anamorphic 16:9

[Anyone]

Hi all,

I'm just wondering about how peeps here
are producing their video in anamorphic format?

a few figures I'm playing with:

I suppose my laptop outputs PAL,
which is therefore 5:4 (1.25 ratio) instead of 4:3 (1.33)

so if the 16:9 ratio is 1.77
and I want to output an anamorphic 720x576 video file
then the output will be stretched to 1024x576, yes?
(1024 being the result of 720 multiplied by 1.77)

should I simply work in Final Cut Pro
with a 1024x576 canvas,
then render it in 720x576
to produce the desired effect?

thanks for your feedback, Oli

[sleepytom]

yes that is basically it...

you could work in a dv widescreen project space which would be 720x576 with a pixel aspect ratio of 1.42

but yeah pal square pixel widescreen is 1024x576 so its as easy to work in that and then squeeze down to 720x576.

on playback you should probably try to use 4:3 all the way to the projectors then set the projector or plasma to strech out the 4:3 to 16:9 - this is the simplist option and will work ok through all video mixers (bear in mind that things like circle wipes will be streched though not that anyone in their right mind would use wipes:))

http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/322300.html
is quite a good resource for the people who care about numbers

[Anyone]

hey, this helps a lot, thanks!

[videoteque]

should I simply work in Final Cut Pro
with a 1024x576 canvas,
then render it in 720x576
to produce the desired effect?

I think FCP has a sequence preset with DV PAL anamorphic. If it doesn't, click on the sequence icon and go to Sequence>Settings and click on the anamorphic box. That should take care of everything, without going with 1024x576...

[Anyone]

cool ok.
I'll try this today and report back...

[Anyone]

yup, it works with the preset FCP anamorphic settings...

[makemassair]

very interesting.

whats the best workaround to convert existing content to this?

the club I'm soon to be working with are interested in widescreen projections. currently I have only produced 4:3 footage. Is it easier to use widescreen or to convince them to use 2 projectors and span across? I believe they have 2 projectors but one is installed downstairs.

[makemassair]

double post

[sleepytom]

it's eaisest to set the projectors to 16:9 and make anamorphic content. Your 4:3 content archive will also be usable but will be in fatavision where everything is streched out. (looks ok with abstract stuff - looks weird with filmed footage)
http://sleepytom.co.uk/widescreen

[makemassair]

yea i don't have many clips with folk in, maybe about 5. :lol2:

what I might do, if the widescreen option goes ahead is setup with FCP the right sized 16:9 screen dimensions and import my clips and see if they work with bit cut off top n bottom or whether they are usable fattovision or artfully tiled across.

I'll have a better idea tomo. I don't really fancy going thru some 600+ clips.

Does resolume handle 16:9 footage well? All the output options are in 4:3. ANd before u tell me I am going off to the res forum ;)

[makemassair]

you can use any process and output resolution you want if you modify the 'screensetup.xml' document in the resolume/settings folder.
Some videocards have troubles with some custom resolutions, when resolume starts all available resolutions are queried and put in the list. So we know for sure those resolution work. But you are free to use any resolution you want if you modify the .xml file.

from here (http://www.resolume.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=2247)

[sleepytom]

the nice thing about anamorphic is that you process all the video as 4:3 (out of resolume as 4:3 through video mixer as 4:3) its only when it gets to the display that it is stretched to 16:9

[makemassair]

ah. so it will look squizzed on my laptop and monitor but will look fine on the 'big screen'.

nice. thanks tom.

[sleepytom]

yeah you can get a 16:9 monitor though if you want to avoid the squeeze!