[Donia Mili]

Hi Bob,

I did not get a chance to do the conversion yet, as my life took an unexpected turn and I have had to put the indie film world on the back burner. In the meantime, a fellow filmmaker emailed me personally in August about this very conversion issue, and this is what he wrote:

Question?
Can I convert my film’s aspect ratio from 4X3 to 16X9?

Yes, fast and easy.

Best Way to Convert 4×3 to 16×9

I shot all my films in 4×3 (1.33:1).

Download FormatFactory 3.1.1
Freeware (Professional Media Converter)
https://www.pcfreetime.com/download.html

1. Install,
2. Run,
3. On the left-side menu bar, click on the format you want to convert to (example avi, mov, etc),
4. Click on, Add File (your source),
5. Select (source file) click on open,
6. Click on output settings,
7, Select (High quality and size) option,
8. Click on (video Size) and set to (720×480 DVD-NTSC),
9. Click on (Aspect Ratio) and set to (16:9),
10. Click on OK,
11. Select (Output Folder),
12. Click on OK,
13. Click on (Start) top menu bar.
14. Wait for a few hours (2-15 hours) depending on how fast your system is and how big your source file is.

Your Done 🙂

Your newly converted video will be 16×9 (1.78:1) anamorphic widescreen (the best form of widescreen available).

There will not be black bars on the sides when viewing this on a widescreen 16×9 TV, it will fill the screen.

Another, thing I should mention is after you create your new (16:9) source file, you’ll want to create DVD masters and DVD copies. In order to do so correctly, you will need to set your DVD creator program to (16:9) if, you do not it will be created as a re-encoded as a (4:3) aspect ratio again.

Use (the following) Freeware Program:

VSO DivxtoDVD 0.5.2b

https://www.afterdawn.com/software/audio_video/convert_video/vso_divxtodvd_free.cfm
(It’s easy and professional)

It will convert avi, divx, xvid, mov, mp4 and so on.

A vast majority, of filmmakers use this program.

As simple as 1,2,3 really….

Install,
Run,
Select Source File,
Select Destination Folder,
Select Aspect – Click on (Force 16:9),
Select Standard – Click on (Automatic),
Click on (Convert) button.

Your Done 🙂 it takes around 2 hours if, your source file has a runtime of 90 minutes.

Your DVD will be region free, have Dolby Digital 2.0 Audio and be anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1).

*****

Burn to a Blank DVD-R or DVD+R disc with the burning program of your choice.

One important thing you’ll need to make sure you do, before you burn to a Blank DVD is (the following):

Create a folder – Title it:
AUDIO_TS
(just as you see it here with the caps and underscore).

Do not put anything in the folder leave it empty.

Burn this folder AUDIO_TS and the VIDEO_TS Folder that was created by VSO DivxtoDVD to a blank DVD.

The AUDIO_TS Folder allows for older and some newer model DVD player to detect the DVD content correctly and to confirm it’s an actual DVD being played.

Donia

[Donia Mili]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for brainstorming even further about this issue.

I’m willing to give this other method a shot, but the challenge will be to find a better app than FCP to do the scaling afterward.

I don’t have After Effects, and I’m not familiar with this application. I am also in Brazil at the moment, but on my way back to the NYC in the next couple of months or so and there, I would find some options.

Yours till the cow mooooooooooooos,

Donia

[Donia Mili]

Nick, many thanks for paying close attention to my question and the thread.

A big thank you to Rafael as well, and yes, I agree that leaving my film at 4:3 would be the better way to go.

In gratitude,

Donia

[Donia Mili]

Hi Mark,

I see that the philosophical insight, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts can be applied to montage theory as well, which makes sense.

I read your experiment with interest, and creatively speaking the idea of introducing on one screen, multidimensional visual threads speaks to me. I have a hard time with concision, my first film runs about 130 min, while the second one (the one I have been asked to transform into a 16:9 widescreen) is about 110 min. The more, the better is my M.O.!

