HELP: Adding Widescreen Matting to Entire Sequence

[Mommaerts]

I just finished a short edit for a sample movie and would like to know if there's a way to add a Widescreen Matting to my entire sequence while still maintaining my V1 and V2 edits. I guess if there was a way to create a blank track the entire length of my sequence on say V3 then apply the Widescreen Matting to it that would work.

1-Is this possible?
2-Is there a better way?
3-If the only way is to export my entire track then re-import it as a single video track then apply the Matting, how should i export this in order to not lose any quailty at all? (hopefully there's an answer to 1 and 2 for I don't really like the time involved in this method)

Thanks in advance,

(M)

[MIDIMan]

The easiest way is to nest your edited program into a new sequence and apply the widescreen matte to the nested sequence. I don't know if this will work in Final Cut Express, but I do it all the time in Pro.

MIDIMan

[Mommaerts]

OH MY FREEKIN' GOD!

I had now idea you could do that!

uh...how do i do that? i just tried it but probably am not doing the right thing as i can't apply the widescreen matting effect to it. Would you mind giving me a step by step.

(M)

[boo]

1. highlight all your clips in your sequence.

2. go to: sequence>nest items>click ok. *you will notice that all your clips have been collected as one nest.

3. as you hold "option" double click your nested sequence so your nested sequence will show up in the viewer.(if you don't hold down option, when you double click your nested sequence, it will open up the timeline w/ the individual clips that were nested.) *

4. *go to effects and choose matte>widescreen and choose your aspect ratio.

5. *here's a trick: *instead of using the widescreen filter, click on the crop tool and go into the viewer and crop the top and bottom to your taste. *rendering is faster this way!

hth...

[Mommaerts]

You guys are of great help thanks!

(M)