importing clips with different aspect ratios in iMovie

Question

importing clips with different aspect ratios in iMovie

I'm using iMovie to edit some slideshows from iPhoto - I've made them 16:9 to fit best on widescreen TVs. I also wanted to incorporated some videos i took on my digital camera - which are 4:3. Is there a way I can import these movies into iMovie without them being stretched?

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Feb 1, 2007 3:25 PM

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Answer 1

SDIllini

Level 6

16,675 points

Feb 1, 2007 3:31 PM in response to Narin na Ranong

Welcome to discussions! 🙂

I don't think you can...

Can I use different digital video formats in the same iMovie HD project?

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iMovie/6.0/en/imv1169.html

Sue

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Answer 2

Feb 1, 2007 4:03 PM in response to Narin na Ranong

You could fix the problem using QuickTime Pro (and an image editing app) prior to importing into iMovie.
Make an all black image file sized to the 16:9 dimensions and open it with QT Pro.
Open your 4:3 QT file. Now you have two QT Player windows.
The all black image file, select all and copy.
Switch to the 4:3 video, select all and choose Add to Selection & Scale (Edit menu).
Minimize the all black QT window so you have room to work.
Open the Movie Properties window and highlight your video track.
Click the Visual Settings tab and adjust the dimensions of your 4:3 movie so that it fits in the 16:9 "screen". Be sure to allow for TV Safe viewing.
Save As and make a "reference movie" (saves HD space) and drag this new clip into your iMovie Project.
The black image file will add next to nothing to the total file size and your 4:3 file will not be "squished and stretched".

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Answer 3

Feb 2, 2007 6:38 AM in response to QuickTimeKirk

Thanks - I figured that the easiest way to convert files would be through quicktime pro.

Also, I found out that half of the time, the slideshows in iPhoto I send to iDVD become narrower and look distorted when I move them to iMovie - I checked the info of the files, and found out the ones that don't get distorted are the ones with the Codecs listed as "MPEG-4 Video, Apple Lossless, Tween". The ones that do get distorted are MPEG-4 Video only.

I'm guessing I'm not converting them the most efficient way (Share>Send to iDVD, and then finding the new file in my Movie folder), but is there a way to control the way the file is formatted? Or is there a better way to get the best quality movie files from iPhoto slideshows?

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Answer 4

Feb 2, 2007 12:30 PM in response to Narin na Ranong

Your exports that have Apple Lossless (audio codec) and the tween track (fade effect) are the same as the other MPEG-4 Video.
Unless your slide show exports need more work in iMovie you should "Share" -->"iDVD".
If you own QuickTime Pro you can do all the "combining" (16:9 and 4:3 files) before sending the finished file to iDVD. All you need to do is adjust the video track dimensions of the 4:3 files and test playback in QuickTime. Once happy with the look open iDVD, create a 16:9 Project and drag your QT.mov file in.

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Answer 5

Smtr

Level 5

5,450 points

Feb 2, 2007 2:20 PM in response to Narin na Ranong

I have made several 16:9 iMovie projects where I sprinkled in a few old 4:3 clips from analog Super 8 tape or 4:3 video clips from my still camera. Those clips were automatically letterboxed after I imported them into the iMovie project. The letterboxing preserved the aspect ratios and there was no stretching.

In iMovie Preferences, Importing, do you have automatic pillarboxing and letterboxing turned on?

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Answer 6

Feb 2, 2007 6:29 PM in response to Smtr

I do have automatic pillaring and letterboxing turned on under preferences, but it still doesn't make any difference with the files I import- they're both the same size.

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Answer 7

Feb 2, 2007 6:34 PM in response to QuickTimeKirk

At the moment, I'm trying to edit my slideshows in iMovie, but want to preserve all the Ken Burns effects and transitions without having to manually do that to each photo in iMovie. I've found that if I export the movies as 640x480 quicktime movies in iPhoto, the slideshow isn't as good quality as the movie file created if I select "Share>iDVD".

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