Create Widescreen Bars in Kdenlive with Generators

Adding an anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio (such as 2.39:1 or 2.35:1) to your video project gives it an instant cinematic feel. This article provides a quick, step-by-step guide on how to create a black bar overlay (letterbox effect) directly in Kdenlive using its built-in Title Clip generator, eliminating the need to import external image templates.

Step 1: Create a Title Clip Generator

Kdenlive’s Title Clip tool functions as a built-in vector graphics generator, which is ideal for creating precise geometric shapes like widescreen bars.

  1. Go to the Project Bin.
  2. Click the arrow next to the Add Clip or Folder button and select Add Title Clip (or right-click in the Project Bin and select Add Title Clip).

Step 2: Draw the Black Bars

In the Title Clip editor window, you will generate the top and bottom black bars.

  1. Ensure the background is set to transparent (the default checkerboard pattern).
  2. Click the Add Rectangle tool button on the toolbar.
  3. Click and drag anywhere on the canvas to create a rectangle.
  4. In the properties panel on the right, change the Fill color to solid black (#000000) and set the opacity to 255 (fully opaque). Remove any borders if they are enabled.

Step 3: Set Precise Coordinates for the Widescreen Ratio

To achieve a standard 2.39:1 cinematic look on a standard 16:9 (1920x1080) timeline, each bar needs to cover approximately 13% of the screen height (140 pixels).

  1. Select your created rectangle and adjust its parameters in the geometry box:
    • X: 0
    • Y: 0
    • Width (W): 1920 (or match your project’s width)
    • Height (H): 140
  2. Create a second rectangle for the bottom bar, or copy and paste the first one.
  3. Select the second rectangle and adjust its parameters:
    • X: 0
    • Y: 940 (Calculated by subtracting the bar height of 140 from the total project height of 1080)
    • Width (W): 1920
    • Height (H): 140
  4. Click Create Clip (or OK) to save the generator asset to your Project Bin.

Step 4: Apply the Overlay to the Timeline

  1. Drag the newly created Title Clip from the Project Bin.
  2. Place it on the topmost video track (e.g., Track V2 or V3) above your video footage.
  3. Drag the edge of the Title Clip to stretch it across the entire duration of your video timeline.

Your video will now display clean, perfectly proportioned anamorphic widescreen bars throughout the project.