14:9-- anybody use it?

[iMacZealot]

Since I have a big project upcoming, and I'll be using 16:9 HD shot by myself and 4:3 SD by others and will be discoursing it to many different screens and across NTSC and PAL, would it be a good idea for me to edit my project in 14:9?

Also, what settings do I need to change in FCP? I don't really see a preset standard for 14:9.

 

[bigbossbmb]

No, don't try to edit something in 14:9. Stick with 16:9 or 4:3. You'll just need to scale or letterbox the differing media accordingly.

 

[iMacZealot]

No, don't try to edit something in 14:9. Stick with 16:9 or 4:3. You'll just need to scale or letterbox the differing media accordingly.

Why is that?

Also, I'm now faced with the dilemma of going with 16:9 or 4:3. Hmm....

 

[bigbossbmb]

because 14:9 isn't a standard frame size. it'll work if you're going to the web, but nothing else really. and why compromise all of your footage? if you don't have to reframe everything, then you shouldn't.

You have these choices:
16:9 timeline - anamorphic/HD material will be fine, 4:3 stuff will get scaled or pillarboxed.

4:3 timeline - 4:3 stuff will be fine, anamorphic/HD will letterboxed or center-cut.

what format is MOST of the material in? if equal, how would you rather the finished product look?

 

[iMacZealot]

I was wondering about that. I was worried that whatever player it's in would stretch it to either 4:3 or 16:9, and I absolutely can't stand stretching at all, especially when it's my work.

Well, now that I think about it, I think I can do both. I have a 2-3 minute video that's going onto DVD and played on a projector, and all of the material on that was created by someone else in 4:3, so I can probably just do that in 4:3. Then, I have maybe half a dozen 3-5 minute videos going online that with material all generated by me on my HV20, so I might as well just do those in 16:9 HD. I may also have some stuff after that that might have content produced by someone else, but I can sort that out later as it happens.

 

[bimmzy]

Since I have a big project upcoming, and I'll be using 16:9 HD shot by myself and 4:3 SD by others and will be discoursing it to many different screens and across NTSC and PAL, would it be a good idea for me to edit my project in 14:9?

Also, what settings do I need to change in FCP? I don't really see a preset standard for 14:9.

I would strongly recommend that you use the 14:9 pillar-box aspect ratio when displaying 4:3 media in 16:9

the 14:9 is a formal picture standard for displaying media in either anamorphic or academy.
If its good enough for the BBC to use it, it's good enough for you!

 

[AndySutton]

Hi,

If you are shooting 16:9 that will need to be 4:3 as well you need to "Shoot & protect". If you don't know, it means you need to keep in mind the 4:3 frame and the cut-off associated when the 16:9 image is converted to 4:3, unless you plan to provide a "letterboxed" version as the 4:3 cut? Most broadcasters for TV do prefer a full frame unletterboxed 4:3 image, so Shoot and Protect is the best bet.

Depending on what camera you are shooting on, most have a SP mode (Shoot and Protect) that displays guides in the viewfinder.

All the best,

Andy.