Fitting 4:3 clip into 16:9 project at DVinfo.net

Stan Nugent · January 19th, 2006, 01:19 PM

I have a couple of '4:3 aspect ratio' clips on a timeline of a nature project (PAL format) which is '16:9 aspect ratio'. I've resized the 4:3 clips using Effects;Motion;Scale Width. It looks ok, in that the birds in the clips seem to be proportionate.

Does this sound like the correct thing to do? It certainly was an easy way to fix the problem, probably too easy I expect to hear.
Whats the accepted way to overcome this problem?

Jonathan Nicholas · January 19th, 2006, 04:45 PM

Have you zoomed into the 4:3 to make it fit, or have you shrank the width by 75% so that there will be black bars?

I myself prefer the second method as this doesn't degrade picture quality so much and retains the all the original shot. If there is significant use of 4:3 you could fill the black bars left and right with something more interesting!

Jon

Stan Nugent · January 20th, 2006, 06:18 AM

Jon,

I widened the 4:3 clips to get rid of the black bars left and right. Will this leave me with exactly proportional footage?

Is there another 'proper' way of changing 4:3 clips to 16:9 format or was I correct to do what I did.

Thanks for the input.
Stan

Jonathan Nicholas · January 20th, 2006, 07:03 AM

I think look at this this way -

If I was working in a 4:3 project and had some 16:9 footage - the footage (if anamorphic) would make people look tall and thin - and I would have to widen the picture to make it work.

So if you're working in a 16:9 project then any 4:3 footage (if anamorphic) would make people look short and fat as the picture is widened to fit the space - so you need to make the picture narrower to leave you with black bars left and right, and if you don't want to see the bars you also have to zoom into the picture.

However this could all be academic depending on your editing app.

Does the original 4:3 footage look right - do people look right - are round things actually round? Has the editing app actually put black bars left and right anyway?

Jon

Stan Nugent · January 20th, 2006, 11:26 AM

Jon,
I forgot to say I'm using a canon xl2 on the genuine 16:9 setting. Unfortunately when I first got the camera I used 4:3 setting.
I thought things (birds) looked a bit dumpy in the 4:3 clips. And yes there are black vertical bars left and right which I got rid of with the widening business.

I think it looks proportionately ok, its hard to tell exactly with birds.

I gather from what you say in your thread that what I did is an accepted way of rectifying the problem.

Appreciate your help.
Stan

Jonathan Nicholas · January 21st, 2006, 05:45 PM

It's an accepted way - but it's also up to you. Personnally I don't like to destroy the original framing so black bars is fine with me.

Jon

January 19th, 2006, 01:19 PM	#1
Stan Nugent New Boot Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 13	Fitting 4:3 clip into 16:9 project I have a couple of '4:3 aspect ratio' clips on a timeline of a nature project (PAL format) which is '16:9 aspect ratio'. I've resized the 4:3 clips using Effects;Motion;Scale Width. It looks ok, in that the birds in the clips seem to be proportionate. Does this sound like the correct thing to do? It certainly was an easy way to fix the problem, probably too easy I expect to hear. Whats the accepted way to overcome this problem?

January 19th, 2006, 04:45 PM	#2
Jonathan Nicholas Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Birmingham, UK Posts: 90	Have you zoomed into the 4:3 to make it fit, or have you shrank the width by 75% so that there will be black bars? I myself prefer the second method as this doesn't degrade picture quality so much and retains the all the original shot. If there is significant use of 4:3 you could fill the black bars left and right with something more interesting! Jon

January 20th, 2006, 06:18 AM	#3
Stan Nugent New Boot Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 13	Jon, I widened the 4:3 clips to get rid of the black bars left and right. Will this leave me with exactly proportional footage? Is there another 'proper' way of changing 4:3 clips to 16:9 format or was I correct to do what I did. Thanks for the input. Stan

January 20th, 2006, 07:03 AM	#4
Jonathan Nicholas Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Birmingham, UK Posts: 90	I think look at this this way - If I was working in a 4:3 project and had some 16:9 footage - the footage (if anamorphic) would make people look tall and thin - and I would have to widen the picture to make it work. So if you're working in a 16:9 project then any 4:3 footage (if anamorphic) would make people look short and fat as the picture is widened to fit the space - so you need to make the picture narrower to leave you with black bars left and right, and if you don't want to see the bars you also have to zoom into the picture. However this could all be academic depending on your editing app. Does the original 4:3 footage look right - do people look right - are round things actually round? Has the editing app actually put black bars left and right anyway? Jon

January 20th, 2006, 11:26 AM	#5
Stan Nugent New Boot Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 13	Jon, I forgot to say I'm using a canon xl2 on the genuine 16:9 setting. Unfortunately when I first got the camera I used 4:3 setting. I thought things (birds) looked a bit dumpy in the 4:3 clips. And yes there are black vertical bars left and right which I got rid of with the widening business. I think it looks proportionately ok, its hard to tell exactly with birds. I gather from what you say in your thread that what I did is an accepted way of rectifying the problem. Appreciate your help. Stan

January 21st, 2006, 05:45 PM	#6
Jonathan Nicholas Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Birmingham, UK Posts: 90	It's an accepted way - but it's also up to you. Personnally I don't like to destroy the original framing so black bars is fine with me. Jon