History Main / WideScreenShot

* Well before widescreen was even a gleam in an inventor's eye, the 1973 [[HorseRacing Belmont Stakes]] managed to pull one of these off by pulling the camera as far back as humanly possible when Secretariat - who would go on to demolish the competition with a 31-length win - rounded the far turn and began roaring down the backstretch. In fact, race caller Chic Anderson originally called the race as a 25-length victory, and it took careful analysis of that very widescreen shot to confirm the actual numbers.

** Also, ''WebAnimation/OctocatAdventure'', which shifts from an aspect ratio of 5:4 to 16:9 once the StylisticSuck is abandoned.

* One of the few memorable images in ''PearlHarbor'' was the shot of the Japanese planes flying in from behind the camera.

** The same thing is done in ''TheHorseWhisperer'', with the widescreen not being used until the film gets to Montana to make the landscapes even more impressive.

* Two Oscar-winning movie musicals that RobertWise directed, ''WestSideStory'' and ''TheSoundOfMusic'', begin with aerial pans across the landscape of the respective movie's setting (either Manhattan or Austria).

* The final graveyard scene in ''TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly''.

[[quoteright:330:[[Film/HowlsMovingCastle http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hmc_chair_shot_03_8225.jpg]]]]

* Harold Ramis jokes that when ''{{Ghostbusters}}'' is shown in a cropped version he's cut out of every group shot since the film can only fit all the actors standing in a row in widescreen.

** The same thing is done in ''{{The Horse Whisperer}}'', with the widescreen not being used until the film gets to Montana to make the landscapes even more impressive.

Later on directors such as DavidLean and AkiraKurosawa used the format for more artistic shots, to the point where their widescreen films actually lose a lot in being cropped to 4:3 ratio.

* BennyHill did a sketch where a widescreen film was being shown on TV with the PanAndScan being done as it was being broadcast, resulting in missing just about every action of note.

[[caption-width-right:330:PeopleSitOnChairs... in Cinemascope!]]

While [[ThreeDMovie 3D films]] relied on "jump out" shots to show themselves off (some films do, while others just use it for atmosphere now), widescreen films would rely on wide AspectRatio shots to show themselves off. At first, these were largely landscape shots, but as they didn't give people headaches, they were a lot more successful, and an integral part of SceneryPorn in films.

Compare {{Letterbox}}, VisualCompression (both are ways to try to fit widescreen into normal ratio), ShootTheMoney.

Compare {{Letterbox}}, VisualCompression (both are ways to try to fit widescreen into normal ratio).

* ''GalaxyQuest'' has an interesting version of this. The opening shots of the film is footage from the (fictional) television series, and shown in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Then the first quarter or so of the movie is the flat aspect ratio (1.85:1), before opening up the the scope ratio of 2.35:1 on a sprawling space vista.

* ''GalaxyQuest'' has an interesting version of this. The opening shots of the film is footage from the (fictional) television series, and shown in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Then the first quarter or so of the movie is the flat aspect ratio (1.85:1), before opening up the the scope ratio of 2.35:1 on a sprawling space vista.

* Two Oscar-winning movie musicals that RobertWise directed, ''WestSideStory'' and ''TheSoundOfMusic'', begin with aerial pans across the landscape of the respective movie's setting (either Manhattan or Austria).

[[Film/HowlsMovingCastle http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hmc_chair_shot_03_8225.jpg]]
[[caption-width:330:PeopleSitOnChairs... in Cinemascope!]]

* ''TheGirlCantHelpIt'' had a similar opening trick.

While [[{{ptitle49fktc1oipjq}} 3D films]] relied on "jump out" shots to show themselves off (some films do, while others just use it for atmosphere now), widescreen films would rely on wide AspectRatio shots to show themselves off. At first, these were largely landscape shots, but as they didn't give people headaches, they were a lot more successful, and an integral part of SceneryPorn in films.

