BIGGER, SHARPER, BETTER: THE HISTORY OF VISTAVISION

In the 1950s, Hollywood entered a widescreen race to win back audiences with larger-than-life experiences that television simply couldn’t offer. After 20th Century Fox dazzled moviegoers with CinemaScope, Paramount responded with VistaVision—an innovative widescreen format that offered unparalleled clarity, rich color, and a level of detail that remains stunning to this day. Used in classics like White Christmas, To Catch a Thief, and North by Northwest, VistaVision not only shaped the look of films during the Golden Age but also found an unexpected second life in visual effects for Star Wars and beyond. Join us for an illuminating journey through the history of VistaVision, from its origins at Paramount to its lasting impact on cinema. Through rare behind-the-scenes film clips, images and expert insights, we’ll explore how this innovative format created some of Hollywood’s most iconic images and why its legacy still matters today. Presented by Charlotte Barker, director of film restoration and preservation at Paramount Pictures, and Craig Barron, Academy-Award winning visual effects supervisor and historian.