Sequence settings and letter box?

Hi,
I imported DVCAM from a deck allowing final cut to determine the settings. I noticed later that the footage was appearing as 4:3 letterboxed in some sequences and then 16:9 in others, without me adjusting anything. The original sequence had the letter boxed video footage, but when I imported the footage into a new sequence it adjusted it to PRO Res compressor. It is also worth mentioning that the title cards I used in the original sequence got smaller when I put them into the second sequence that showed the footage at 16:9.
Ultimately, I want to know how to make everything 16:9 and how to adjust those settings. Do I need to adjust the sequence? Does it need to be a new project?
Thoughts?
Thanks.

To answer this question another question is more important:
Was the original DV footage Anamorphic or 4:3 letterbox?
For understanding the whole thing about these concepts please read this article on Kenstone's site.
And post back after reading that and still having troubles.
Rienk

Similar Messages

How do I match a clip to sequence settings and sequence presets?

I'm getting the warning: Attention - This clip does not match this sequence's settings or any or our sequence presets.
I'm trying to figure out how to set things up in Compressor so that my clips do match my sequence settings and presets. The issue seems to be with the audio not matching.
Here are the sequence settings:
Audio-2 Outputs
Frame Size- 1920x1080
Vid Rate-24fps
Compressor-Apple ProRes 422 (proxy)
Aud Rate 48.0 KHz
Aud Format 32-bit floating Point
I shot all the footage with a Canon 5D Mark II. I'm using Compressor to convert all my original clips. The only thing I don't seem to be able to match is the Audio. I can't find any way in Compressor to encode clips that have "two outputs" in the Audio column.
The dialogue box for "Sound Settings" in Compressor doesn't offer any sort of options, that I can find anyway, to generate clips with "two outputs."

These are the Compressor settings:
Description: Apple ProRes 422 10-bit video with audio pass-through. Settings based off the source resolution and frame-rate.
File Extension: mov
Estimated size: 16.36 GB/hour of source
Audio Encoder
Apple Lossless, Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz
Video Encoder
Format: QT
Width: (100% of source)
Height: (100% of source)
Selected: 1920 x 1080
Pixel aspect ratio: Square
Crop: None
Padding: None
Frame rate: (100% of source)
Selected: 24
Frame Controls: Automatically selected: Off
Codec Type: Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy)
Multi-pass: Off, frame reorder: Off
Automatic gamma correction
Progressive
Pixel depth: 24
Spatial quality: 50
Min. Spatial quality: 0
Temporal quality: 0
Min. temporal quality: 0
These are the sequence settings:
Frame Size: 1920 x 1080
Editing Timebase: 24fps
Field Dominance: None
Pixel Aspect Ration: Square
Anamorphic 16:9: Off
Video Processing YUV allowed (8-bit)
Compressor: Apple ProRes 422 (Proxy)
Millions of Colors (24 bit)
No Data Rate Limit
No Keyframes Set
Quality: 100
Audio Settings:
16-bit 48.000 kHz Stereo
I made screen shots, but don't see how to paste them into this post.

FCP 6 Sequence Settings and RT playback problem

Hi everyone
Have recently bought a copy of Final Cut Pro Studio for my macbook pro
I know to play video in FCP in real time all the sequence settings need to match the captured video/file settings of the clip.
All my settings are matching, Ive tripple checked them but they are STILL saying I need to render the clip before playback in SafeRT.
Have tried deleating files and re-importing them ect still no go.
The file ive imported is a DVCPRO HD codec.
I cant render everytime I want to play a video - thats not an option. It should be okay if all the settings match (Which I belive they do) but still not working.... is there a vital setting I may have missed?
Im running FCP 6 on a
Mackbook pro 17"
5400 rpm sata drive
NIVIDIA 8600 geforce 256MB graphics card
160GB hard drive
2.0 MB Memory
this prob is SO WEIRD
cheers
h

Yeah tried doing that, plays okay but really want to get the safeRT working properly
wow - i didnt realize that the 5400rpm drive in the macbook pro would preform so poorley with compressed codecs such as DVCPRO which is a pretyt standard codec yes?
I guess the 7200rpm drive now is def the way to go - i was getting one anyway
so does it matter that the computer drive speed is 5400rpm when working of a 7200 rpm firewire 800port drive? I assume that if all the media is on the 7200rpm the computer internal drive would only be running the program, which would be more then enough do you agree?
Its looks as if FCP 6 has some way of recognising the computer drive speed for accessing the media and determining whether it is fast enough or not, if not, wont even try to attempt to play in RT resulting in the red render line, no matter if I have my sequences settings all set up correctly and matching. This is something that I am unclear about in the software.

