Video University: Video University Forums: Tech Q & A: Importing photos and stills for video

VideoUniversity.com
Home	Free Library	Store
Free Catalog Please support VU by making your B&H purchases and links through this B&H ad. Doesn't cost a penny more.

Giving Thanks to All.
A little thanksgiving humor.

To post in the forums see the Forum Guidelines.

Join or Renew Today.
New Benefits for all VU Members

Forum Guidelines and FAQ
Main Index	Search Posts
Who's Online	Log In

Home: Video University Forums: Tech Q & A:
Importing photos and stills for video

cgrassi
Novice

Aug 19, 2005, 9:12 PM

Post #1 of 10 (1515 views)
Shortcut

Importing photos and stills for video	Can't Post

Hello, I am wondering what the right size to import a photo, or newspaper headline, for NTSC video, I don't want it to be streched
Thanks
Craig

djtoltz
User

Aug 19, 2005, 9:30 PM

Post #2 of 10 (1513 views)
Shortcut

Re: [cgrassi] Importing photos and stills for video [In reply to]	Can't Post

For CCIR 601 (standard def NTSC), you want a 4:3 ratio. Since the pixels aren't square, it's best to use an image of 720x540 dimensions, which will be squeezed to 720x480 with the proper aspect and pixel dimensions for NTSC video.
---
Douglas Toltzman
Hubert, NC

cgrassi
Novice

Aug 20, 2005, 2:36 PM

Post #3 of 10 (1503 views)
Shortcut

Re: [djtoltz] Importing photos and stills for video [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks for the infor, but what if the pictures are, unfortunatly taller then they are wide? and i need to use the entire thing

Thanks
Craig

djtoltz
User

Aug 20, 2005, 4:18 PM

Post #4 of 10 (1501 views)
Shortcut

Re: [cgrassi] Importing photos and stills for video [In reply to]	Can't Post

Depending on your NLE, you don't really need to worry about the exact dimensions. If using Final Cut, you just use the motion settings to position and scale the image.

If you are using an editor that requires the pictures be the correct size and aspect, then you'll need to matte your vertical photos by placing the photo onto a 720x540, solid matte (a background image), and saving the photo with the matte at the correct size.

You didn't say what you were using for editing. All of this is probably unnecessary, if you're using a decent video editing system.
---
Douglas Toltzman
Hubert, NC

RatVega
Enthusiast

Aug 20, 2005, 11:29 PM

Post #5 of 10 (1488 views)
Shortcut

Re: [djtoltz] Importing photos and stills for video [In reply to]	Can't Post

Spot on unless the intended use includes "Ken Burns effect" (panning and zooming). This can be an interesting way to treat the odd fomat stills. For this effect, you'll want to upsize the stills 50-100%, or whatever increase is necessary avoid overscaling and loss of resolution in your NLE.

______________________________________________________________
Currently on a loaded 2.5GHz G5 dualie/5GB/1TB internal RAID/dual 19" monitors. Final Cut Studio, Adobe Suite, Boris RED. Shooting with Canon.

VU California Crew, Inland Empire Sub-Chapter (paragraph?)

videobear
Veteran

Aug 21, 2005, 3:22 PM

Post #6 of 10 (1442 views)
Shortcut

Re: [cgrassi] Importing photos and stills for video [In reply to]	Can't Post

If you need to use the whole image, and you don't want to stretch it, then you are going to have to have some sort of frame around the image to fill up the unused space. The total picture, including any framing, should be 720x534, or any multiple of those numbers to keep the 4:3 aspect ratio.

For a simple frame effect, try this in Photoshop:
1. Open the image. Use the Eyedropper tool to select a pleasing color that's used in a significant portion of the image.
2. Open a new image window, 24 bit RGB color, 720x534 pixels.
3. Use the paint bucket tool to fill the new image with the selected color.
4. Use the Noise filter to add some texture to the color.
5. Create a new layer.
6. Go back to your first image. Select All, then Copy.
7. Paste the image into the new layer of your colored image. Use Shift+ Scale to re-size it to fit nicely in the window.
8. Use a Drop Shadow on the image's layer to produce a little more definition between the picture and its "frame".
9. Flatten the composition and save as a .tga file. Import into your video editing program.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

djtoltz
User

Aug 28, 2005, 12:00 AM

Post #7 of 10 (1304 views)
Shortcut

Re: [videobear] Importing photos and stills for video [In reply to]	Can't Post

How do you get 720x534 from 4:3 ??? 720/4=180, 180*3=540
---
Douglas Toltzman
Hubert, NC

videobear
Veteran

Aug 28, 2005, 10:29 AM

Post #8 of 10 (1290 views)
Shortcut

Re: [djtoltz] Importing photos and stills for video [In reply to]	Can't Post

Computer pixels are square. Television pixels aren't square, their horizontal dimension is only 0.90 as large as their vertical dimension.
Unless you are working in a paint program that has an automatic correction for this difference in pixel dimensions (called "pixel aspect ratio"), you need to correct for it manually.

If you start with an image that's 720x534, and then as a last step, re-scale it to 720x480, it will look a little "squished" on your computer screen (square pixels). But, when you display this image on a television screen, the nonsquare pixels will re-expand the image so that it appears normal.

One way to test if you are doing it right is to make a simple graphic of a large circle. If it displays correctly on your TV, then you have done the correction for pixel aspect ratio right. If it looks like an oval, you got it wrong.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

djtoltz
User

Aug 28, 2005, 11:38 AM

Post #9 of 10 (1285 views)
Shortcut

Re: [videobear] Importing photos and stills for video [In reply to]	Can't Post

The DV pixel aspect ratio is actually actually 54/59, but the catch is that the 720x480 is only an approximation, different applications will report different dimensions (e.g. 720x486). My experience has been that the important thing is to keep to the 4:3 (or 16:9) aspect to get a correct image; borrowing your analogy, to make a circle look like a circle. The mathematics are not precise, but I've been using 720x540 in applications that use square pixels. If you open a new image in Photoshop, you'll be offered a preset for "Standard NTSC 601" which will be 720x540. After years of creating CG effects for compositing with video, I've never had a problem with starting out at 720x540, or 960x540 for 16:9.

I noticed that the DVD Studio Pro book also recommends 720x534 for the starting dimensions of DVD menus, and I was pretty sure it was a typographical error! I can see, however, from whence your numbers are derived. It makes sense if you presume that NTSC CCIR 601 is really 720x480 and the pixel aspect ratio is exactly 0.9 to 1.

Sorry to bother you with this. I'm sure either number will be close enough, considering all of the other variables involved in how the image is finally displayed.
---
Douglas Toltzman
Hubert, NC

faqvideo
User

Sep 1, 2005, 10:16 PM

Post #10 of 10 (1211 views)
Shortcut

Re: [cgrassi] Importing photos and stills for video [In reply to]	Can't Post

I am using Intervideo WinDVD for such projects. It neither stretches nor squashes the pictures. They stay tall or lay wide centered with black filling around. Quick and dirty.

Andrei, FAQ Video