[Job Ter burg]

The cinematographer is alomost correct, since a 16×9 mask in Avid MC does a 25% mask, keeping 75% of the vertical lines, which means 810 lines, which implies an aspect ratio of 1920/810=2.37037037037…

Also, in current Digital Cinema formats, Scope is 2048×858, meaning an aspect ratio of 2.38694693…

However, the 16×9 Film Mask you are now using can only set the V percentage in round numbers. So you either get 2.37037 (v=75) or 2.4024 (v=74).

The best way is to do such a mask in MC is to go to your Project Window, Format tab, click Mask Margins, choose a 2.39:1 Mask Margins preset. This masks the top and bottom 12.76% of the image, which gives you 804.384 vertical lines, which gives you an aspect ratio of 1920/804.384=2.38691968.

If the DP happened to shoot a framing chart (I always ask for those), you can use those to select the top and bottom edges of the intended framing.

In the Mask Margin Presets, you can also create a custom setting. A setting of 12.9622963% top and bottom would result in 800 lines, so 1920/800=2.40. But again, this is not the official current format for Scope releases.

After you have set the Mask Margins, you can apply them to your source monitor and record monitor (individually if you like), by right-clicking on the source or record monitor, and choosing Target Mask, and selecting one of the available options.
You can also apply the mask to Full Screen Display in the Full Screen Display Settings. Or if you have an I/O box, in the Video Output settings.

You can also use ‘Enable Mask Margins’ when exporting to Quicktime or when doing MXF File Exports.

[Job Ter burg]

Thanks, I appreciate that! Job

[Job Ter burg]

The thing is, to the best of my knowledge: pans are applied to clips, not to tracks. Audio Track Effects (used to be RTAS, now AAX) are applied before the panning, though. They are part of the mono ‘bus’, that then gets panned after processing.

Wouldn’t setting your default panning set to center do what you want, though?

[Job Ter burg]

No, you can’t.

The way I used to do it in the past: set default pan to alternating L/R, then use “Center Pan” on any and all production sound.

The way I do it now: set default pan to centered. Anything stereo or multichannel becomes a stereo or multichannel clip.

[Job Ter burg]

P.S. on medium shots with actors in them, you can often get away with blowups if you add some sharpening just to their eyes. Trick I learned from a colorist many years ago.

[Job Ter burg]

Also depends on shot type and lens quality. I don’t think I’ve ever gone beyond 150% (meaning 50% more than normal size).

[Job Ter burg]

Are those perpetual licenses or subscriptions (rentals)? If the latter, are they Media Composer or Media Composer Ultimatte? The basic 200/yr MC subscription does not include shared storage support. MC Ultimate and perpetual MC do.

[Job Ter burg]

I agree. Makes no sense to prepare in another software package.

[Job Ter burg]

P.S. DNxHD is an HD-only format. For other sizes, you would use DNxHR. but you should not need to use that when your sources are ProRes — as long as you are on a Mac. ProRes on PC’s is limited.

[Job Ter burg]

Definitely use Same as Source. The error message about Long GOP means you have some elements in your timeline that are not ProRes4x4. Copy your sequence, select it in the bin and choose “Transode”, and transcode any non-ProRes items to ProRes4x4.