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Film directors don't always shoot footage in the same format from one project to the next. Movie directors don't always have access to the equipment they would like to. Often the requirements of the story necessitate a certain look. Also indie film directors won't only be in charge of moving pictures, but also responsible for still images.

Aspect ratio is the dimension of the frame of a particular camera or medium, the height and width measurements of the 2-D image you see. Although a director may never have to use all of these aspect ratios, it's important to know them and in a pinch be able to use them effectively.

This aspect ratio seems almost perfectly square to the untrained eye. It's the dimension of the average television set, computer monitor and online video sites. This is the format that audiences are accustomed to viewing serial content. There is an inherent emphasis on close-ups and medium shots since it does not have the breadth and scope of widescreen.

Just slightly wider than 4:3, this is the most common dimension of still cameras. Originated in 35mm film still cameras, it's also the standard for digital still cameras. Although it might seem an arbitrary number it's the measurement of exposable space on 35mm still film, and is also closely related to the printing dimensions in your average photo printing store. A 3:2 ratio photo fits perfectly in a 4x6 printed picture.

This aspect ratio is the newest of the bunch. It was created as a way to combine all the other aspect ratios together. It's not very common in digital still cameras, but its use is widespread in the digital camcorder arena. Not quite as wide as 35mm but a close approximation.

This aspect ratio will likely soon be extinct as 16:9 seems to be taking over as the dominant widescreen format. This is the native resolution of 35mm (3 perf) film movie cameras and with the move to digital filmmaking its demise seems imminent. It's likely you will never shoot in 35mm film, but it's important to know the difference if you do get the chance.

This is the widest of widescreen you will ever come across with minor exceptions here and there. This is the aspect ratio that most major motion pictures employ. This aspect ratio isn't natively supported in any camcorder or movie projector. The only way to project this aspect ratio is with the use of a special anamorphic lens. To capture images you either use super35mm or an anamorphic lens that squeezes a 2.39:1 ratio image to fit on a normal 35mm or wide screen digital CCD.

As a film director you can be as expert as you'd like to be or as unaware as you want. Unfortunately it's often movie directors with big budgets that are the ones that can afford to be ignorant. As a director of low budget independent films, knowledge is one of the few resources that is as available to you as it is to mainstream directors. They say we fear the things we don't know, so save yourself some stress and get to know different kinds of cameras.