field dominance matching (funky situation) FCP 5.04

Hi everyone,

I have a weird field dominance /capture / settings problem.

I'm working w/ a client who shot miniDV in '24p' (not an HD camera), and wants it cut w/no field dominance. He thought we could capture in progressive, but my tech informs me that we can't, since we're capturing via firewire (compressed only.)

The client wanted the timeline set in 23.98, non-dominant.

So, after removing the advanced pulldown from the dailies (originally captured at 29.97 /lower dominance), I now have dailies at 23.98/lower, and sequence at 23.98/none (dominance.)

I can't seem to find how to get their dominances to match.

The tech says he just wishes the client shot & edited in 29.97/lower (c'est la vie... too late.)

Ideas?

Thanks so much

> The client wanted the timeline set in 23.98, non-dominant.

What you mean is non-interlaced. In other words, progressive.

If your client is

> So, after removing the advanced pulldown from the dailies

24p doesn't have advanced pulldown. It's the usual 3:2 pulldown. 24p Advanced gives you advanced 2:3:3:2 pulldown, which according to the gurus in here can be removed via FireWire on the fly.

First ask your client what his/her final delivery is. If it's a tape format, such as a DigiBeta or DV tape, then there's absolutely no point in editing in 23.98fps, and your work is wasted. You should have captured at 29.97fps, using normal DV settings.

From what you've described, neither you nor your client is familiar with 24p. I'd suggest halting post-production until you guys figure out the research and get everybody on the same page.

You said you removed the pulldown from the dailies. Did you use Cinema Tools?

<You should have captured at 29.97fps, using normal DV settings.>

I agree, but he really wants everything in 24p, even tho it's not HD or film. He's a longtime DP (film & video), and I normally work/delivier in 29.97.

My understanding was DV did not deliver true 24p, that that was HD (and even then you can choose interlace or progressive) - but in DV, interlaced-only.

<24p doesn't have advanced pulldown. It's the usual 3:2 pulldown. 24p Advanced gives you advanced 2:3:3:2 pulldown, which according to the gurus in here can be removed via FireWire on the fly.>

I hear you -- but he shot in 24p mode. I imported FW, which is compessed, and came in 29.97. Trying to meet his specs, I used FCP tools to remove advanced pulldown (it's in the drop-down menu) - which left it 23.97, but lower dominance.

So, I can either re-dij at 29.97, which he doesn't want, or try to cut everything at 23.98. (24p - that's what he wants.)

Is this doable? (including matching dominance) That's the question.
I doubt it, but I need to know so I can explain it clearly to him either way.

Thanks.

i'm on expert with the NTSC frame rates, (live & work in PAL territory)

but generally the rule of thumb is edit in the simplest format,
convert when you've locked off.

there are many ways to then give the footage a "film look",
one of the best is the Graeme Nattress "Film" plugin set, or maybe in this case his "Standards Conversion" set.

your DP client might have to settle for that,
and could be happier if you showed them a quick test of what the end-result would look like.


you can change a sequences field dominance in the sequence settings (sequence menu or right click on the sequence, choose "Settings"

what is the actual problem with your field dominance at the moment?
does it need rendering? look jerky?

you probably know that in FCP the clip properties and the sequence settings have to match or you'll either have to render or have pretty bad (jerky) playback as it attempt to play the footage in real time.

there was a great tip posted recently about how to create a sequence with settings that perfectly match any clip:

control or right click on the clip,
select "Make Multicam Sequence"
you then get a seq with matching settings.
you also get a one-clip multi clip, which you throw away.
save the sequence as a master, i guess, and make copies of it for working.
or create a new sequence preset based on that sequence.

cheers,
nick

> I hear you -- but he shot in 24p mode. I imported FW, which is compessed,
> and came in 29.97. Trying to meet his specs, I used FCP tools to remove
> advanced pulldown (it's in the drop-down menu) - which left it 23.97, but
> lower dominance.

I'm fairly sure you're not really talking about field dominance. I think you're getting unnatural motion because you're trying to use FCP to remove your pulldown frames. I've tried that and it doesn't work. You need Cinema Tools to make the 29.97fps footage into 23.98fps.