I've been editing video for a particular client now for over 3 years.  Each year some of the previous years footage expires (product changes) and some is carried forward and re-used.  Well, all the past footage was shot 4:3.  I just got the drive in with this years footage and it's all 16:9.

Is it possible to adjust either the 4:3 or the 16:9 in order to use both ratios in the same edit?  If so, could someone please point me in the direction of a tutorial or explanation of this?

Basically I have this huge footage library from the past years and I want to be able to use the 16:9 footage to add to this library and use for sequences which already contain 4:3 footage.

I'd prefer to end up with 16:9 as the final ratio if possible.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 Probably the easiest thing to do is to drop a mask effect from the image group onto the 4:3 footage and adjust the mask for a letterbox that matches the 16:9 frame. You could use the 16:9 letterbox in the reformat group of effects, however this will distort the proportions of the 4:3 image, while the mask effect will just crop it.

Basically, you have to make a choice. 

Will the final product be presented at 16:9 or 4:3?

If 4:3, you edit as you normally would then Pan and Scan the 16:9 footage.

If 16:9, you edit as you normally would and Reformat the 4:3 footage to the 16:9 aspect.

There are effects in the Avid to accomplish both scenarios.

Ok, just to make sure I'm following you....

If the final product is to be in 16:9.....

I edit the video as normal using a mix of the 4:3 and 16:9 source.  Then....

I will need to apply the Reformat -->  16:9 Letterbox Effect to each clip that is 4:3.

Am I on the right track here?  After this effect is applied can I export as normal?

Thanks again for your help.

 Before you go too far, drop a 16:9 reformat effect onto the 4:3 image and look at the proportional change - the image will be vertically compressed to fit the 16:9 frame, which will make everything, especially human faces, look shorter and fatter. When you crop the 4:3 image with the mask effect, it will not alter the proportions of the 4:3 image, however you may want to nest a re-size effect under the mask to reposition the 4:3 inside the mask as needed.

I would switch my monitors to view 16:9, then you could drop either the 4:3 Sidebar effect onto the 4:3 footage or do a Pan and Scan and set the Target to 16:9 (Anamorphic) in the Effect Editor.  Doing the Pan and Scan may require you to re-position the frame in order to see the area you want as it will blow it up to fill the frame.  

With the Sidebar approach you don't lose any part of the frame, but you do get PillarBoxed images.

 Good idea, Kenton. I was proceeding on the assumption he wants a full image in the 16:9 frame without the side pillars.

Does anyone know a plugin which simulates the "smart" funktion which 16:9-TV-Sets have to stretch the sides more than the middle part of the picture?

Greetings, Mike

Kenton.VanNatten:

do a Pan and Scan and set the Target to 16:9 (Anamorphic) in the Effect Editor. 

I think this may be a problem if the 16:9 footage is HD. Here's a thread on it

Pan and Scan HD in SD

Good Luck