{"id":69507,"date":"2016-01-28T08:00:56","date_gmt":"2016-01-28T14:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=69507"},"modified":"2016-09-13T15:57:27","modified_gmt":"2016-09-13T20:57:27","slug":"anamorphic-101-how-to-shoot-and-edit-anamorphic-footage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/anamorphic-101-how-to-shoot-and-edit-anamorphic-footage\/","title":{"rendered":"Anamorphic 101: How to Shoot and Edit Anamorphic Footage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anamorphic footage has become synonymous with the \u201cHollywood\u201d look, which has many independent filmmakers using anamorphic lenses as a means to add production value to their projects. Here\u2019s how you can too.<\/h2>\n

Anamorphic lenses<\/strong> are designed to capture wide aspect images on 4:3 film<\/strong> (or digital sensors), without having to crop the image and sacrifice quality. They work by capturing a stretched and distorted image<\/strong> that squeezes more information into the frame that can later be de-squeezed in post-production. The end result is a beautiful, wide image, rich with detail and resolution.<\/p>\n

Although you can compose the exact same frame using either spherical or anamorphic lenses<\/strong>, you\u2019ll ultimately need to crop your image in some way in order to achieve a wide aspect ratio when using a spherical lens, making it less desirable. For instance, a 2K image that\u2019s cropped to a 2.39:1 (widescreen) aspect ratio, only has 858 lines of vertical resolution. On the other hand, an anamorphic lens<\/strong> is able to take full advantage of all 1152 lines of vertical resolution.<\/p>\n

But filmmakers don\u2019t only love anamorphic lenses<\/strong> because they offer greater quality \u2014 they also love the unique characteristics anamorphic images<\/strong> produce, including their distinctive lens flares.<\/p>\n

\"Lens<\/p>\n

Whether you want to shoot anamorphic<\/strong> as a means to gain more quality, or simply achieve that Hollywood look, here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n

Choosing the Right Anamorphic Lens<\/h3>\n

Two of the most common types of anamorphic lenses<\/strong> are 2x<\/strong> and 1.33x<\/strong>. These numbers refer to the amount of squeezing that the lens will produce. For example, a 2x anamorphic lens<\/strong> will double the amount of horizontal information when compared to a spherical lens.<\/p>\n

A 2x anamorphic lens<\/strong> is most often used with a 4:3 sensor<\/strong> or standard 4:3 motion picture film<\/strong>. When a 4:3 anamorphic image<\/strong> is de-squeezed, the resulting image will have an aspect ratio of 2.39:1<\/strong>, which is a standard widescreen aspect. On the other hand, if you were to use a 2x anamorphic lens on a 16:9 (HD) sensor<\/strong>, the de-squeezed image would be ultra wide at 3.55:1<\/strong>, which is far too wide for most purposes.<\/p>\n

\"Carl<\/a><\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the 1.33x anamorphic lens<\/strong> comes in. When shooting on a standard 16:9 camera<\/strong>, a 1.33x lens<\/strong>\u00a0will\u00a0deliver that beautiful 2.39:1 aspect ratio<\/strong> for the more traditional look. The downside of using 1.33x lenses<\/strong> is that the effects of anamorphic lenses<\/strong> (including their flagship lens flares) are somewhat reduced when compared to the 2x lenses on 4:3 cameras<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re truly going after an anamorphic<\/strong> look, the most authentic way to achieve it is by using a camera that shoots natively in 4:3 (such as the Alexa Plus 4:3) with a 2x anamorphic lens<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

De-Squeeze in Post<\/h3>\n

\"Standard
\n<\/a>Original anamorphic frame via\u00a0EOSHD<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Once you bring your footage into your editing system, you\u2019re immediately going to be faced with the task of de-squeezing your footage in order to view it properly. After all, the image that you captured was distorted (intentionally), so you\u2019ll need to counteract that effect in your post software to view the image properly.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The easiest way to do this is by changing the image\u2019s pixel aspect ratio (or PAR). Almost all NLEs or finishing programs offer a fairly simple way to adjust the pixel aspect, usually within the individual clip settings. Standard footage uses a pixel aspect of 1.0<\/strong>, which is completely neutral, whereas 2x anamorphic footage<\/strong> will need to use a PAR of 2.0 in order to de-squeeze the image properly. Once you\u2019ve selected the appropriate aspect for your footage, your clip will snap to a 2.39:1 aspect ratio<\/strong> and will no longer be distorted.<\/p>\n

For a quick tutorial on how to do this on Adobe Premiere Pro, be sure to watch this video below:<\/p>\n