Sequence settings and export help please

It's been awhile since I've made a movie for dvd, and the last time was in PAL, so my settings are changed.
Now I'm making an NTSC dvd (Best quality possible) for a local historical group, and can't remember the settings!!
Using FCP 5
A Canon Elura 80 videocam, not HD, just ordinary DV.
I captured the video in iMovie and imported into FCP
Created 2 movies: one 4:3, and one 16:9 (filmed it in this format)
1. What 'export movie' settings do I need? Should I export as a QT movie, use DV Stream, or ?
I want to use iDVD to make the dvd, and I'd like it the best quality possible
2. Also, my 'sequence presets' seem different. They're Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) 1280x720 30p 48 kHz. IS this what they should be?
(And I'm far from being a pro,, I just like to have better control than iMovie gives me; i'ld just like to set my settings and leave them for everything i do .... or at least know what they all mean so I can make a decision which to use
Thank you
Elizabeth

I captured the video in iMovie and imported into FCP
Bad step there ... you should capture in the NLE you plan to use for editing. FWIW, iMovie captures DV different than FCE or FCP. You my have lost so quality there, but it depends on which version of iMovie you used.
1. What 'export movie' settings do I need? Should I export as a QT movie, use DV Stream, or ?
File->Export->QuickTime Movie. Do NOT recompress all frames, but do include chapter markers (if needed). You can make the movie self-contained or not. Drop the resulting file into iDVD.
2. Also, my 'sequence presets' seem different. They're Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) 1280x720 30p 48 kHz. IS this what they should be?
No, not if you shot and captured DV.
-DH

Sequence Settings and Aspect Ratios

This may be a bit of dumbo pondering but I've got a couple questions:
My HV20 camera has a DV 16:9 setting. I always use the HD setting. But if I captured such footage, what Sequence Settings would one use? If DV Anamorphic, doesn't that stretch things out? So maybe a Custom choice in Frame Setting of 640x360?
What is the reasoning for the DV Anamorphic Seq Setting to use the 3:2 Aspect Ratio (default) over the 4:3? Isn't the 3:2 converted to 4:3 when exported to dv tape, etc? But what about for internet, would 4:3 Ratio Aspect in Anamorphic (for eventually 640x360 internet movies) be a good choice?
But would that only be appropriate for Internet and if I had any hopes of other uses would 3:2 still be wisest?
What got me thinking (if you can call it that) was that I placed an animation from Archive.org in a DV Ana 3:2 Sequence. To fill the screen, Scale had to be 113, Clip Aspect Ratio: 13. Then I changed the settings to 4:3 aspect ratio and the clip fit perfectly (Scale: 100, Clip Aspect Ratio: 0).
So why not use a non-Anamorphic Seq Setting with a custom 16x9 Frame Size of 640x360?
Maybe I'm thinking too much...or not thinking at all.
How bout shining a little light in this dark closet!
lmr
Elmer Lang
H2E Productions - "Better Than Water"
http://elmerlang.com - 60+ Films Strong

if I captured such footage, what Sequence Settings would one use?
DV Anamorphic
If DV Anamorphic, doesn't that stretch things out?
Yes ... DV 16:9 is recorded squished into a 4:3 frame so it needs to be stretched back out to 16:9 to display accurately
So maybe a Custom choice in Frame Setting of 640x360?
No, just use the DV Anamorphic Easy Setup
What is the reasoning for the DV Anamorphic Seq Setting to use the 3:2 Aspect Ratio (default) over the 4:3? Isn't the 3:2 converted to 4:3 when exported to dv tape, etc? But what about for internet, would 4:3 Ratio Aspect in Anamorphic (for eventually 640x360 internet movies) be a good choice?
But would that only be appropriate for Internet and if I had any hopes of other uses would 3:2 still be wisest?
What got me thinking (if you can call it that) was that I placed an animation from Archive.org in a DV Ana 3:2 Sequence. To fill the screen, Scale had to be 113, Clip Aspect Ratio: 13. Then I changed the settings to 4:3 aspect ratio and the clip fit perfectly (Scale: 100, Clip Aspect Ratio: 0).
So why not use a non-Anamorphic Seq Setting with a custom 16x9 Frame Size of 640x360?
Maybe I'm thinking too much...or not thinking at all.
How bout shining a little light in this dark closet!
A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing! You are trying way too hard.

