[future_retro]

I can't get Final Cut Express to work with my Kx footage correctly, it automatically adds a letterbox to the footage and when I try to export it stretches it and makes it too wide, I've tried exporting to 1080 and 720 16:9

I'm pretty confused, can anyone tell me how to work with the Kx footage? I just want it to be 16:9 without a letterbox

[tuco]

Can you be more specific on your export? Are you exporting as Quicktime and what are the dialog settings? And you shot 720p footage?

[future_retro]

oops I actually figured it out, I had my sequence settings set to NTSC 480 or something like that instead of one of the HD settings. I had to redo the entire project but it was a short little thing so it wasn't that big of a deal

This thread can probably just be buried

[FullertonImages]

oops I actually figured it out, I had my sequence settings set to NTSC 480 or something like that instead of one of the HD settings. I had to redo the entire project but it was a short little thing so it wasn't that big of a deal

This thread can probably just be buried

I am having the same problem right now. I did my first vid in NTSC 480, and didn't even really notice the letterboxing. Then I started another project, got almost finished with it, and noticed the letterbox. Took me a while to figure out that I need to switch the sequence settings to 720p/30 (I'm shooting K-7). I tried just changing them in the sequnce I was working in, but it just takes the the 4:3 canvas with 16:9 inside of it, and then converts that to 16:9, which means that you've now got something that is letterboxed, then pillared, and you have more black then video. I can't find anyway to change the sequence setting after having started working on it that don't do that. So I've been dreading the fact that I haveto start the whole project over. Hooray for learning new skills.

[future_retro]

That's a bummer. I tried to just change the sequence settings too but it screwed things up more

I'm reading a book on FCE and wanted to do a few short projects with it before I got to the real deal so I could make all these mistakes before I put together my real project

trailers and teasers, even if they aren't actually serving a purpose are good things to mess around with while learning, that's what I'm doing

[FullertonImages]

Yeah, the project I messed up on is only like a 4 minute video, but there are quite a good bit of cuts and trims going on, so it'll still be more pain than I was hoping for to start over. I find it silly that you can just change the codec and re-render everything. Bah!

But like you said, it's all in the name of learning and getting better.

[tuco]

I have FCP so I can't say much about FCE but can't you create a new sequence with say a 720/24p timeline and copy and paste your old sequence to the new one edits and all and it will automatically be converted? You can do that with FCP.

[FullertonImages]

Nope. Doesn't seem to work that way. I tried that before. It's like the codec is permanently written to the clips once they enter the timeline. If I cut and paste the old timeline, it's still the wrong aspect ratio. I have to create a new timeline and then drag all the clips back in one by one.

[tuco]

I guess I'm able to do that in FCP because I always convert my video to ProRes 422 format for editing.

[FullertonImages]

That could be it. FCE unfortunately doesn't have prores capabilities. I'll be upgrading to FCS sooner or later, but for now, it looks like it's back to square 1. Thanks for the ideas!