Final Cut Pro Problem – From 4:3 to 16:9

04/09/2007

I started new sequences for about 5 scenes and after cutting them together I noticed that the sequence was not 16:9, but 4:3 (it turned out that the default sequence settings on my version of FCP create a 4:3 sequence). After changing the sequence settings (as well as the default sequence settings so this doesn’t happen again) the videos in the sequences I was cutting together got stretched out sideways (as if I was playing a 4:3 letterbox video on a 16:9 widescreen TV). I tried to right-click on the video footage to see if I can “interpret footage” (which is an option in Adobe Premiere Pro) but there weren’t any options for that.

Does anyone out there know to interpret the footage without having to re-import all the individual clips and re-edit everything I’ve already done?

7 Comments »

7 Responses to “Final Cut Pro Problem – From 4:3 to 16:9”

  • Andrew P - 04/09/2007 at 2:25 pm

    Hey Casey,

    If you don’t hear from anyone, check out the dvinfo.net forums:

    http://dvinfo.net/conf/

    Lots of useful tips’n'tricks and the like, especially for HDV-related issues.

    Andrew.

  • Aaron Valdez - 04/09/2007 at 3:20 pm

    Try creating a new timeline. Change settings of the new timeline before bringing in footages. Copy and paste the clips from the old timeline into the new one. I hope this works, not sure if the clips will retain settings of old timeline or not.

  • Casey - 04/09/2007 at 4:02 pm

    Thanks Aaron, but that doesn’t work. The copy/pasted clips then look stretched out (they carry the properties of the previous sequence I had them in)

  • matt g - 04/09/2007 at 4:58 pm

    Hi Casey,
    If all else fails, double click on the clips to load them to the viewer. Then go click on the motion tab in the viewer (or better yet, tear it off so you can use it while seeing the effects in the viewer video window.) Now, under the “Distort” option, there should be an option marked “Aspect Ratio.” Try adjusting that one way or the other and see what you get. It might not be ideal, but it should let you get your footage somewhat normal looking again.
    Let me know if it works…
    –m

  • James from rainy Wales - 04/10/2007 at 12:39 pm

    If you look stretched sideways, try turning your tv at an angle and look at the screen from the side. This should help things look normal!

    Does that help?

    Love James xx

  • Casey - 04/14/2007 at 7:12 pm

    Problem solved here:
    http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=85255&highlight=aspect+ratio

    Set distortion to 0 and scale to %100.

    Thanks to Clintus McGintus of http://idoitdigital.com for finding the solution!

  • James from rainy Wales - 04/15/2007 at 3:48 pm

    I guess my suggestion didn’t go down to well?

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