Letterbox & Mixing footage from a Canon GL

swishpangrl

swishpangrl

Member
Hi all,

I am shooting a doc soon and have been trying to decide whether or not to shoot in Squeeze, letterbox (and uprez to WS if needed) or 4:3 w/ masking over the LCD to frame for WS. Anybody's input is appreciated - it seems subjective and really confusing although i am leaning towards Letterbox and uprezzing if necessary. I find I notice the resolution loss immediately in Squeeze and it annoys me. Doc will be interviews as well as on the fly in the Middle East.

Also, any tips for mixing in footage from a Canon GL2 would be appreciated. I know it's not going to match perfectly but how can I get it close? I guess this is why I am leaning to Letterbox. I will be using the DVX100B in 24P.

Thanks!
 
What is the intended distribution method? Broadcast or DVD? If broadcast, then 4:3 letterbox makes sense, if DVD, then SQUEEZE mode makes sense. It may not be quite as nice as 4:3 in resolution, but it's better than upscaling in post.
 
Joshua Provost said:
What is the intended distribution method? Broadcast or DVD? If broadcast, then 4:3 letterbox makes sense, if DVD, then SQUEEZE mode makes sense. It may not be quite as nice as 4:3 in resolution, but it's better than upscaling in post.
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While broadcast would be awesome, it's an indy thing so one never knows. I would have to say, initially, it should look good on DVD (shouls this be anamorphic? I still send out regular old DVD's for my 4:3 work) as that will be how festival s & potential broadcasters will first encounter the film.Also, how is 4:3 content displayed on a WS TV (I teach so I do not own one)? Say you are watching content such "Stagecoach" which has an almost 4:3 ratio on a WS TV. How does it handle that? Bars on the side or does it distort?
 
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The GL2 has a "squeeze" mode (although it may not be called exactly that) as well, so that shouldn't be an issue. OTOH, the GL2 doesn't have a 24p mode, so that will be an issue.
 
I'd say the entire issue is one of artistic choice, i.e. How do you want the doc to look? If you shoot in 4:3, then compose the shots that way. If you want 16X9, then use the highest resolution you can. For the DVX100a, that would be the Anamorphic adapter, although Squeeze mode works pretty well too, and I'm willing to be that 99.999 % of the people watching your doc will never know nor care. Actually, IMHO, your sound is far more important than your picture will ever be for low-budget docs.

m. burgh
 
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