Working with 2k material in 4:3

[thomase45319539]

Hello guys,

I've been searching but ultimately cannot seem to find a definitive solution.

I'm editing a short film and it's my first time working towards a 4:3 output. It's shot on Alexa Plus:

Type: Quicktime Movie

Image size: 2048x1152

Frame rate: 25fps

I've made an adjustment layer with croplines for the workflow when working on the timeline in Premiere. When exporting I'd like to get it out in 1536x1152 - I should be able to do this without a loss in image quality, right? As I just crop some pixels off instead of stretching. The problem is, when I create a sequence in Premiere with the above-mentioned dimensions I get black bars in the top and bottom of my original 2048x1152 image in a 4:3 screen. I can scale it to fit the 4:3 image, but I imagine this creates a loss of pixels. Or am I wrong? I've zoomed 400 % and compared the one with croplines adjustment layer and the one that's scaled, and I seem to notice a small difference in quality.

Thanks a lot in advance.

- Thomas

[Ann Bens · Accepted solution]

I would make a custom sequence with 1536x1152. Drop the footage into this timeline.

Enough room to reposition vertical. And no black bars on export.

Most displays devices are 16:9. So you will get black bars on the side.

[thomase45319539]

Thank you for the quick answer. And this rescale in the 1536x1152 sequence wouldn't result in a loss of image quality? I would just be readjusting the file back to its original vertical size?

Best wishes, Thomas

[Ann Bens]

No rescaling, just move it up or down to get a good frame.

[thomase45319539]

Thank you.

When I as you suggest  I get the result as in my image on the original post above where there are bars in the top and bottom of the screen. It just seems to squeeze the 2048x1152 image into a 1536x1152 screen thus creating bars. Do you know what I mean?

[Ann Bens]

Make sure Scale to framesize is unchecked.

I meant not up and down but horizontal.

[Ann Bens]

It should show up like this:

[thomase45319539]

This works! I don't know why it didn't before. Thanks a lot, Ann!

[athmana40]

I capture video from an emulator with OBS in it's native 4:3 aspect ratio, but when I try and import the footage, Lightworks treats it as 16:9 by stretching it horizontally. I went into the settings and changed the output format to "4:3" but it cropped the hell out of my video. I've attached an image to help illustrate the problem.

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