exporting anamorphic project to a quicktime file as a rectangular frame size

[Jeremy Garchow]

What kind of file do you want as a result?

[Manuel F. rugeles]

I want a Dv-ntsc quicktime file with a rectangular frame size to create a DVD, I know a letterboxed 4:3 movie file will also work, but I want to learn how to do a quicktime file with a full rectangular size, because I know it can be done, just like the quicktime files that you see on the internet. like the quicktime movie trailers on apple.com for example. Maybe in the near future I will need to edit a 16:9 movie for the web, so I want to know how do you make this type of files.

Felgue.
Editing and Motion Graphics

[Alan Okey]

[Felgue] “I want a Dv-ntsc quicktime file with a rectangular frame size to create a DVD, I know a letterboxed 4:3 movie file will also work, but I want to learn how to do a quicktime file with a full rectangular size, because I know it can be done, just like the quicktime files that you see on the internet.”

You’re asking for two different things. Assuming you’re working with 720×480 DV source material:

To make an anamorphic DVD, encode the source anamorphic video as an anamorphic MPEG-2 file.

To make a 16:9 standalone Quicktime file, export from FCP using Quicktime conversion. Change the output resolution to “custom” and make it either 854×480 or 640×360.

[Manuel F. rugeles]

Well, I thought that making a 16:9 standalone DV-NTSC quicktime file would be enough to make an anamorphic DVD from DVD Studio Pro or IDVD, and the process is the same to make a 16:9 quicktime file for the web, only changing the codec for the web. Anyway, yes there are two different things, and thanks for the anwers, but my question now is: does the sequence settings need to be with the anamorphic checkbox activated when I export the quicktime file (using quicktime conversion)? I think this question is for both making an anamorphic DVD and exporting the 16:9 quicktime file with a full rectangular frame size, not letterboxed. I have tried to make a quicktime file, with a rectangular frame size, to make an anamorphic DVD with it. but the only way I

[Alan Okey]

You don’t have to make a 16:9 Quicktime file to make an anamorphic DVD. Follow this workflow:

Open your anamorphic project in Final Cut Pro. From the file menu, choose “export using Compressor.” Once Compressor has opened, click on the pop-up menu button under “setting” in the batch window. Choose the encoding setting that is appropriate for the length of the video you are submitting, and make sure that the description of whichever option you choose ends in “16:9” or “Widescreen.” This will encode your anamorphic video as an anamorphic MPEG-2 video file.

When you import the MPEG-2 file into DVD Studio Pro, once you create a track for the video, in the track inspector palette you can specify how a DVD player will play back the anamorphic video track. Your video will automatically play back in 16:9 on a 16:9 television, but you can control how it will play back on a 4:3 television. You can force the player to letterbox the video on the 4:3 screen, force the player to crop the sides (pan & scan) or force the player to play back the file as a 4:3 image, in which case it will appear vertically squeezed. DVD players are able to detect anamorphic encoded video and display it properly depending on how you specify the disc and/or the player to handle anamorphic material.

Quicktime player is not savvy to anamorphic-flagged video files unless they are MPEG-2 encoded anamorphic video and you have purchased the Quicktime MPEG-2 playback component. Therefore, to have the video play back properly in Quicktime player, you need to manually resize the image when exporting it from Final Cut Pro using Quicktime conversion. As long as the ratio of horizontal to vertical pixels is at a 16:9 ratio (or 1.78:1) then your video will be properly displayed in its original widescreen aspect ratio.

Note: Using the “export using Quicktime conversion” option in Final Cut Pro does not automatically create a 16:9 video, even if your FCP sequence is anamorphic. Unless you manually resize the frame, you will end up with a 4:3 file that looks vertically stretched.

Hope this helps.

[Manuel F. rugeles]

Thank you very much… I did not know Quicktime does not support anamorphic video unless its ecoded in MPEG 2 or resized manually when exporting from FCP, thanks for clearing my doubts!!

Felgue.
Editing and Motion Graphics