Export as Wide Screen

rdolishny wrote on 8/28/2008, 6:25 AM

I have a project that was shot and edited 4:3 but I've been delivering the client widescreen versions with the black bars at the top and bottom. I know, cheezy.

Anyway, I want to export a 'distorted' version of my timeline right from Vegas and can't figure out how. I want to essentially crop off the top and bottom to end up with a widescreen version of the show.

Essentially what I'm doing now is exporting a DV copy off the timeline and bringing it into Quicktime Pro and cropping off the top and bottom there.

Can I do this in Vegas directly and save a step?

Comments

UKAndrewC wrote on 8/28/2008, 6:34 AM

With your project set to widescreen:

Event Pan/Crop - right click - match output aspect

Andrew

johnmeyer wrote on 8/28/2008, 7:08 AM

There is nothing "cheezy" about the bars: that is the RIGHT way to do it. Do you deliver your video upside down, or with the colors reversed? Then why would you distort it and stretch it? Doesn't make sense.

rdolishny wrote on 8/28/2008, 8:30 AM

Thank you for your quick response. Actually, the RIGHT way to shoot a project that's destined for a widescreen display is to shoot anamorphic. Adding bars to 4:3 footage is the cheezy part; it shows lack of planning on my behalf.

It's a choice that makes me look more professional: if I deliver a video in the 16:9 aspect ratio it looks more professional than a 4:3 video with bars. You never see apple.com/quicktime/trailers present a movie trailer with bars, it's always cropped for you.

rdolishny wrote on 8/28/2008, 8:36 AM

Almost. If I'm understanding you correctly, I have to change the event/crop for each clip and there are hundreds. So that's not going to work.

Setting the project to widescreen and disabling "scale video to fit preview window" got me the effect I was looking for, but when I did the render it totally didn't work.

Former user wrote on 8/28/2008, 9:50 AM

Do you want it to be a widescreen, or just be letterboxed?

Add a video track with black bars at the top and bottom.

Dave T2

Infinite5ths wrote on 8/28/2008, 10:26 AM

Actually, that's an interesting question. I've always wondered how Apple delivers Quicktime trailers in widescreen without letterboxing. For situations where the player is NOT full-screen, it's great to have a WS DAR without black bars.

I'm trying this now in Quicktime, using a custom frame size for my project properties and the "Use Project Settings" for my MOV custom video template settings.

EDIT: That seemed to work. I set my project frame size to 976x480 (approximating the 1.85:1 Academy aspect ratio) and then rendered to MOV using the PNG codec. On the Video tab [under the Custom template dialog], the frame size defaulted to "Use project settings". The final render plays back in QT as a widescreen video without any letterboxing.

So now I know...

TGS wrote on 8/28/2008, 10:36 AM

***Almost. If I'm understanding you correctly, I have to change the event/crop for each clip and there are hundreds. So that's not going to work.***

Have you ever tried the Video Buss? It will apply one or more FX to everything. I have to admit, I haven't used it for event/crop yet.

Infinite5ths wrote on 8/28/2008, 12:09 PM

Event Pan/Crop is an event-based effect. You can't access it via the Video Bus.