These days, it seems to me that audiences are evolving, and demanding a more specialized content, not to mention there is an audience for everything. In short and in the near future, I want to try to edit secondary screens as you described above; the French in me is all giddy about it!

For now I have to focus on the more practical and efficient solution to respond to the distributor’s demands, but know that your input has not fallen on deaf ears.

Thank you for the inspiration.

Shine on,

Donia

[Donia Mili]

Rafael & Nick: I am VERY grateful for all your ideas, and I will do my best to put them into application.

I also wrote to the distributor, asking them just how much this 16:9 format meant to them :)? Notwithstanding, I am actually in the mood to attempt this metamorphosis or rather shape-shifting of my film, which coincidentally enough revolves around ayahuasca and shamanism!

Until next time,

Donia

[Donia Mili]

I will Nick… and I’ll let you know the results.

Thanks again,

Donia

[Donia Mili]

Thanks again Rafael! For now, I will leave Itunes out of it, and focus the VoD platforms, Amazon…

BTW, if Sascha’s method does not work for plain 16:9 anamorphic, in that it will come up letterboxed as you wrote above, what above Nick Meyer’s method which is similar to your first suggestion, no?

You first suggested: “Just drop your movie on a sequence with the same settings but Anamorphic.”

And Nick Meyer’s suggestion was:
“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.”

Rafael, please let me know what you think if you get a chance.

Donia

[Donia Mili]

Firstly, let me thank you all for your time investment and your professional advice… I truly appreciate the solidarity.

I just wrote to Nick Meyers that following Dave’s, Rafael’s and his advice, I need to write to the distributor today and go over their delivery specs. As for Itunes’specs, they are the most demanding, and the ones I will have to leave out unless a new solution comes up.

In the meantime, I just found in the huge folder (I’m not big on paper work!) from the distributor, their technical sheet and some additional recommendations for Itunes. I should have looked more closely into the folder they sent me, but their technical lady was keeping in touch with me about the encoding process, and so I assumed everything would work out through her.

SD Source
NTSC
QuickTime

Frame Size: 720×486 or 720×480
Frame Rate: 29.97 or 23.98
Codecs: Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
10 bit Uncompressed 4:2:2
8 bit Uncompressed 4:2:2

Audio: Stereo: LPCM in either Big Endian or Little Endian,
16-bit or 24-bit, at least 48kHz
Surround: Expected channels: L, R, C, LFE, Ls, Rs, LtRt

My film is a narrative documentary, shot in SD 4:3, edited in 4:3 aspect ratio, with archival footage, super 8 shots and 5.1 surround sound.
I pasted below the list of additional points for Itunes, to show that encoding my film for most of these internet platforms is no easy task. And I have not even touched on the subtitles’ issue! I already warned them that I am not even going to go there, I’ve paid my dues already!

Additional points:
1. Severe or noticeable audio-pops
2. Severe interlacing or ghosting in the frames, images or subtitles
3. Severe instances of digital blocking or break-up
4. Mixed frame rates in narrative features (Yes – it’s a different standard for Doc’s because often in Doc’s you are dealing with footage from various sources)
5. Dual text elements appearing on screen – you can’t have subtitles burned in to the feature and also have a different language subtitle track appear.
6. Dual Mono audio – this would be accepted only in the case of very old content where there was never a stereo file made.
7. Empty Audio Channels – if you are supplying a 5.1 file, all channels need to be active (i.e. there must be audio present in all 6 channels). Any empty channels will be flagged and you will be asked to resupply the entire audio file.
8. Mixed Aspect Ratios – the entire feature must be in the same aspect ratio (ex: 1.78, 1.85 or 2.35). Some allowances are made for differences in the aspect ratios of the opening and end credits and for Doc footage. Narrative features must be consistent throughout, however.

I’ll be back with more shortly.

Cheers!

Donia

[Donia Mili]

Thanks for your help Nick.

It is becoming clear I need to write to the distributor and ask them for their delivery specs as you, Dave and Rafael reflected.

More to come,

Donia

Donia

[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