16:9 and 4:3 conundrum

[demalibu]

Once again I know this topic has been touched on, but cannot find trhe specifics.
My conundrum. The new footage has been shot 16:9. The old footage is 4:3. I have to edit both together and output for viewing as 4:3 format.
What is the easiest way to do this please?

[Doreen L.]

If I remember correctly, when I've had this situation, I set the project up in 3:4. Any clips in widescreen, I go to the Properties Panel, click on motion and uncheck contrain proportions. Then I just scale the width so the proportions are correct. Of course, you loose the outer portions of the widescreen video.

[Steve Grisetti]

You can also use 16:9 footage in a 4:3 project, or vice versa, by going to the odd clips (the ones that are squeezed) in the Media panel, right-clicking on them and selecting Interpret Footage. Here you'll find the option to change the pixel dimensions as needed.

Once that's done, you may need to Scale the video, once you place it on the timeline. 16:9 footage will bleed off the sides of a 4:3 project and a 4:30 video will have black on either side in a 16:9 project. But, if that doesn't bother you, don't worry about it.

[demalibu]

thanks once again
all the best Chris