Help with 24p capture/sequence settings and interlace artifacts

We are trying to capture sd video shot on a panasonic DVX 100B at 24p (not advanced) using FCP 6.02.
The video was shot anamorphic (squeeze) through the camera.
We have tried a variety of capture and sequence setting and continue to get varying degrees of artifact (lines) at motion points (e.g. when a hand moves).
We have tried:
Capture Easy set-up 29.97
Capture Anamorphic 29.97
We have tried changing field dominance to none.
We have experimented with both interlace and progressive scan.
We have experimented with different playback units including the camera shot with.
Would love some advice on best capture sequence settings. Playback will be computer/video projector.

It's sounds like you've been mislead about what 24p (as opposed to 24p Advanced) actually is on tape - it's interlaced 29.97 footage. So, what you're seeing is normal - there should be three progressive frames followed by 2 interlaced frames (since it's pulldown added to 23.98 material).
So, to get to the heart of your question, you are capturing correctly - Anamorphic 29.97.
If you want true progressive output, strip the pulldown - use Cinema Tools - and edit as 23.98. Otherwise, if you can't go 23.98, you're stuck with what you've got.

Export settings and red box

I know zero when it comes to what settings I should have when exporting. I want to export HDV video so it looks good when projected, but I am not sure what settings I should be using. I don't really have time to mess around with them either.
Also whenever I import video off of my Sony camera, it always has this frame that is noting but a red box near the end. Becoming very annoying.

>And everyone has to start someplace. You people and your elitism.
When you make statements like:
>I don't really have time to mess around with them either.
It indicates to us that you think your time is more valuable than ours.
So here's what I recommend: experiment with the output settings for HDV, keeping in mind the characteristics of your source video, and your target audience and display device.
Also consider that the settings I (or anyone else) use for one type of footage (fast-moving sports footage) will be wholly inappropriate for other types of footage (like an interview or slideshow). And sometimes footage from one sporting event won't look good with the same settings that I used for the last sporting event.
One thing you should learn is that the export can be every bit as much an art form as the actual editing.
Class dismissed.

Lost address book settings and mail box whilst trying to copy inf

I have been trying to copy my old disc (onto an external hard drive) as i have a new machine and different disc.So i have been copying stuff from old disc to external but it has been interrupted a few times so had to go back and start process again.And because i had to do this I got rid of stuff on original hard disk , such as library , as i did not want it to copy this again.But in doing this I seem to have lost my mail box and emails and info which was in my address book such as email contacts.I have looked onto where copied library too but can not find the address book and mail stuff i need to bring back in order to get my old info back.I have tried importing from new copied library but am not sure where to go ? Does anyone know a way i can get old info back (mail and address book) (which i would then export in some way to get onto new disc ?).I have tried copying new library back onto/onto old disc but get message as it begins that something ? port something is in use so it can not be copied.Basically does any one know what i need to copy and paste back into/onto old disc (library ?) to get my old info back into mail and address book.I can not understand how else i could have lost it ? (apart from deleting
library ?).Any suggestions please.
thanks
rick

Hi Rick, there are actually 3 Library folders...
/System/Library/
/Library/
/Users/YourUserName/Library/
This last one is where your Mail & AB info would be.
On Mail...
First Quit Mail & Address Book.
Users/YourUserName/Library/Mail
Users/YourUserName/Library/Mail Downloads
(Could be a different folder here if you chose such in Mail Prefs)
Only the plist is separate.
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist
For Address Book...
Files...
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.AddressBook.plist
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.AddressBook.abd.plist
Folders...
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Caches/com.apple.AddressBook/

Safari default settings and search box

I was wondering if there is a way to make a new browser window not default to the search engine box. I would prefer not to have my serch history splayed all over when I launch a new window. I would simply like the cursor to default to the URL box instead.
Is this possible?
Thanks!
Tim
(IPad 1 - 64gb 3G)

Look at iCab Mobile in the App Store. Tons of useful features...leaves Safari in the dust in many ways.

