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Having problems with stretched footage in AE
Okay, I found a thread similar to mine, but I’m still having issues. Here’s the problem.
I’m required to create animation with still photo elements in AE and then get that exported into FCP. We are working with in the DVCPRO HD 720p/23.976 settings. I’m pretty new to HD, so I’m a bit confused. This setting is 960×720 (which confuses me because I thought that HD was widescreen 16:9 format and 960×720 is 4:3 square television format). So I’m working in this atmosphere of 960×720 but all my work looks scrunched, width wise, and if I turn on the Aspect Ratio button, it looks like the 16×9 ratio, but then all my imagery looks very pixelated. I’m working with copy too, and with that aspect ratio button turned on, the copy looks jagged.
What’s the deal? Also, I ran some tests and I exported this as Best Quality animation QT, and brought it into FCP, and it looks very low resolution. 🙁
Am I doing something wrong? All this HD seems so much more confusing than SD stuff.
Thanks for any tips,
~DJ
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6 Replies
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You’re having an issue with PIXEL ASPECT RATIO. 960×720 is a 4:3 aspect 1280×720 is a 16:9 aspect. And that’s not just the screen’s aspect, it’s also the aspect of each pixel in the media. Do some research on non-square pixels.
When you turn Aspect Ratio Correction on, it’s doing a low-intense stretch – so you will see jaggies. But rest assured, it will look fine in export. Just for previewing.
As far as the footage looking bad in FCP, unless you need to use an alpha channel, send it out Uncompressed. Check your RT settings, you may be seeing an RT render (which will look lo-fi). Is the render bar orange?
But do some research so you know the lingo and can save time later.
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I think your suggestion will work, makes sense! I’ll give it a shot, thanks!
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I don’t know if this helps, but I just learned from our editor that we are working in 1280×720 aspect ratio, but in 960×720 comp size, letterboxed.
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Oh and I should add, that we are filming with the Panasonic HXV200, which I just found out that in 720p mode it outputs at 960×720 (4:3) and that’s why we are letterboxing. This confuses me on the visual effects side of things. So I have to figure out how to do VFX in AE and get that to my editor working in FCP.
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This tutorial should send you in the right direction. It’s a little old and regards to SD, but it’s a step forward.
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Thanks, this helps out a lot.
I also have the problem solved. Our camera saves the footage at 960×720 anamorphic size and so essentially it get’s output to it’s proper 1280×720 widesreen HD size. That was what was throwing me off so much.
😀
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