Editing widescreen video
by Joseph Jones
on
Mar 20, 2008 at 2:22:25 am
My camera shoots in widescreen and I've been having problems with it in After Effects. After it exports, it's shrunk horizontally cause it think it's fullscreen or something. Is there a certain file type I have to export it as for it to stay widescreen? I'm also experiencing quality loss, even though it's selected as uncompressed when I export it. Any advice?
Re: Editing widescreen video by Steve Roberts on Mar 20, 2008 at 3:39:34 am
Assuming it's DV-NTSC, import the footage and make sure it's interpreted with a widescreen pixel aspect ratio of 1.2. If not, reinterpret the footage (file>interpret footage>main) so it does. Drag the footage onto the new comp button at the bottom of the project window. Then to make it look normal while you work, use the Pixel Aspect Ratio correction button at the bottom of the comp window.
Re: Editing widescreen video by Dave LaRonde on Mar 20, 2008 at 4:16:24 pm
[Joseph Jones]"After it exports, it's shrunk horizontally cause it think it's fullscreen or something."
You have to tell your editing application that it's dealing with widescreen video. I use Final Cut Pro, and you simply look in the browser (analagous to a bin in other applications) for the "Anamorphic" property and put a check mark next to it.
I don't know how other editing software does it, but I bet it's something just as simple.
Re: Editing widescreen video by Joseph Jones on Mar 20, 2008 at 4:58:01 pm
Thanks for the help, everyone. I wasn't able to locate the button to view it properly while in after effects, but it exports in widescreen and that's what matters.
Re: Editing widescreen video by Dave LaRonde on Mar 20, 2008 at 5:18:04 pm
[Joseph Jones]"...it exports in widescreen and that's what matters...."
Do you really mean EXPORT? You're not rendering, using AE's Render Queue?
Whenever I start hearing the word "export" too often, I'll post a message in this forum for AE newbies about the virtues of rendering. I include it for your edification:
If you're new to AE, you're probably used to exporting to get things from one application to another. So the way to get animation out of AE is by exporting, right? Wrong. Usually, exporting isn't the best choice.
You see, in AE there are TWO ways to create files for use in other applications, exporting and rendering. In AE, the two terms are not interchangeable, because they represent two broad file creation options. Exporting is almost always the down-and-dirty, limited-choice, one-at-a-time file creation option. Rendering is the sophisticated, choice-filled, customizable, batch-processing file creation option.
There aren't very many Words To Live By in AE, but there's one phrase that you'd do well to learn:
"If AE gives you a choice between rendering and exporting, it's almost always better to render."
Why?
1) More Choices -- Try this test: create a comp of your choice, then duplicate it. Export one of the comps, and notice the range of choices available to you. Now add the other one to the render queue: you'll note that you have LOTS more choices of what to do, giving you a range of choices for virtually any need.
2) Customization -- You'll note that when you add your comps to the render queue, you have two things you can adjust: the Render Settings and the Output Module. Each one lets you create and save your very own settings, a very handy thing to have.
What if you need to create a lot of alpha channeled quicktime movies? Create a custom Output Module for that very purpose!
What if you want to include audio in your quicktime move? No sweat. Make an output module that can do it.
Want to make 23.976, film-frame-rate footage into 29.97 TV-frame-rate video? Make a new Render Settings to do that.
Best of all, YOU choose the default render settings and output modules: just set 'em and forget 'em!
3) The Only Choice -- There are some things that you can do only in the Render Queue, such as adding 3:2 pulldown to 23.976 footage, as mentioned above. And it works slicker'n snot on a doorknob.
4) Batch Processing -- Too Cool For Words. Are you getting sick of exporting a big comp, then waiting several minutes or even hours for it to finish? What if you had a bunch of comps to get done? Hey, just add 'em to the Render Queue! If you've set your default Render Settings and Output Modules, just add 'em one after another, save the project, and then you can render when YOU want to... like overnight, when you're having fun and the computer isn't doing anything.
5) Exotica -- Wouldn't it be cool if you could make an animation AND attach the AE project right to it? You can do that in the render queue. Wouldn't it be slick to make a quicktime movie AND an image sequence of the same thing at the same time? No sweat in the render queue; in fact, there are a couple of ways to do it.
Now there ARE a few things that you can't do from the render queue. You can't make AIFF files, for one. There are others, but they're few and far between.
So, repeat after me:
"If AE gives you a choice between rendering and exporting, it's almost always better to render."
