Some of you may have read about a new method for resizing images (hires), which may revolutionize how pictures on the Web are viewed in your browser. This method is called "Seam Carving", "Retargeting" or "Liquid resizing". Already at least one open source implementation has been written (warning: The link seems to be down at the moment).

This technology got me wondering.... Would it be possible to use this technology for moving images to resize theatrical releases on film to the varying aspect video aspect ratios? Could cinemascope films and wide-screen formatted movies like "Laurence of Arabia" be re-rendered for a 3:4 TV aspect ratio without resorting to the usual cropping and pan-and-scan? Is this preferable to those methods or does it compromise the cinematographer's integrity in a new and even more offensive way?

More after the jump...

The video and theatrical releases of most computer generated films ("Toy Story", etc.) are re-rendered for the varying aspect ratios, and sometimes objects in the frame are moved around for a pleasing composition. Imagine if the same could be done for ANY film.

It seems this technology could make such things possible. With the current implementation, less important content is eliminated or extra content added as a video is stretched and squashed. I wonder-- couldn't the same analysis be used between frames? (also- in this way, could people and objects be removed cleanly from video sources as well as still images?)

The original "Wizard of Oz" was shot at the same aspect ratio as traditional TV, making it viewable on home video with the original framing. But imagine a theatrical release of WoO where the elements have been reframed-- a widescreen Wizard of Oz!

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