Seeking suggestions on working with mixed formats.

[Phan Tran]

I'm helping some folks work on a project with mixed formats.

Most of their stuff was shot 4k 16x9 with a 1.85 aspect ratio.

They want to add some stuff that was shot 4k 2:1 with a 2.35 aspect ratio.

Editing in Avid at dnxhd36.

Any suggestions on how best to bring the 4k 2:1--2.35 aspect ratio footage into a 4k 16x9--1.85 aspect ratio world? Should I try to pan and scan it for them? How would this effect the conform process since it won't just be as simple as just locating the original clips later on based on the edl?

Phan Tran

 

[Noah Kadner]

How'd they shoot the 2.35 exactly? Since there is no in-camera 2.35 without anamorphic lenses, I'd guess it's just 2:1 which is really not night and day different from 16:9. I wouldn't go messing around with panning and scanning- the DP would kill you for that. I'd cut it full aperture- 16:9 and then the 2:1 will have a slight letterbox.

Then they can figure out the 1.85- 2.35 mess for themselves once the edit itself is done.

-Noah

 

[Phan Tran]

Maybe saying that it was Red 4k 2:1 with framing for 2.35 is more accurate. I kinda volunteered to figure it out for them in terms of getting the 2.35 to work with the original 1.85 framed footage. Maybe volunteering to help out wasn't the best thing

True, most DP's probably wouldn't want their framing "interpreted" via pan and scan, but the amount of footage is very small and in this case the DP knows of the situation and just wants a solution to help the edit get finished.

Should I go back to Redcine or Red Alert and resize or crop the shots? The editor is saying that when he imported the new 4k 2:1 footage and transcoded it to Avid's dnxhd36, the image was stretched/squished.

Thanks for the help.

Phan Tran