Sequence settings changed and digital cinema freezes. what now?

hello there.
i'm a new fcp user and i could really use some help on some issues that came up while working on a film project.
the material was captured with the camera function of a digital still camera, which resulted in rushes of .avi format, 30 fps, 640X480 frame size.
we then converted these into .mov clips using quicktime and compressor so that we can work without the need to render. we encoded them using the Apple ProRes 422 codec.
i opened a NTSC project to work on this and have created a sequence preset having exactly the same settings as my clips (Apple ProRes 422, 30 fps, etc).
i'm cutting the whole project on a macbook pro (see details below) running fcp 6.0.3 and i'm using a second monitor toggling between browser and digital cinema desktop preview.
everything was working fine till yesterday, when suddently some sequences needed rendering (while they were working fine till then) and dcdp freezed (that is i get the first frame and i can hear the sound when i playback a clip or a sequence and then i get the current frame when i stop it).
i've checked the sequence settings and i've found out that all of my sequences are now pal, 720X576, 25 fps. that's the first part of the problem. i tried changing the sequence settings, but of course i cannot change the frame rate; i've tried creating a new sequence with the correct settings and then copy&paste the clips from the prev sequence but then video and audio go out of synch by 2 frames. how did my settings changed all of a sudden? is there a way to keep my edited sequences without the need to manually re-cut the whole thing?
as far as the second part of the problem is concerned (the dcdp not working anymore), i've tried changing my settings (going from full screen to raw, trying single frame against all frames, etc) but still it doesn't work. the rest of the settings are ok (eg. i've found in the forum that the checkbox about playback mirrored on the desktop should be ticked and it was already).
this computer is never conected to the internet and it has never been manually updated (so there is not a way that an OS update is not working well with fcp).
any ideas?
thanx,
nikos.

I've experienced the exact same problems you are having and it's driving me nuts.
It's not like my system has changed. I bought the Mac Pro and Final Cut Studio together and all was well when I first installed it. That initial project was an HDV project and DCDP worked great.
Since then I'm working mostly on SD PAL projects and when I go to preview it on the desktop it does the first frame freeze when you hit play and parks on the current frame when you hit stop.
I can resize the main edit window to full size and the sequence plays back fine but when I go to DCDP it just won't play at all. It feels like a bug but this is the first time I have found someone else with the same problem. By the way, I'm only using one monitor so the mirror desktop thing made no difference.
I know the DCDP isn't great quality but it's fine for getting a general overview and I sure do miss it.
Help us.......please......

Questions regarding sequence settings, render, and export

Just a couple of questions:
1. Will my sequence settings and render quality affect my final output? I am thinking it does, and it may seem elementary to most of you, but it would be nice to get a definite answer. If so, then should I be rendering @ the best quality possible? In turn, should I too be switching my codec? Which correlates with my next question....
2. What codec should I be using? As it is I've been just getting footage off of mini dv. For best possible quality what should my workflow look like? Should I change my sequence settings codec to uncompressed? Which one? Uncompressed-8bit or 10 or animation? Or is okay to leave that setting at DC NTSC PRO?
Then, most importantly, when exporting what is my best possible output with the least amount of quality loss? For mediocore quality i've been exporting through h.264 or sorenson 3 - for a bit higher DV NTSC PRO, for max uncompressed 8 bit.... how about the other settings? deinterlace? cbr or vbr? etc..
Much thanks - I'm a lot confused concerning the technical usage of the program. B)

Hi David, thank you for the reply and welcome.
Just to clarify my workflow a bit more - I'm importing mini dv footage, but i'm altering that pretty much extensively with many overlays, in program effects, and various exterior plugins such as boris red, magic bullet, twixtor, etc.. Would mantaining a sequence suited for dv ntsc make sense if mantaining those effect's and overlay's vibrancy, motion, and color is key? Or should I then change my sequence settings to animation or uncompressed 8 or something other?
What I want for final output is a pristine master (basically I want what I see is what I get) that I can then downcompress for either internet (h264?) or dvd without too much headache. I think Animation only plays on computers? Would it hurt quality badly moving it to a dvd that is playable on dvd players? Or is another setting that I don't know the solution?
Does it hurt quality if I render it at lower draft settings and dv ntsc and then when i'm done change my sequence settings to higher settings and change it to, say, animation, AND THEN re-render and export to my sequence codec? I'm assuming no, because I'm still working with my original capture source, but just checking.
thanks again David, and to anyone that may be able to help! B)
Message was edited by: eric sanpablo