* Two Oscar-winning movie musicals that RobertWise directed, ''WestSideStory'' and ''TheSoundOfMusic'', begin with aerial pans across the landscape of the respective movie's setting (Manhattan or Austria).

* Well before widescreen was even a gleam in an inventor's eye, the 1973 [[HorseRacing Belmont Stakes]] managed to pull one of these off by pulling the camera as far back as humanly possible when Secretariat - who would go on to demolish the competition with a 31-length win - rounded the far turn and began roaring down the backstretch. In fact, race caller Chic Anderson originally called the race as a 25-length victory, and it took careful analysis of that very widescreen shot to confirm the actual numbers.

* Harold Ramis jokes that he's cut out of every widescreen shot in ''{{Ghostbusters}}''.

While [[{{ptitle49fktc1oipjq}} 3D films]] relied on "jump out" shots to show themselves off (until recently), widescreen films would rely on wide AspectRatio shots to show themselves off. At first, these were largely landscape shots, but as they didn't give people headaches, they were a lot more successful, and an integral part of SceneryPorn in films.

[[Bong milk is good for the brain.:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/werewolf_9693_8856.jpg]]

But you can't tell your boyfriend about it! He'd freak out and leave you, or worse. But then, you can't keep it a secret forever, either. At some point, one of your supernatural incidents will inevitably happen exactly when you were having a romantic dinner. Or maybe your relationship has simply reached the next level, and you feel that you need to be completely honest with him.

So what now? How will he react? Well, it turns out he's perfectly okay (well, for the most part he's perfectly okay) and understanding with it! That's right, as a reward for your sacrifices, the PowersThatBe will make sure that you end up with a truly noble and loving soul who loves you for who you are and doesn't care what you are. So no worries!

This trope is a DoubleStandard, in that wives and girlfriends are pretty much automatically accepting of their ActionHero husband/boyfriend's actions, whereas the number of husbands/boyfriends who automatically accept that their significant other is an ActionGirl are pretty thin on the ground. For the guy who is a super and needs a girlfriend, his powers are often a plus for her (because AllGirlsWantBadBoys). For women, finding a guy who truly doesn't have a problem with dating someone with superpowers when he's a {{Muggle}} is the bigger issue, because, well, NoGuyWantsAnAmazon.

Compare ButYourWingsAreBeautiful, when a disguise forms part of the powers. Compare to ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend for the ActionGirl [[InvertedTrope variant.]] Compare and contrast BoyMeetsGhoul, for the guy/girl who is on the other end of this trope. See also TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife, which is an aversion of this trope.
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!!Examples:
[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* The central premise of ''[[NogizakaHarukaNoHimitsu The Secrets of Haruka Nogizaka]]''. The titular girl is an otaku.
* Ditto with ''[[OreImo My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute]]''. Except that the guy is not a boyfriend, but the big brother... [[{{Squick}} yeah]].
* Austria from ''AxisPowersHetalia'', in regards to his VictoriousChildhoodFriend Hungary. While he's concerned for her well-being, in the end he knows that if she wants to fight, he better lets her... since she will go [[OneManArmy One Woman Army]] and destroy the enemy. Considering their childhood, [[LoveAtFirstPunch he knows it beforehand]]!
* [[ShamanKing Keiko Asakura]] had been dumped by ''every'' single boyfriend she had when they learnt she was able to see spirits. Until the last JerkAss left her and a penniless musician with similar abilities comforted her. That guy was Mikihisa, and she would marry him.
* Horribly deconstructed with [[spoiler: Shiso and Ceres]] in ''AyashiNoCeres''. [[spoiler: Shiso started like this, but being left helpless when he and Ceres got attacked [[IJustWantToBeSpecial made him very frustrated]], so he asked Ceres to give him a part of her powers [[IWillProtectHer so he wouldn't be a burden on her.]] But then, [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity said powers turned out to be too much to handle]], and ItGotWorse...]]


