The picture's dimensions should be at least as large as the video frame. If you're working with NTSC then you need at least 654x480. If your pictures are 6x4" then you'll have to scan at 120dpi or greater. If they are smaller you'll need to scan at a higher resolution. 8x10 prints will only have to be scanned at about 72dpi.

On the other hand, if you want to zoom in on a portion of the picture, the smallest dimension you want to zoom in on is what counts. If you want someone's face to fill the screen and their face is only 1/4" tall in the picture, you'll have to scan at 1920dpi.

There isn't any simple "scan at Xdpi" setting that works in all cases. You'll have to do a little math. In general, it's ok to have more pixels than you need, so you could scan everything at 2400dpi and be done with it. However, if your image files are too big it will slow down the editing and rendering processes to a crawl, so don't go overboard.

Further Chienworks' point, when you're dealing with video (or any on-screen graphics, such as web work), you don't measure in inches. You measure in pixels. (Those are the little squares of color you will see if you zoom all the way into your photo -- or if you hold a magnifying glass up to your TV screen.)

Your video screen is 720 x 480 video pixels -- which, because of some strange early television innovation called non-square pixels, is equivalent to a photo of about 655 x 480 standard pixels. So, if you want your photo to fill the screen without breaking up or blurring, use that size.

On the other hand, most of use aren't content to just leave a photo sitting still on our screen. We pan and zoom. So you've got to make sure that the area you plan to zoom into is at least 655 x 480 pixels. In other words, if you plan to zoom into an area 1/4 the size of your photo, provide your photo at 1310 x 960 (twice as wide, twice as tall).

You don't have to be exact. MovieStudio will rez it down to screen resolution. But, if you zoom in too far and the resolution on your photo is too low, it will look jaggy and blurry -- pixelated.

Thanks to all of you for the thorough explaination of how to use still pictures within VMS and what scan setting should be used depending upon pan/crop effects. This site is just awesome for knowledge and how-to's. I only wish there was a VMS for Idiots Book available, as I find the manual to basic for an explaination of all the neat features within VMS.

There is a book coming out in March.
Instant Vegas Movie Studio (Vasst Instant)

$16.47 at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/157820271X/qid=1105476287/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-1901603-6302443?v=glance&s=books