[Nathan Halder]

Danny: Thanks for the response.

I’m not sure what you mean by the project being in 4:3. I set the project settings to NTSC DV Widescreen 720×480 (PAR:1.2121) and the render settings are the Sony AVC (.mp4) at Widescreen 640×360 (under notes it says its normal quality 16:9 for the web)

The video is heavy on graphics, mostly created in Vegas, although some were made in Flash. I shot the interviews on a Canon 7D in 1080, 24P. I assembled the interview clips and rendered that as a 720×480 (PAR:1.2121) (don’t remember what codec and the file just says “video clip”) so I could edit with it. I guess I should have just left everything in HD and rendered down at the final stage. That being said, I think I have kept everything consistent. Obviously, I didn’t!

[Nathan Halder]

I have applied the cookie cutter to a talking head for a vignetting effect. I wanted to squeeze that back onto a full page graphic. As the video squeezes, the edges of the video clip show the underlaying full page graphic (The video track is above the full page graphic track).

So I tried to add generated media – elliptical transparent to black. Since I have effects and transitions already on the video track and graphic elements above and below the video track I don’t want affected, how can I add the elliptical media overlay and apply it just to the video track. Parent/child?

[Nathan Halder]

Thanks Graham – good tip.

[Nathan Halder]

We figured out the problem and solved it by having the artist create the movies and PNG stills in an 874×480 space. No more messing around with PARs. Thanks! I think after all this trial and error I finally get PAR – what it means and how to use it. Now on to learning more about Vegas . . .

[Nathan Halder]

They said the flash was created in an 864×480 space at 30fps but when I right clicked on the media properties, it said the file was 720×480 and the frame rate was 30.303.

I asked nicely if they could try it one more time in 864×480 (and possibly stretch their background to make it fit) AND in 1280×720, since that’s a square pixel. When I tried to make my project settings 1280×720, my video fits perfectly – the Flash MOV still has wings – on account of the fact it’s made in 720×480.

[Nathan Halder]

I’m still a little slow. I understand what you’re saying in regard to rendering the project as a whole, but . . . .

First, I’m trying to edit together the Flash MOV and the 16:9 interviews in the timeline. Project properties are set at 720×480, PAR 1.2121. In my timeline, the Flash, which was created in a 720×480, PAR 1.0000 (developer says she doesn’t think PAR choice is an option in her software) doesn’t fill the frame. If I manually change the media property’s PAR to 1.2121, I get the obvious squish of the MOV.

Also, I had the artist create the Flash in an 873×480 space but when I opened the file, the media properties said it was 720×480. So I also tried to reduce my workspace to 600×480 – flash fits (720/1.2121), but video is letterboxed or I could use pan/crop to fill the frame and lose my 16:9 composition. Ugh

[Nathan Halder]

John: As always, thanks for the quick reply.

Excuse my ignorance on these things, but I’m not completely following. Should I resize my video to 873×480 so it matches the flash MOV? I need to make the flash MOV (720×480, PAR 1.000) fit into my NTSC 720×480 DV widescreen template before I render to an mp4 for use on the internet.

[Nathan Halder]

Doh! I UNCHECKED that box when I registered to cut down on junk email. That could have cost me $100. Time to change my account preferences.

[Nathan Halder]

Wow! We need to be friends so I can get the insider deals. 🙂

Seriously, thank you very much, that’s an outstanding price.

[Nathan Halder]

Hi Mike:

Could you provide a link for that $140 price? All I see is the $239 upgrade here:

https://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/upgrade/vegaspro

Thanks!