Here's something I learned here and have used for for some of my montages.

1. Create your underneath layer as you described and assign the following track FX's:
- Black and White, 0.750
- Gaussian Blur, .02x.02
(You've now created a blurry, desaturated version of your foreground image.

2. Optionally, add another layer in between tracks 1&2 and insert a Solid Color Generated event of all black for the entire length of the video. Set the Level of this layer to 25% -- This will darken the background and thereby further highlight the foreground image.

/jerry

Might be more efficient to simply drop the opacity level of the background track. Vegas wouldn't have to do a composite with the black layer then.

You can try using this project file:

Test Mask

It is designed to put 4:3 NTSC video into a 16:9 container, but instead of having black pillar bars, it fills those pillar bars with a blurred and stretched version of the 4:3 video. I also made some attempt to blur the demarcation between the main video and the blurred edges, but my Vegas masking skills are too undeveloped to be able to apply a blur just to the two vertical areas.

Just open the project file and then tell it to replace the "1996 December 17-18 River School Holiday Program0002.avi" with your own video.

The only two advances provide by this VEG is that it:

1. Stretches the video used for the fill so you get only the very edges of the video being used for the fill. This reduces the amount of duplicated video used in the margins.

2. Blurs the edges of the main video in order to lessen the visual impact of going from "sharp" video to blurred video.

If someone with real Vegas compositing and masking skills can come up with a better way to blur the edges of the composite where the foreground meets the background, I'd love to know how to do that.

Having done all this, I still personally prefer just to live with the black pillar bars.

[edit]Ooops ... you'll also need this mask file: 4:3 Mask

Hello John,

Hope I don't embarrass myself here. Would the following be of assistance?

https://www.youtube.com/user/VASSTTraining/videos

Took 3 clicks on "load more'', (I only have 21.5" monitor),so it may be different for you.
Coincidentally the two topics mentioned in your post are side by side in the above
YouTube.

I think Douglas Spotted Eagles solutions are elegant & effective.

Just a very small tangible from me acknowledging the candlelight hours you
have put in over the years.

michael

You can try using this project file:
Test Mask
[edit]Ooops ... you'll also need this mask file: 4:3 Mask

Hello johnmeyer,

is there any chance you can repost the two files you have linked here? I'm trying to do exactly what you described and would lover to see your examples for help. thank you

Since johhmeyer doesn't frequent this forum very much, perhaps I can be of help. Have a look at this screenshot.

Is this what you want? Note that the 4:3 image has been stretched to 16:9 in the background, lightened, and then a mask applied to produce a smooth edge. If so, let me know.

Yes, copy it, stretch the bottom track to 16:9, apply a very thick blur to it, and you're good to go.

Is this what you want? Note that the 4:3 image has been stretched to 16:9 in the background, lightened, and then a mask applied to produce a smooth edge. If so, let me know.

Thank you wwag, that is what I was looking for. Through trial an error, I basically have recreated that. How do you do the mask that you did to the edge, that look is nice. I will research that as well, but tips/steps would be very much appreciated. thanks again

With the 2 track solution (bottom track enlarged/blurred/desat), I often add 2 NewBlueFX drop shadows to the top track to soften the L+R edges of the 4:3 frame, but it doesn't always look all that good.

Does anyone know of a way to blur the L+R edges of the 4:3 frame so that the 4:3 frame merges less obviously into the blurred enlarged image copy on the lower track?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Use pan/crop mask with feather. That give you what you want?

Use pan/crop mask with feather. That give you what you want?

I will try that approach and see if that gets me there. thank you.

@kinvermark ... that works a treat, just what I was looking for. Thank you very much for your suggestion.

@ msimon7. The suggestion by Kinvermark is exactly what I've done in the past. Another thing that I do, since most of my clips are fairly short, is to apply a freeze-frame at the start of each event. Otherwise the background continues to move along with the main image which can often be disconcerting. OTOH others prefer the background to be moving as well. It's a matter of taste.

Another thing that I do, since most of my clips are fairly short, is to apply a freeze-frame at the start of each event. Otherwise the background continues to move along with the main image which can often be disconcerting.

that actually, is one approach I'm looking to do for a project I'm working on. It's an old band concert video in 4:3, putting it to 16:9 and looking to add a "stretched" edge of the stage to the pillar area to see how it looks. any most likely have it static.

great ideas/tips here - appreciate them all from all of you.

Here's a sort clip demonstrating the freeze frame idea.