: The scanner captures the entire negative. This was originally a standard practice for adapting films to 4:3 square televisions without losing the sides of the image, as happens in the pan and scan process. The Benefits and Risks for Film Fans
This tension explains why open matte scans occupy a niche, often fan-driven space. Official releases almost never include them, save for occasional “fullscreen” DVDs from the early 2000s—a format often despised for panning-and-scanning but occasionally treasured for its accidental open matte transfers. Instead, these scans circulate among collectors, preserved on forums and private trackers, discussed with the fervor of paleontologists unearthing a new fossil. They are not replacements for the theatrical version, but supplements: annotated editions of a visual text.
Because it wasn't intended for the final cut, you might occasionally spot a boom mic or the edge of a set—which only adds to the "behind-the-scenes" magic for film nerds. open matte scan
Long before Christopher Nolan used IMAX cameras to give us expanding aspect ratios, home video was doing it by accident.
As film preservation and home media evolution continue to clash, the Open Matte scan remains one of the most fascinating aspects of aspect ratios. Here is a deep dive into what it is, why it exists, and why film snobs (like me) go crazy for it. : The scanner captures the entire negative
Second, the open matte scan serves as a historical document of production realities. When you see a microphone dipping into the top of the frame during a quiet dialogue scene—a common sight on open matte versions of The Evil Dead or early Doctor Who serials—you are not witnessing an error. You are witnessing the original error , masked for decades by the hard matte. It demystifies cinema, reminding us that filmmaking is a constant negotiation between chaos and control. For students of the craft, these scans offer an unfiltered look at how set designers, lighting technicians, and boom operators worked within (and occasionally outside) the safe action area.
While modern audiences are accustomed to "black bars" (letterboxing), most films shot on 35mm use an that is nearly square. To create a cinematic widescreen look, directors use a "soft matte"—masking the top and bottom of the frame during projection. An open matte scan removes this mask, "opening" the image to show a taller, fuller frame. How Open Matte Scans Work Official releases almost never include them, save for
Directors often didn't compose shots for the top and bottom of the frame. This leads to hilarious "goofs" in Open Matte scans, such as:
But for film preservationists, the Open Matte scan is a holy grail. It represents the raw, uncut potential of the celluloid—a chance to see the machinery behind the magic.
You get a sense of the scale and height that’s usually lost. It’s like seeing the "raw" world the actors were standing in.