Exporting anamorphic 2:35:1 frame in FCP4

[STORYTELLER32]

Hi all,
Extreme newbie to FCP here so if this sounds like a dumb question, apologies in advance.

As many of you have probably seen already, Shai's 'Der Besuch' trailer has a ratio of 2:35:1 (if not, skip on over to the screen clips section on this board and check it out!). I shot footage on the first DVX-100 with the anamorphic adapter and cropped using the existing in camera 16:9 feature. Now, when I imported my footage, I see an anamorphic frame. But when I export as a quicktime movie, I'm not getting that wide frame ratio which Shai achieved.

Given that I'm a newbie to FCP(4) and have barely figured out what some things in the menus mean, I have not been able to figure out what to do based on Shai's post of how he did it. I think he left out some steps which would be obvious to someone who already knows the program.

Can anyone be generous with their time and knowledge and post a FCP for idiots step by step of how to go about getting that frame size?

Thanks so much
Storyteller32

[shAi]

in order to export a 2.35:1 ratio (rather then any kind of letterbox) you need to have a full frame 4:3 sequence:
1. uncheck the "anamorphic 16:9" in the sequence > settings.
2. put your squeezed sequence (export fcp sequence and import back) in the viewer (that's the left window...)
3. hit the "motion" tag, go to "Distort", squeeze it a little bit more by changing the "aspect ratio" to 33.33.
4. still in "motion", zoom in by changing scale until you fill the whole 4:3 frame (135% ? . . not sure if it's the same in NTSC)

you now have the squeezed 4:3 image ready to export.
when exporting to quicktime choose which ever size with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, this will unsqueeze is back. *

you're welcome!

[STORYTELLER32]

Thanks so much, Shai! I have the overall gist now. However, I do have one stupid question left for the rest of you. ;D

Shai wrote:
2. put your squeezed sequence (export fcp sequence and import back) in the viewer (that's the left window...)

The only place I found an import/export option was in the 'file' menu. Is this what he's referring to? If so, how do I do exactly what he's saying here. (remember, FCP for dummies explanations please <ie. goto: file goto: export, click so and so, etc.>)

Thanks
Storyteller32

[shAi]

oh.. sorry.. "final cut pro movie" is what you need to export and import back

[STORYTELLER32]

Shai, again thanks so much for sharing your time and knowledge. Sorry for the yet again newbie question here, but I can't find anything under the export option in the file menu that says 'final cut pro movie'. Am I missing a plug-in or something?

Here's the options I'm given:

quicktime movie
using compressor
using quicktime conversion
for soundtrack
for livetype
audio to aiff(s)
audio to omf
cinema tools audio edl
cinema tools change list
cinema tools film lists
EDL

Those are the only options I have under export in the file menu. Suggestions, anyone?

Storyteller32

[xander76]

The export options changed from FCP 3 to FCP 4, so shai's menus are different than yours. What used to be called a "Final Cut Movie" (which is a movie just with references to the original media) is now available under Export->Quicktime Movie, but you must UNcheck "Make Movie Self-Contained" in the Save dialog box.

[STORYTELLER32]

Thanks Xander, that worked perfectly. Just one more question now for anyone who can answer:

I cropped my image in camera using the 16:9 mode. After following Shai's instructions, I'm still left with the black bars on top and bottom of the frame. In Shai's film, he has a wide screen quicktime frame without the black bars. Nothing but image flush to the window.

Anyone know how I can crop those bars out? Using the crop option in the motion tab only gives me more black bars and doesn't delete them. Suggestions?

Storyteller32

[Neil Rowe]

on most nles you would use a crop tool with an expand option to expand the area cropped to to the full frame , then when you export , export with 2.35:1 dimensions. but remember if your going out to dvd, you will need to keep the 16:9 aspect with balck bars as there is no bit for a 2.35:1 mpg stream. and if going to vhs it of couse needs to be letterboxed into a 4:3 project for export.

[STORYTELLER32]

iamloser wrote:
on most nles you would use a crop tool with an expand option to expand the area cropped to to the full frame , then when you export , export with 2.35:1 dimensions.

Seems to me if I do that, I lose image on the left and right of the window. Is there a way to simply crop down onto the black bar section to get rid of them? If so, please post how with step by step instructions (remember, newbie here).

Thanks
Storyteller32