[[AC:{{Comic Books}}]]
* [[NiceGuy Kong]] is this to [[XMen Kitty Pryde]] in UltimateMarvel, even going so far as to yell "You're welcome!" at AllOfTheOtherReindeer for not thanking her when she saves their lives.
* Back in the GoldenAge, Steve Trevor was this for WonderWoman (a remarkably progressive move for the times), and not at all threatened by the idea of getting rescued by or mooning over a woman who was twenty times stronger than him. The Silver and Bronze Age characterizations of him were...[[TooDumbToLive unfortunately]] [[JerkAss less so]], which probably led to him being deleted from continuity PostCrisis.
* In an old What If comic, Jimmy Olsen married Supergirl because of amnesia. Once she recovers and lets him know, he's totally fine with being married to Superman's cousin.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* In ''InnocentBlood'', FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire Marie has her understanding CopBoyfriend Joe.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* Elend in Brandon Sanderson's ''{{Mistborn}}''. At least [[spoiler:until he gets superpowers himself.]]
* Seth in ''WickedLovely''. When Aislinn tells him that she can see faeries, he has exactly one moment of "Is this a joke?" before accepting it and trying to help her with her faery situation.

[[AC:{{Live Action TV}}]]
* The ''GhostWhisperer'' features Jim the Understanding Husband.
* Both [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] and played straight in ''{{Bewitched}}''. The original Darrin (Dick York) was less than understanding, to the point of being downright hostile to Samantha when she used her magic. TheOtherDarrin (Dick Sargeant), on the other hand, tried his hardest to be understanding, the point that it was more the fault of Endora and the rest of Samantha's family that TheOtherDarrin didn't get along with witches.
* Played with in the ''SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' TV series. Harvey ''does'' leave Sabrina when he finds out she's a witch, not out of intolerance but because she'd been using magic to mess with his life for years. He eventually does come back to her, though, and says he never had a problem with her being a witch per se.
* Zack was the "gay best friend" equivalent of this in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', at least until ExecutiveMeddling got in the way.
* Unless she's dating one of the undead, Buffy never got this on ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' (even Riley, who was himself a demon fighting super-soldier, had an inferiority complex due to dating a genuine superhero). It's Willow who hit the boyfriend jackpot with Oz; upon being told the truth about the supernatural world she runs in, he replies, "Actually, it explains a lot," and just goes with the flow from there.
* Tyler Ford in ''TheMiddleman'''s unaired season finale (released as a comic)...[[spoiler:at least, until MM pushes the ResetButton]].
* Allison's husband Joe on ''{{Medium}}'' believes in her powers and is understanding and accepting of them.
* In ''{{Series/Merlin}}'', 2x09. Merlin discovers [[spoiler: Freya turns into a bastet at night, but he isn´t afraid and stills takes care of her. He even pets her cat´s head...]]
[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/understanding/ this]] ''WapsiSquare'' comic. Also the page quote.
* {{Subverted}} (although this may be a retrospective way of seeing it) in ''SluggyFreelance''. Leo seems to be accepting of all the weird things Zoë tells about happening to her - but it turns out that was only because he thought she was lying. In the words of another jerk he hangs out with, "You've got to respect a girl who realizes romantic relationships are based on lies and goes to town with it!" As soon as Leo finds out it was all true, he feels betrayed, and they eventually break off.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* [[PhineasAndFerb Candace]] seems to have this with Jeremy. Despite all of Candace's attempts to put a stop to PhineasAndFerb's projects, the guy never, ever seems to lose his cool, and they're still an item.
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[[Film/HowlsMovingCastle http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hmc_chair_shot_03_8225.jpg]]
[[caption-width:330:PeopleSitOnChairs... in Cinemascope!]]

While [[{{ptitle49fktc1oipjq}} 3D films]] relied on "jump out" shots to show themselves off (until recently), widescreen films would rely on wide AspectRatio shots to show themselves off. At first, these were largely landscape shots, but as they didn't give people headaches, they were a lot more successful, and an integral part of SceneryPorn in films.

Later on directors such as DavidLean and AkiraKurosawa used the format for more artistic shots, to the point where their widescreen films actually lose a lot in being cropped to 4:3 ratio.

