Video filter to apply effects used by TV news shows

[jparnold]

Lately here in Australia (and probably elsewhere too) the television stations news programs often show video (often taken by what seems to be people using their mobile phones) which shows the picture cropped to say 4:3 aspect ratio (sometimes other aspect ratios) with the edges of the screen filled in with what appears to be the edges of the original video (the cropped part) out of focus.
Maybe there is a name for this is.

Is there a video filter for VS to do this rather than manually cropping etc etc?

[BrianCee]

I don't think there is any filter for doing that - and I'm not sure they do any cropping - it just seems that mobile phone videos come in a variety of formats and the TV companies use what ever they get - won't it be wonderful when mobile phone users learn to hold the phone in landscape mode when taking video.

the easiest way I find John is to first put the video in the video track and then distort it to fill the screen - then put the video in an overlay track - should get you a result like this :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJf4hpKctj0

[jparnold]

Thanks Brian,

Actually I have done something what you describe some years ago when my (standard definition) video camera had (selectable) 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio and I accidentally set it to 4:3 and wanted to use the clips with all the other clips recorded at 16:9.

I really don't understand the tv stations at times when they do crop the video and crop too much losing some of the parts they should be showing (ie parts cut off). Sometimes they crop to a width very narrow. I didn't consider that some of the video was probably recorded in portrait mode instead of landscape. Yes that would be the reason. Well worked out
I thought they only did it to sensationalize.
Nice to have contact with you again.

[RobertOZ]

Hi John,

Selective Focus from New Blue Essentials Package 5 looks as though it would do what you require, as I have all the Essentials Packages (1-7) I will play around with that filter and see what can be achieved

[RobertOZ]

New Blue Essentials 5 Selective Focus filter works perfectly, all you need to do is select "Overlay" as the specific filter and both sides of the video are blurred, is this the sort of effect you are after

[jparnold]

Thanks Robert