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Shot 4×3, but Finishing HD
Working on a commercial that was shot on film 4×3, but when it comes time to master, after transfer, and the online, the image will be blown up, and then center cut.
This is my first time working on a 4×3 source and going to HD, so I guess Im just interested in any general advice, or workflow ideas
Is there a rule of thumb, to inspecting in the cut, what will be cut off? I definitly dont want to cut the product off when it airs.
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7 Replies
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If you apply black bars top and bottom that match 16:9 letterboxing that will give you a guide to where to keep your image in. You can then lower or raise the clip as needed.
I hope you are going a hardware convert, this is a serious enlargement, and even if you are starting with the best footage that is super crisp it is going to get soft.
– Our software is idiot-proof, if you bought it it proves you are an idiot. – Dilbert
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In my experience it’s much better to have them enlarge and reframe during film transfer and deliver it to you as proper HD. It’s a lot easier and will look a lot better. In one case you’re enlarging film, and the other you’re enlarging video. The film holds up better.
Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.
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did not read the “film” part of the first post.
– Our software is idiot-proof, if you bought it it proves you are an idiot. – Dilbert
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So what do you think, then?
Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.
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I would agree with you, scan as HD. Of course you really need to have shoot with 16:9 crop in mind, or have more hands on when scanning. It would at least be wise to scan as HD with pillarbox if they need to a lot of raising and lowering of the image to get the part of the image they want in the 16:9, then crop the center on output via hardware, at least there is a lot less zooming going on.
– Our software is idiot-proof, if you bought it it proves you are an idiot. – Dilbert
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I’ve had the best luck when I sit in on the session. I just go direct to HD in full HD 16:9. It ends a lot of arguments and hassles later. Just about everyone forgets that the image was shifted in transfer. It looks better, and if something is really wrong later we can always go back (though I never have). In the old days we’d even reframe super 16 and 35mm anyway to get a “better” framing, especially when we wanted to make sure the shot would work on a 4:3 broadcast.
Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.
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My concern is losing the product or main characters head in the pillar boxing. I was going to try and simulate the 16×9 blow up action, and then pillar box in FCP, on my cut before the transfer.
I guess I will have room to move the image up and down , but not left to right…right?
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