reduced the popularity of anamorphics widescreen compared to "flat" (or "spherical") formats like Super 35. However, the widespread adoption of digital film cameras and projectors sparked a significant revival of anamorphics technology—largely driven by digital sensors’ higher base ISO sensitivity, which facilitated shooting at smaller apertures. Today, anamorphics widescreen remains a common choice in cinematography, delivering unique visual effects and artistic ambiance to film frames.