Export to Match Sequence Settings

I am using Premiere CS5 and I want to export a video clip in the same format as the original footage (Canon XF MPEG 2) at 100% quality (having edited it obviously).
So I go to >File >Export >Media and check the box 'Match Sequence Settings'.
How do I change the default 50% to 100%? (I've checked the original Sequence Settings and there doesn't appear to be a 50% or 100% option).
Many thanks.
TBC

Hi TBC,
I think you're on the wrong track with the export. Camera codecs are for acquisition. There are many different options for Export, and they do not need to be, nor should they be in most cases, the same thing you started with. The general consensus I see on these forums is to avoid "Match Sequence Settings" most of the time.
Please let us know the destination, and we can then suggest options. For instance, if you simply want to create a "Master" copy of the completed work, on a Mac you might want ProRes, while on the PC you could look at the Lagarith Lossless codec, or the Avid DNxHDcodec (both need to be installed to use them). If going to the web, there's a ton of options, but a YouTube or Vimeo preset is a good place to start, found under "H.264" format.
Thanks
Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers

Sequence Settings for Computer-targeted Projects

Hello,
It seems to me -based on a scan of the forum's topics- that there are many people who would like to use FCP for creating computer-targeted output, that use still images as the source material. That is, projects not destined for tape or broadcast, that were not shot on video. I realize there are 3rd party apps that do this sort of thing, but the reality is there's no need to spend more money. Creating Ken Burns type effects for example, is very easy to do in the Motion Tab. It's the related sequence settings and render settings that cause the real problems IMO.
For those who do this kind of work successfully on a regular basis, it would be good to create a list of settings that work well, so others can avoid the painful process of trial and error. Sadly the manual (great as it is) isn't much help on topics relating to still image projects. They mention things like square pixels or image size in passing, but they do not give examples of how to start this type of project from scratch.
So post away; let others know what settings work for you. If you can post the project type, source type, and then the settings, so much the better. Something like:
Type: Web Slideshow
Source: TIF, PSD
Frame Size:
Field Dominance:
Timebase:
Video settings:
etc

Bogie: if some of the sequence settings listed are dependant on the imported material (think that's what you're saying), why are we even able to change them? I guess this is an Apple design issue but seems strange if they "are not part of the creation process", that they should be in the same panel as the other items that are, etc.< </div>
Umm, no.
The question here asked about export settings, they did not ask about project or sequence settings. If you meant to ask about sequence settings, that's an entirely different thread and, frankly, it's all covered in the manuals.
To repeat what Zeb has said, because we can't quite seem to get us all speaking the same language here, use conventional, known formats for your production and creation of effects; DV is a great place to star because it's flexible and it's built into FCP (h264 is not a production format, Animation isn't either, nor is MPEG2).
Render your sequences and export them as self-contained movies. Bring them into Compressor and (doh!) open that manual for a few hours of casual and frustrating reading. Compressor is where you will create your transcoded, encoded and compressed movie for delivery to the Web.
What settings will you use in Compressor? Those are determined by your Web host's demands. The smoothest path to Web delivery is to give your Webhead a DV file and tell them to use their favorite compression and encoding tools to create their own favorite formats and bitrate settings.
bogiesan

Sequence settings for HD

what are the exact sequence settings for cutting 1080i60 footage in FCP? From my understanding; it's 1920 X 1080 with 59.94fps. But what fields should render first; upper or lower? I also need to know this info for using After Effects; I need to know the specifications so I can render my animations.
If there is anything else I should know, please let me know. thanks.

Open your preset in FCP or check your sequence settings and all that information will be there.

Why does my media want to export as a MXF when I match the sequence settings?

I've made films with Premiere CC before and have never had this problem, I go to export I click the box to match my sequence settings and it will export as a MPEG, and now, it wants to export as a MXF. My computer doesn't recognize MXF files. Is there any reason why this may be happening?

Thanks so much you guys. So I don't know what was up with my computer or my software, but, it used to be that I had to check the match sequence settings to get my project to export with the same video dimensions. But, I have now fixed it! Thanks so much! Now I have better quality and I'm doing it right

Sequence settings and letter box?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for