Post #1399725

Sorry if my answer didn't meet your expectations. I'm speaking purely of my own 45 years experience as a (now retired) film editor in New Zealand and London. I've never seen anamorphic films transmitted squeezed. Not on a broadcast channel. Indeed, if we'd done that the audience would've revolted because of all the skinny people. Is this perhaps a regional US phenomenon you're describing? Vaguely related: In the early 2000s I directed a TV series in NZ and had to get written permission in advance from the broadcaster to shoot in 16:9. The images looked fantastic, but the broadcaster chickened out at the last moment and squeezed the ten part series down to 14:9 for transmission, apparently so they wouldn't upset viewers still watching on 4:3 sets. This possibly goes halfway towards the effect you describe. As someone who knew every frame, I found the effect slightly unnerving, but audiences didn't notice. @beadsland