Can I convert my film’s aspect ratio from 4X3 to 16X9 using FCP 6.0.6 to then export a self-contained QT file?

[Rafael Amador]

[Donia Mili] ” I would like to know if I can change the 4X3 aspect ratio of my film to 16X9 using FCP 6.0.6? “
No problem. Is just about to cropping the top and the bottom of the picture.

You do not give details on your movie, but I understand that is SD 4×3.
Just drop your movie on a sequence with the sam settings but Anamorphic.
rafael

[Donia Mili]

Thanks for your quick response Rafael, I really appreciate it.

It is indeed SD 4X3, and the audio is 5.1 surround sound but I don’t think the latter makes a difference or does it?

I understand that I need to open a new sequence, drop the whole film, keep the same settings but choose anamorphic widescreen; yet, I would love to know if this format change will affect the archival footage or the Super 8 shots?

Take care,

Donia

Donia

[Spencer Averick]

Yes without knowing all the details I’d say you probably can’t do it. Your movie was either shot 4×3 or 16×9. It’s like trying to turn a square into a rectangle, it will be stretched out. You can put your 4×3 movie into a 16×9 frame with black bars on the side, that is one option but obviously looks weird. If your movie was shot SD anamorphic then you’ll probably be okay but it doesn’t sound like it was.

[Donia Mili]

Thanks Spencer. I keep on leaving relevant info, sorry about that.

I shot with a Panasonic DVX 100 camera which is 4:3 only as you know.

I’ll try to change the format to 16:9 just to experiment with it, but from it does not sound like I will be able to deliver a quality 16:9 version of my film.

Donia

[Sascha Engel]

If it’s about the 16*9 look, I’d do following: If you still have the project with all single shots/clips on the TL use that one, otherwise make a new project, drop the whole movie into a new TL (which is still a 4*3 Aspect Ration), and then slice it up again into the individual shots.
Now, drop on each clip a MATTE Video Filter, set it to the Aspect Ration you want and move the clip in between the Black Bars with the “Offset” function, till the framing is to your liking.

Greetz,

Sascha

[Nick Meyers]

Sasha’s method is best as you can individually re-frame each shot
but you don’t have to use the widescreen mask filter,

another approach would be to drop your finished film into a new timeline: same settings for everything but set to anamorphic.
oh, yes, and go into the sequence settings, Video Processing, and turn motion scaling to BEST

it wil most likely appear with black bars left & right (Pillar-boxing)

you need to BLOW UP your footage to 133.33%

just like Sasha’s method you can control each shot, adjusting the framing up or down, key framing it if needed,
even leaving some shots stretched wide if they work best that way.
(i have even dome some simple composting to make 4/6 shots work as 16/9)

main difference is you now have a 16/9 anamorphic version of your film,
not a 4/3 letter-boxed one.

which you chose depends on your delivery requirements.

oh, and back to the widescreen mask, it is MUCH easier to add a mask as an overlay on a track above your video , and reframe it underneath the mask

nick

[Mark Suszko]

If the source material is SD quality, blowing it up very much will start to make it look pixellated. Re-framing the cropped images under a mask is the shortcut method over re-editing from scratch, and may solve some compositional problems, but will also affect the overall aesthetic, if the thing really was shot with a 4:3 in mind.

[Nick Meyers]

there’s a good chance it’s going to be screened as 16/9, so it’s got to be blown up somewhere.

nick

[Donia Mili]

Thanks for your input Sascha.

It is a time-consuming suggestion, but the one that may come closest to a 16:9 look for the VoD platforms, and maybe Itunes, but I doubt it will be good enough quality for them. After all, the project was shot in 4:3.

Anyway, I’m willing to give this a shot, worse comes to worst it will be a learning experience for me…you never know bonding with my TL in the late hours of the night, has proven to be fertile ground for FCP miracles!

Be well,

Donia

[Rafael Amador]

Sacha’s suggestion is OK if you have been asked for LETTER BOXED.
If you have been asked for plain 16×9 (Anamorphic), that’s not the way.

That’s for broadcasting, but If your movie will be played in computers, you will also need to make it Squared Pixels.
You should ask the proper specs of what they want.
rafael