finishing a DVCPRO HD project

The project specs:

? shot using panasonic varicam
? Rented deck & captured from tapes using FCP 502
? Used capture preset settings for DVCPRO HD 720p24
? After capturing, item properties showed 59.94 fps - at the time ignored since the footage looked good and had simply added frames (was shot in 24p, and now has redundant frames), not to mention we were out of time.

Now, I am trying to do a better finish of the edited 59.94 project (now 2 years old) in the preparation of a possible film output and pro color correction. And so the questions begin:

? I would like to avoid another $600 per day rental for another deck (to which I don't think would solve the problem anyway), so I am looking into the possibility of converting the 59.94 files to 23.98 using the DVCPRO HD frame rate converter. When attempting this, I got a nice file with the correct framerate, but my timecode is all gone, making reconnecting the footage impossible through an automated task. I dont think, even with cinema tools, I will be able to let the computer convert my timeline correctly from 59.94 to 23.98 right? What would be my best choice of action? With this project, I am willing to bite whatever bullet I need to finish it the best it can be (be it $$ or painstakingly re-assembling the project from scratch)

? Will the soundtrack (which was done in Logic Pro) need to be redone once I get a 23.98 timeline figured out? My rationale brain says no since it is frames per second, and a second is a locked interval of time, and therefor not change any durations, especially since I am only removing redundant frames. But my brain has been wrong many times.

If it helps, I have a slightly older rough cut of the project online here (which does not have my latest sound cleanups & missing a few new tightening cuts):
[www.fieldsfaraway.com]

I know this is a long post, and I appreciate anyone taking the time to even read this, and any help or guidance would be outstanding!

Thanks all

Look at the files. Is the COMPRESSOR 59.94? Should be, no matter what the frame rate is. Now, look at the clips again...in the Browser...is the FRAME RATE 23.98? OK...then...no problem.

Now...why do you need the clips to be 23.98? What are you delivering? Only if you are delivering 23.98 do you need to work with 23.98.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Is the COMPRESSOR 59.94?
The compressor says "DVCPRO HD 720p60" for all my media.

in the Browser...is the FRAME RATE 23.98?
The "vid rate" says 59.94 while a small few say 23.98. This is why I am worried and trying to fix everything now. I have a chance to enter a showcase which would require a film out to 35mm. The nice thing is, if chosen, I would receive a small donation to have this done. So I'm trying to fix as mush as I can now to ease the possible transition to film. I don't want to go to a post house for the film out, they ask "what frame rate is the project" and I say "well... some of it is 59.94 while some is 23.98 but it was all edited in a FCP 59.94 rate project....... did that make any sense to you?" I have a feeling they will refuse to work with me, as they have much better uses for their time

Would you suggest I bite the bullet and rent a deck again and reimport the media correctly? This project means a lot to me as it has been in post for over a year now; I've made huge mistakes with it and have learned a ton from all of the suffering and would really like to get it done right and move on never to make these mistakes again. I've never worked harder or spend more time on a 15 minute project

If you captured from DVCPRO HD tape...using firewire...then there is nothing you can do. The camera flagged the footage as 59.94...and some as 23.98. Those flags are read by FCP, and not matter what setting you choose in the DVCPRO HD group, it will always capture it as flagged. So re-capturing will do you no good. What you have now is the best you can get it...recapturing gains you nothing.

Edited 59.94...OK then, this would be the way to go as a majority of your footage was 59.94. If you wanted a film out, you needed to plan for it from the start. Now, the best you can do is make the 59.94 master and ask what the best way to transfer this to film will be. Because it is a "POSSIBLE" film out...meaning that there is no guarantee. Talk to a post house NOW about it though. Tell them your issues and have them suggest workflows. I have never had a film out, so I can't advise the best workflow for this.

There are many many DV projects that were shot and edited 29.97 that were transferred to film and it looked fine.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

"If you captured from DVCPRO HD tape...using firewire...then there is nothing you can do. The camera flagged the footage as 59.94...and some as 23.98. Those flags are read by FCP, and not matter what setting you choose in the DVCPRO HD group, it will always capture it as flagged."

This is good to know. It was captured via firewire & I thought it was something I did in the capturing process or maybe a bug in the old FCP 5.

The only other potential problem I see with the edit being done in 59.94 is when I use smoothcam on our crane shots. Since all the footage was shot at 23.98 (however it was flagged in the cam), smoothcam is creating a strange effect since the added duplicate frames are being moved at 59.94 instead of 23.98 (does that make sense?) What would you suggest I do about those? I was thinking of fixing them in Motion by making new projects for each clip and keeping the project at 23.98. I would need to use the frame rate converter before importing to motion?

By the way, since I have had no problems going to DVD, making a digibeta copy or HD Master would be no problem right?

Thanks so much for all the info shane! Your're a champ! I'm definitely going to buy your DVD from creative cow!

>Since all the footage was shot at 23.98 (however it was flagged in the cam)

It wasn't. If it was captured via firewire at 59.94, then it was shot 59.94.

And I'm sorry, I have no experience with the Smoothcam feature. I haven't played with FCP 6 much...too busy on an Avid.

>making a digibeta copy or HD Master would be no problem right?

As long as you have a good HD capture card and output to HD properly...a proper HD format that is compatible with what you shot. This is why you need to plan your output BEFORE you shoot.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]