The Ultra Panavision 70 format
Quentin Tarantino has a long history of using SPLIT DIOPTER shots in:
- Reservoir Dogs
- Pulp Fiction
- Jackie Brown
- THE HATEFUL EIGHT
This time around with the help of legendary DP Robert Richardson they have accomplished the shots in the Ultra Panavision 70 format. It is technically a 65mm film format that is projected in 70mm and it is one of the largest film formats available. IMAX is larger but it lacks the super-wide 2.76:1 aspect ratio of Ultra Panavision 70.
There are 5 different set-ups (13 shots total) in the film that use this in-camera technique and all of them come at highly emotional or critical story points during the film.
As I’ve mentioned before, the effective use of this technique must come from a storytelling point of view. It must emphasize a moment in the film that enhances the viewer’s experience and it should not be solely a visual gimmick. Emotion should drive the reason we are seeing the world in an unnatural way at that moment.
Here are all of the Split Diopter shots in THE HATEFUL EIGHT:
Until next time…
