Medieval Denizen
Level 1 (4 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Aspect Ratio QT problem

Having problems  with a video short.  Looks  fine on the FCP timeline.  Then when I export to either Quicktime or Quicktime conversion the final result is squashed vertically.  Have two different aspect ratios in original footage.  1280 x 720/30p HD [which is the aspect ratio I would like to keep, because this is a dancer] and HD720p [shot with my phone].  It's okay if the HD 720 p footage is  a little distorted, but NOT the 1280 x 720/30p.  Would like to preserve that aspect ratio.  Your help most appreciated!

Final Cut Pro 6, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jun 14, 2016 11:06 AM

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Medieval Denizen

Q: Aspect Ratio QT problem

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Shane Ross,

    Shane Ross Shane Ross Jun 14, 2016 3:46 PM in response to Medieval Denizen
    Level 8 (42,989 points)
    Jun 14, 2016 3:46 PM in response to Medieval Denizen

    What is the codec of this footage you are working with? Did you convert it to ProRes before editing? So is it 1280x720 ProRes? And how are you exporting? If you export Quicktime Movie>Use Sequence Settings...it should look exactly the same as it does in FCP.

     

    If your footage wasn't converted to ProRes before editing...then FCP might be having issues with it. Because FCP 7 and earlier can't work with formats like H.264 or MP4. It has to be an FCP codec like ProREs.

  • by Medieval Denizen,

    Medieval Denizen Medieval Denizen Jun 14, 2016 3:57 PM in response to Shane Ross
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 14, 2016 3:57 PM in response to Shane Ross

    I have tried using "current settings" with FCP export to qt.  There is no option for sequence settings.

    I don't know what the codec for the footage is.  where would I look for that?

    Not converted to pro res.  FCP 5.1 can work with H.264, because I used that for my feature film.

     

    Really appreciate any insight into this!

  • by Shane Ross,Helpful

    Shane Ross Shane Ross Jun 14, 2016 4:20 PM in response to Medieval Denizen
    Level 8 (42,989 points)
    Jun 14, 2016 4:20 PM in response to Medieval Denizen

    FCP Legacy (FCP 7 and earlier) cannot work well with H.264. it's not designed too. It appears like it might, but more often that not, issues will crop up. Mainly sync issues.  The fact that it worked for you once means you got lucky. 95% of the time, issues pop up.  If you use FCP, you need to convert to an FCP codec. With FCP 5.1...the only options you have are DVCPRO HD and Uncompressed HD...and really, uncompressed requires VERY fast drives, so you are stuck with DCPRO HD. ProRes came with FCP 6, so that is not an option.

     

    Sequence settings are found in the SEQUENCE menu, under SETTINGS. 

     

    And if you right-click on the footage you can see an option for ITEM PROPERTIES...or scroll to the right in the bin and look for the COMPRESSOR column.

  • by Medieval Denizen,

    Medieval Denizen Medieval Denizen Jun 14, 2016 4:33 PM in response to Shane Ross
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 14, 2016 4:33 PM in response to Shane Ross

    Okay.  I looked at the bin and the footage I want to preserve the aspect ratio on is H.264.  I did a version that was 4:3 and it worked very well.  But I thought it would be better to do it in 16:9 so I did it in that aspect ratio.  I did this about 6 weeks ago and don't remember where in the program I changed the aspect ratio.  The frame size in the bin is 1280 x 720. 

     

    Is there some way to make a quick time or mp4 out of this so i can put it on youtube?  I would like to preserve the correct aspect ratio of 16:9.  You said to use dcprohd, which is already selected. 

     

    What is Prores?

     

    Really appreciate your help!

  • by Shane Ross,Helpful

    Shane Ross Shane Ross Jun 14, 2016 5:46 PM in response to Medieval Denizen
    Level 8 (42,989 points)
    Jun 14, 2016 5:46 PM in response to Medieval Denizen

    OK...so your footage...is it 16:9 or 4:3? Wide screen?  DVCPRO HD is VERY tricky as it is ANAMORPHIC...meaning it's 4:3 in size, but squeezed. It's 960x720. This is no doubt why you are getting this issue. FCP 5.1 was barely ready for HD, and had very little to offer to make proper outputs. The only full frame, 16:9 format is uncompressed HD...but that's impossible to work with due to the large file sizes and huge data rate. 

     

    ProRes is a format FCP 6 and FCP 7 had...but FCP 5.1 did not...so that is not an option.  This is TRICKY!  You might need to flag your footage as anamorphic so that it unsqueezes properly. I'm not sure...this is something I'd need to fiddle with. FCP 5 is over 11 years old...it's been a LONG while since I worked with it. And when I did, I has DVCPRO HD footage, so it was all normal anyway.

  • by Medieval Denizen,

    Medieval Denizen Medieval Denizen Jun 14, 2016 5:47 PM in response to Shane Ross
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 14, 2016 5:47 PM in response to Shane Ross

    Hi Shane,

     

    Okay.  I have two sizes of footage. 

     

    My backgrounds are HD720p

    My dancer is 1280 x 720/30p HD

     

    I have sandwiched them together through the magic of FCP with either chromakey or luma key.

     

    I know my program is  old.  I bought it so I could match what they had at a public access station, when I was editing my feature film, which I released in 2012. 

     

    As to the production of a quicktime or mp4, I don't care if the backgrounds are squeezed a little to fit into the format.  I do care very much if my dancer is squeezed. 

     

    I had no trouble producing a quicktime when it was in 4:3.  It's just with 16:9 I am having a problem.  It's just a 3 minute video, so I am sending you the youtube links.

     

    Here is 16:9

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPzZVmSDGe0

     

    Here is 4:3

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTs0BKsYO4M

     

    Thanks  and really appreciate your help!  I am hoping to produce a proper 16 x 9 aspect ratio - not as it is now, squashed vertically.