Lower thirds and safe areas (Sony Vegas)

[sdsumike619]

I'm having an issue with Sony Vegas. I create a lower third with track motion and then set my title on top of it, basically just sitting on the title safe area dotted line. When I look at it on my TV, the title isn't centered vertically between the bottom of the TV screen and the top of the lower third and this is because of adhering to the safe area zone. And of course if someone on a computer watches the DVD, there are no safe areas and that will make my title/caption be way towards the top of the lower third. Is this something I just have to live with or is there a fix somehow?

Another question about Vegas - For the lower third, I would like to use this stock footage of fire/flames burning. But If I just modify the track motion and squish the frame size down, it messes up the aspect ratio and thus the flames look squished.. Does anyone here know how to make a lower third using a video, but not have it look squished from changing the frame size?

Last question: Once I have this lower third the way I like it, and I want to use it in 8 places (with different captions on them) do I just ctrl drag to make a copy to each place I need it on the timeline?

[guns1inger]

I'm having an issue with Sony Vegas. I create a lower third with track motion and then set my title on top of it, basically just sitting on the title safe area dotted line. When I look at it on my TV, the title isn't centered vertically between the bottom of the TV screen and the top of the lower third and this is because of adhering to the safe area zone. And of course if someone on a computer watches the DVD, there are no safe areas and that will make my title/caption be way towards the top of the lower third. Is this something I just have to live with or is there a fix somehow?

The centering issue is something you have to live with. The problem isn't Vegas, but your TV. Put the same video into another TV, and you will find the title sits completely differently. Overscan varies from TV to TV and there is nothing you can do about it. Same for PC's, which have no overscan and therefore seem to have exaggerated borders in comarison.

Another question about Vegas - For the lower third, I would like to use this stock footage of fire/flames burning. But If I just modify the track motion and squish the frame size down, it messes up the aspect ratio and thus the flames look squished.. Does anyone here know how to make a lower third using a video, but not have it look squished from changing the frame size?

Before using Track Motion, try using Event Pan and Crop to remove excess image area. Ultimately though, if you have to stretch or compress the footage to make it fit the lower third area, you have the wrong footage.

Last question: Once I have this lower third the way I like it, and I want to use it in 8 places (with different captions on them) do I just ctrl drag to make a copy to each place I need it on the timeline?

Yes, but make sure you choose to create a new copy, and not a reference. Only create areference copy if you want to reuse the captions as well. If you need to change the text in each instance, do not create reference copies.

[sdsumike619]

Yep got it - I actually figured out about the pan and crop and then apply the track motion and it worked, (the source was 720 x 480) but it looks decent now! Thanks for the help =)