16:9 images to 2.35:1 in FCP5
 

How do I convert 16:9 images from my HDV camera into 2:35:1 in Final Cut Pro?

Also, if anyone has an idea to tape the monitor correctly to make sure I don't cut in on an image of 2.35:1? I.e. I am shooting using 16:9 but eventally converting to 2.35:1 and I want to make sure I don't cut in on the image so I need to tape and/or mark the monitor correctly.

Thanks guys...

Duke

Well you just need to adjust the crop property on the Motion tab in the viewer to produce whatever aspect ratio you like. It's going to be non-standard, so I don't think that matters a lot. After you get something you like then connect your camera to your computer via firewire and put tape on your LCD screen/viewfinder to match the letterbox.

Thanks, I did fool around with those settings last night, but I thought and hoped that there may be some button or switch to make accurate 2.35:1 from 16:9. I mea there has to be a way to do it.

PS how do I play what's in the computer on my camera to tape the view finder?

There is. Just apply the "widescreen" filter (in the matte category) and then select 2.35:1.

The best way to do this is to create a new sequence, then drag your edited sequence into it to create a nest. Then apply the widescreen effect to the nested sequence, and you can re-frame shots (if necessary) in the original sequence.

Thanks Tim, you rock. I knew there had to be a simpler way. Love those wide screen shots =)

Hey what do you think of the panasonic BT-LH1700W? Check it http://www.panasonic.ca/English/Broa.../btlh1700w.asp

Note the price is in Canadian $. I found one in the US for about $2700. Seems like this is the perfect monitor for my HD100U.

What'd you think?

Duke

Weird.. I never knew Widescreen Matte existed til now. Granted, never really bothered to look. I use After Effects for anything that involved matting or compositing.

Anyway, if anyone finds these useful... I made them back when I was editing under Vegas for a bit (never bothered to check there either :-)

http://www.twodogfilms.com/crops.html

In Final Cut, if they import distored just fix the Distort property under the Motion tab (usually imports at 33.33).

Hrm, just played with the Matte a bit. I much prefer my crops. Add the crop to 1 track rather than add per clip. A lot easier to control.

YMMV

Yeah. Generally I will nest the whole sequence into a new sequence when the cut is locked, and then apply the widescreen filter just once for the whole sequence.

Apple's Compressor
 

If you're running Final Cut Studio, check out the Compressor app. Not only does it allow you to output a file in any aspect ratio you want, it also allows you to specify where your crops happen (equally from top and bottom, or more or less as demanded by the shot.)

If you're doing a lot of pan and scan type work, this may not be the best place to do it, but if you're simply outputting to tape or media file, then doing the work here, saves you a layer of image processing elsewhere in post (after all, you're just getting rid of information, not transforming existing pixels into something different.

Hope this helps.

A