User Guide

54 Chapter 3 Combining Standard and High Definition Video
If a film or video was shot to be exclusively viewed in a widescreen venue, this
technique is usually the best approach for downconversion. However, this method
makes poor use of the already lower resolution of an SD 4:3 frame, since many lines are
not used at all.
In Final Cut Pro, you can scale the entire HD movie by nesting and scaling it into an
SD sequence. You will have to render the whole sequence before you output.
Cropping 16:9 Video to 4:3
If you keep both 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios in mind during the shoot, making sure
important action stays within the 4:3 center of the 16:9 frame, you can choose to crop
your entire movie within a 4:3 frame. This method allows you to fill the whole 4:3 screen
with some portion (usually the center) of your 16:9 image. In this case, a simple crop can
be applied to the entire film without significantly altering the visual storytelling.
720 to 480
1080 to 480
16:9 to 4:3
crop center
16:9 frame 4:3 frame