LuttieCinematic Bars
Black bars for the widescreen cinema look. Choose an aspect ratio, see it on your own frame, and download a transparent overlay sized for your video.
Aspect ratio
Anamorphic widescreen, the modern cinema standard
Two bars of 138 px, top and bottom. Picture area 1920 x 804.
The overlay is 1920 x 1080. Put it on the track above your footage. Nothing is uploaded.
Bar sizes for each aspect ratio
| Aspect ratio | Each bar on 1920 x 1080 | Picture height | Each bar on 3840 x 2160 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.39:1 | 138 px | 804 px | 276 px |
| 2.35:1 | 131 px | 818 px | 262 px |
| 2.76:1 | 192 px | 696 px | 384 px |
| 2:1 | 60 px | 960 px | 120 px |
| 1.85:1 | 21 px | 1038 px | 42 px |
Adding the overlay in your editor
Premiere Pro
Import the PNG and drag it to a video track above your clips. Stretch it to the length of the sequence.
DaVinci Resolve
Import the PNG to the Media Pool and place it on a track above the footage on the Edit page. Resolve also has Timeline, Output Blanking for the same result without a file.
Final Cut Pro
Import the PNG and connect it above the primary storyline, then extend it over the whole project.
CapCut
Add the PNG as an overlay, scale it to fill the frame, and drag its end to the end of the video.
Bars are half of the look
Widescreen framing makes footage feel like cinema, but the colour is what sells it. A grade with controlled contrast and a consistent palette does more than the bars do. You can build one on your own clip in the Luttie editor, or start from a free cinematic LUT.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add cinematic bars to a video?
Pick an aspect ratio and your video's frame size above, download the bars overlay, and put it on the track above your footage in your editor. The overlay is a transparent PNG with two black bars, so the picture shows through the middle. It works the same way in Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro and CapCut.
What size are the black bars for 2.39:1 on 1080p?
On a 1920 x 1080 frame, 2.39:1 leaves a picture 804 pixels tall, so each bar is 138 pixels. For 2.35:1 each bar is 131 pixels, and for 2:1 each is 60 pixels. On 4K UHD the bars are exactly twice as thick.
Which aspect ratio looks most cinematic?
2.39:1 is the modern anamorphic cinema standard and the one most people mean by the cinematic look. 2.35:1 is the older CinemaScope shape and looks almost identical. 2:1 is a gentler option used by many streaming series, and it loses less of the picture.
Do cinematic bars lower my video quality?
No, but they cover part of the picture. 2.39:1 bars hide about a quarter of a 16:9 frame. Frame your shots with that in mind, or move the clip up or down under the overlay to choose what stays visible.
Should I add bars or crop the video?
Add bars when the video will be watched in a 16:9 player, which is most of the time: the file stays a standard size and plays everywhere. Crop to a true 2.39:1 file only when the platform shows wide video properly, otherwise the player adds its own bars.
Is the overlay free to use?
Yes, free for personal and commercial work, with no account and no watermark.
Give the footage a grade to match the frame.
Open a clip in the browser and play it back with your grade on.
Open the editor →