Cropping Clips

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hello everyone,
Am converting super8 movie film to DV using a film projectior and a digital
video camera. The lens' of both items are co-planer but are not co-linear due
to the necessary included angle between them. This means the projected image
is tapered left to rigtht while the camera collects an image which tapers
right to left. This camera tapered image is reproduced in MM2 V2.
Is there some method within MM2 to crop the clips to remove the black
tapered top and bottom bands? I am thinking of something like the crop tool
in photo editing packages.
Any help please?
Kenneth
 
Hello there,

You would probably find that the free version of MovieXone is what you realy
need. You can tweak the portal through which you view the image so as to get an
image that does not conform to 4:3 or 16:9....not surewhat it would look like
though. If you want its Big Brother (MovieDV version 6) you can get that for
US$69 from www.aist.de It gives 11 video and 11 audio tracks all of which can
be manipulated independently of each other......It outstrips other software
costing many hundreds of US $

--
Best Wishes.....John Kelly
www.the-kellys.org
www.the-kellys.co.uk
Just glad I don't live in Croydon, UK
\|||/
(o o)
----------ooO-(_)-Ooo-------------
All material gained from other sources is duly acknowledged. No Value is
obtained by publishing in any format other peoples work
 
Is there some method within MM2 to crop the clips to remove the black
tapered top and bottom bands? I am thinking of something like the crop
tool
in photo editing packages.
Click to expand...

MM tends to produce output in standard sizes and aspect ratios. If you
literally crop the movie as an image editor, (without changing the size of
the remaining video) it would be in a non-standard size or aspect ratio.

May be you can solve the black border issue by introducing a small zoom in
(static). if I understand you correctly you are projecting the movie on to a
screen using your projector and then capturing the screen using a camcorder?
In this setup if you place the camcorder slightly towards the screen it
should capture the movie slightly zoomed in. Same could be done by using the
zoom control on the camera lens. Does it make sense?

If you have already captured the video and cannot do a re-capture, then you
may be able to introduce this static zoom by applying a custom effect within
Movie Maker. See the Custom Effects and Transitions page on MSDN site:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnwmt/html/moviemakersfx.asp

and my pan zoom effects:
www.rehanfx.org/panzoom.htm

If you cannot figure out how to make such an effect let me know.
 
Rehan said:
MM tends to produce output in standard sizes and aspect ratios. If you
literally crop the movie as an image editor, (without changing the size of
the remaining video) it would be in a non-standard size or aspect ratio.

May be you can solve the black border issue by introducing a small zoom in
(static). if I understand you correctly you are projecting the movie on to a
screen using your projector and then capturing the screen using a camcorder?
In this setup if you place the camcorder slightly towards the screen it
should capture the movie slightly zoomed in. Same could be done by using the
zoom control on the camera lens. Does it make sense?

If you have already captured the video and cannot do a re-capture, then you
may be able to introduce this static zoom by applying a custom effect within
Movie Maker. See the Custom Effects and Transitions page on MSDN site:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnwmt/html/moviemakersfx.asp

and my pan zoom effects:
www.rehanfx.org/panzoom.htm

If you cannot figure out how to make such an effect let me know.
Click to expand...
-------------->
Many thanks for the reply Rehan. Your understanding is correct and I have
been moving the camera as you suggested. Will persist and follow up your idea
of the custom effects.
Will let you know how things go
Regards, Kenneth
 
Many thanks John for your reply. Will follow up your suggestions and let you
know the outcomes.
Regards, Kenneth
 
Kenneth,

I have been working on a similar project and have some thoughts that may
help.

1. Consider using avisynth (free download) as a preprocessor to WMM. I
believe it's zoom features are superior to WMM's. It also has some excellent
filters to clean up the video. I use it to completely any flicker from the
projector / camera shutter mismatch. It can also improve the video in other
ways: clean noise, color correct, white balance. There is a learning curve,
but the benefits to my project were huge.

2. As my final output is a DVD I have ignored the ugly keystone border. It
ends up outside the TV Safe zone and does not display on the television. The
LCD display on my camcorder matches well with the TV display border. If I
zoom the camera in so it looks nice during capture, then I ignore the border
during editing.

Let me know if this helps.

Ken
 
well it seems everybody is quessing on this one..I'll give it a try..FIRST..I
have seen some product that converts the 8mm film strips to VCR-tape..I think
KODAK also offers this..if memory recalls the product runs about
99.dollars.BUT..why can't you BLOCK your Projection Screen in some
Border..made from a BLACK or other colored posterboard..set the Digital Video
Camera to Capture that image as sized on the wall..you can SET your Digital
Camera to Cinema..and if you use a Black Area around the projection screen
Sizeing the Captured Content would be some-what Good..adjust some light in
the room to optimize the projection screen..or if you can go onto
VCR-tape..an analog Capture Card will solve all your problems for a File on
your PC.
 
Thanks "1hour". Will have to digest the border method you suggest then give
it a burl.
Kenneth
 
Back
Top