Although landscapes are still some of the most common forms of widescreen showing shots, others include people far apart from each other or showing a huge crowd of people.

One definite gimmick form of this is showing a shot in normal screen ratio, and then having it spread out to widescreen.

Film studios also marketed their respective widescreen formats in the early days (since they each used tech that could be patented), even if most were essentially the same result (a wider camera and screen), except for Cinerama (which utilized three synchronized projectors over three standard ratio screens).

Compare {{Letterbox}}, VisualCompression (both are ways to try to fit widescreen into normal ratio).

Contrast PanAndScan.

!!Notable shots in films:
* The desert shots in ''LawrenceOfArabia''
* One of the few memorable images in ''PearlHarbor'' was the shot of the Japanese planes flying in from behind the camera.
* The Star Destroyer shot in ''ANewHope''.
* Kurosawa was fond of shots of Samurai standing far apart from each other, and was referenced at the end of ''KillBill part 1''.
* The final graveyard scene in ''TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly''.
* Harold Ramis jokes that he's cut out of every widescreen shot in ''{{Ghostbusters}}''.
* {{Lampshaded}} in the ClassicDisneyShort "Grand Canyonscope", where Ranger Woodlore encourages a crowd of visitors to the Grand Canyon to spread out because they're in Cinemascope.
* ''WillSuccessSpoilRockHunter'' has a brief intermision where the Cinemascope screen shrinks down to a tiny square, for those in the audience who are accustomed to watching television. The screen can scarcely show Tony Randall in full view, and he has to crouch down to get his head in the shot.
* ''TheGirlCantHelpIt'' had a similar opening trick.
* Several tournament shots in ''AKnightsTale''.
* 1956's ''AroundTheWorldInEightyDays'' begins with a small, square introduction, matching the old footage of ''ATripToTheMoon'' used therein, and then the screen widens out dramatically to show off the 70mm format.
* BennyHill did a sketch where a widescreen film was being shown on TV with the PanAndScan being done as it was being broadcast, resulting in missing just about every action of note.
* JossWhedon deliberately put several of these in the ''{{Firefly}}'' pilot, to force the studio to broadcast the show in widescreen format. The network's response was that they would broadcast the pilot [[ScrewedByTheNetwork (at the end of the series)]] in widescreen, so long as he never pulled this stunt again so they could air the rest of the series in 4:3. (A good example of how short-sighted the executives who cancelled the show were: less than a decade later, the series thrives exclusively on widescreen DVD, and all broadcasting is done in widescreen.)
* Well before widescreen was even a gleam in an inventor's eye, the 1973 [[HorseRacing Belmont Stakes]] managed to pull one of these off by pulling the camera as far back as humanly possible when Secretariat - who would go on to demolish the competition with a 31-length win - rounded the far turn and began roaring down the backstretch. In fact, race caller Chic Anderson originally called the race as a 25-length victory, and it took careful analysis of that very widescreen shot to confirm the actual numbers.

* JossWhedon deliberately put several of these in the ''{{Firefly}}'' trailer, to force the studio to broadcast the show in widescreen format. The network's response was that they would broadcast the pilot [[ScrewedByTheNetwork (at the end of the series)]] in widescreen, so long as he never pulled this stunt again so they could air the rest of the series in 4:3. (A good example of how short-sighted the executives who cancelled the show were: less than a decade later, the series thrives exclusively on widescreen DVD, and all broadcasting is done in widescreen.)

Film studios also marketed their respective widescreen formats in the early days (since they each used tech that could be patented), even if most were essentially the same. Cinerama was a big exception, utilizing three synchronized projectors over three standard ratio screens.

While [[{{ptitle49fktc1oipjq}} 3D films]] relied on "jump out" shots to show themselves off (until recently), widescreen films would rely on wide shots to show themselves off. At first, these were largely landscape shots, but as they didn't give people headaches, they were a lot more successful, and an integral part of SceneryPorn in films.

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