Hmm okay. Some of my current short film was shot in 60fps x 720p for the slow motion shots. Does this mean that the screen size will be different and I'll have to blow it up?
How important is aspect ratio to producers?
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
Well, yes, just like you'd have to blow it up to 1920x1080 if you're staying at 16:9. Or you could shrink all your other footage down to 1280 pixels across and just master your entire project as 720p HD.
Edit: If you're not up on your basic algebra and fractions, I highly recommend brushing up in that area. The fraction equivalence formula comes in very handy when working out frame sizes and ratios.
For instance, when I originally had to figure out what size a 2.4:1 frame would be when my original footage was 1920x1080, I knew from fractions that my horizontal pixels divided by my vertical pixels will be equal to the aspect ratio fraction:
where 'v' is the vertical pixel count I didn't yet know, and then by cross-multiplication:
and then I just have to solve for v using algebra so rudimentary I actually still remember it from high-school.
Math is actually useful. Who knew?
Edit: If you're not up on your basic algebra and fractions, I highly recommend brushing up in that area. The fraction equivalence formula comes in very handy when working out frame sizes and ratios.
For instance, when I originally had to figure out what size a 2.4:1 frame would be when my original footage was 1920x1080, I knew from fractions that my horizontal pixels divided by my vertical pixels will be equal to the aspect ratio fraction:
1920/v = 2.4/1
where 'v' is the vertical pixel count I didn't yet know, and then by cross-multiplication:
1920 * 1 = v * 2.4
and then I just have to solve for v using algebra so rudimentary I actually still remember it from high-school.
Math is actually useful. Who knew?
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Thanks. I get the algebra, but I don't get how to apply that to the size of my camera view screen, and measure out the ratio I desire.
As far as I know, you are stuck with 16X9 with a T2i, but you can change the aspect ratio in post by subtracting pixels from the top and bottom.
Yes for the current short I can. Sorry I should have clarified more. In the future I would like to shoot in wider ratio, with tape on the view screen to help.
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Oh! That's... a little trickier. I don't know the best way of doing that short of using the Magic Lantern firmware, which does appear to work on the T2i -- but it's a bit of a pain learning how to use it at first. (I wouldn't shoot video w/out it, though. )
)Oh! That's... a little trickier. I don't know the best way of doing that short of using the Magic Lantern firmware, which does appear to work on the T2i -- but it's a bit of a pain learning how to use it at first. (I wouldn't shoot video w/out it, though.
Magic lantern will give you a cinemascope marker, but the output is still 16X9. It just looks like everything was shot freakishly wide with gobs of headroom.
With Magic Lantern on a T2i - run as little of the toys as you can or you'll go through batteries like crazy. Histogram and focus assist is all most need.
Whoops, probably should have mentioned that. The crop marks are great, but the output video is always 16:9. What I do in Premiere 5.5 is make a 2.4:1 sequence and then just drop my clips into that. I don't even have to transcode, and since the input clips are 16:9 I can move them around vertically if I need to do a bit of framing adjustment.
I'm also using an AC adaptor to keep from burning through batteries.
I've been pushing my video data rate to 130% - 140%, but I just got some new high-speed cards and I'm going to see if I can get that closer to 200%. It helps with compression artifacting in smooth gradients and solid colors.
Yeah it's just the problem is is that changing the ratio in post, is more difficult then doing it before shooting. Cause if you do it before shooting, you get better shots more likely. If I have tape or something on the camera outlining it, then I will know exactly what the wide ratio shot will have in it, and that will help.
Cool! Then you already know, then. Sorry for the assumption on my part.
Right. That's why I pointed you towards Magic Lantern. The firmware will display the crop marks in your camera's LCD viewfinder. That way you don't need to put tape on your camera.
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I can't remember if I mentioned it earlier in this thread or not, but some monitors (like the Smallhd DP-6) have various crop marks including 2.35:1 as of the latest firmware release. If I do another short before I do a feature I'm probably going to try out 2.35.
I can't afford a monitor right now like that... I could do that algebra on the pixels to figure it out, for my current short. So Premiere Pro has an option that you can subtract a certain number of pixels by typing the number in or what?
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Here's a quick-and-cheap way to tape off your LCD screen on your camera if you won't use the Magic Lantern firmware:
But really, the easiest way in the long term is just buckle down and use the Magic Lantern firmware. You'll have a choice of different cropping marks and you won't have to print anything out or stick tape to your camera.
- Load up Photoshop or other photo program
- Create a new image that is the same dimensions as a piece of paper (11"x8.5"). A low DPI will suffice (like 30 or 60)
- Using the formula from above, create a black solid box in the middle that is the same aspect ratio as you whatever you want to shoot in. (11" x 4.58" for 2.4:1, for example).
- Print this out and place it in front of your camera.
- More your camera towards or away from the paper until the width of the paper in the LCD viewfinder exactly stretches from edge to edge.
- Put tape over your viewfinder along the outer edges where the black box stops. You now have a primitive cropped view for that particular aspect ratio.
But really, the easiest way in the long term is just buckle down and use the Magic Lantern firmware. You'll have a choice of different cropping marks and you won't have to print anything out or stick tape to your camera.
Oh I researched it more and the Magic Lantern is free. So I can just download it to my T2i and I'm set then.
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Yep. Be sure to follow the instructions, though. It's got kind of a steep learning curve, and you'll definitely want to practice with it before you go and shoot actual production video.
*They have a forum and a group on Vimeo to answer questions.
K thanks, I've practiced with this a bit by watching a movie online full screen, with the desired aspect ratio. I've watched certain movies to decide which ratio I prefer. But not every movie is released in the ratio they say it seems. It says the Dark Knight is in 2.39. And the Wild Bunch says it's in 2.20. Yet when I plug them in, The Wild Bunch is wider screened. How does that work?
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