FCE Help: Aspect Ratios messed up (Photos + Video)

[KilljoyPBN]

So this is my first time using Final Cut Express. I've tried to do a search to look for similar problems but I can't find any.

Either way I am making a photo and video montage of my friends and I from New Years.

I have imported some movie recorded in 1080i MP4 and some jpgs.

When I open the video I have a letter box and photos seem to go in as 4:3.

When I try to export in 720p HD I have letter boxes in my videos and skewed aspect ratios in my photos. In iMovie it is quite a bit easier but I would like to make the move to FCE. I realize that my photos aren't 16:9 and was hoping it might crop it to 16:9.

Do I have to go through every photo and crop it to 16:9 in an outside program?

Do I have to restart my entire project to get it to go to a 16:9 aspect ratio?

 

[KilljoyPBN]

Ugh just found the easy setup but now realize I have to completely re-edit.

Does anyone know if I can just drag-drop photos?

 

[huntercr]

Ugh just found the easy setup but now realize I have to completely re-edit.

Does anyone know if I can just drag-drop photos?

Your photos themselves won't be 16:9, they'll be whatever their native ratio is.

The only time being 16:9 will matter is if you want them to fit in the entire frame... in that case just scale them up in the canvas.

BTW as a time saver, consider using iMovie or Fotomagico Pro to assemble your slide show component. They both handle this much better and have presets and provide things like auto Ken Burns Effect etc.