Dropouts! What's your best trick to deal with them?

I've got a master tape with alot of dropouts (digital hits) on it. Tell me your best solution to remove them once you have your footage on the timelime.

Thanks,

Jay

I haven't used this (I fix dropouts in After Effects) but these may help:

[www.chv-plugins.com]

Digital Heaven also has DH_Dropout, but their site has "dropped out" and won't load the plug-in page (better fix that if you want to sell plug-ins, fellas)

GOOGLE is your friend, Jay:

[www.google.com]

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

What sort of dropouts are we talking here? Massive Beta dropouts across the frame or black/white 'tearing'? If it's Beta, there is this solution, and it may sound crazy, but mostly it works. You literally excise the offending frame, cut it out, and somehow, mostly the action still flows. Answer 2 is to make a clone of the preceding frame and then overlay it on top of the frame with dropout, but then crop the frame to only cover the dropout... also is quite effective...

Marcus T
iCreate! digital|post
12 Core Mac Pro, Snow Leopard, FCP 7.0.3, 8Gb Memory.

I disagree with Marcus...cutting an entire frame out (both fields) is not a good idea (hence the term "drop frame". A missing frame is noticable, maybe more to those of us that can see every frame, like a skip in the motion.

Cloning the previous frame & cropping the dropout may work but also could leave a partial stutter freeze. The plug-ins I mentioned above are supposed to work within the Fields (sub-frame) so as to hide the repairs. like I said, I haven't used them but the demos look very convincing.

Dealing with dropouts is a nasty evil and is something that should be carefully avoided by shooting / transerring on the best tape stock available. This is one area where saving a few bucks will catch up with you in man hours trying to fix cheap tape dropouts.

...my 2 cents

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

...A missing frame is noticable, maybe more to those of us that can see every frame, like a skip in the motion...

Cheap shot... you're implying that I can't see a jump frame... you don't even know who I am. Despite what you may THINK you know, I have seen this work, and am not some amateur hack as you might imagine! I have been editing for 20+ years, so you can keep your snotty innuendo to yourself in future...

So in the end, all you do is criticize, instead of offering solutions... The question, I believe, was what do I do to FIX dropout? (He already has them).. You're all theory and no action dude...

Marcus T
iCreate! digital|post
12 Core Mac Pro, Snow Leopard, FCP 7.0.3, 8Gb Memory.

Let's not use any personal attacks here, Marcus. And I agree with Joe on the technical issue -- you can't just cut out one frame without doing something to smooth it out, like a super-short dissolve. Even then, it very much depends on how active the camera is, how stable the shot, how bright, etc.

But let's take it back a step. Jay, how sure are you that the pixellations are permanently on your master tape? Have you played it on multiple decks? Do the pixellations happen with 100 per cent consistency (ie. the same bad pixel on the same frame every time you frame-advance through the tape)? What happens if you capture from the tape a second time -- is the second clip messed up in exactly the same way as the first? Was the tape shot in LP mode? Have you cleaned your deck?


www.derekmok.com

Quote

Cheap shot... you're implying that I can't see a jump frame... you don't even know who I am. Despite what you may THINK you know, I have seen this work, and am not some amateur hack as you might imagine! I have been editing for 20+ years, so you can keep your snotty innuendo to yourself in future...

No cheap shot intended. You're right...I don't know you. None of us really know each other. Does that mean I shouldn't post my opinion? What I meant by "maybe more to those of us that can see every frame" was that those of us (you included) that have experience editing frame by frame will notice a missing frame (I know I do). Don't be so self conscious - there is nothing personal there unless you make it so.

Since you brought it up, I am a bit surprised that someone who has been editing for "20 + years" gives advice to just "cut out a frame" (?)

Quote

So in the end, all you do is criticize, instead of offering solutions...

Um...look at the second post in this thread "dude".

Back on topic:

Hey Jay,

How about posting a few frames for review?

Peace

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

grafixjoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>[I fix dropouts in After
> Effects]

Joe - Can you please say a little about how you fix drop outs in After Effects?

Thanks,
Frank
>

Sure Frank,

Depending on the thickness of the dropout, I use a little plugin called "CC Simple Wire Removal":

* Place Point A on one end of the dropout
* Place Point B on the other side
* Set the Removal Style to Displace
* Tweak the thickness until the dropout is covered
? Tweak the Mirror Blend to soften the edges

I don't do a lot of dropout repair. I have gotten maybe 3 clips is 4 years that needed a few minor dropouts removed and this is how I did it. With large dropouts / huge frame tears / massive missing data, I don't recommend this technique as the repair will be noticable. The plug-ins I mentioned in the second post look to be pretty helpful.

Is that cool Frank? Hope that helps a little.

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Gentlemen!

It awesome to see the energy level directed to my posting. I actually have used some of your tricks in the past, but for me this tape is really @#$%& and i'm looking for a new solution.. I've posted some frame grabs and hopefully you'll be able to see them (use the links below). Once again, thanks for the help and gentlemen let's remember it's only TV. We all got as much talent as the next person......... well I probably have the most talent. I'm just here to keep you on your toes.

Cheers,

Jay

(If you can't see them, I'II email them to you)


[www.box.net]
[www.box.net]

Jay,

Yikes...those are pretty large. This may be what you are looking for:

[www.digital-heaven.co.uk]#

Watch the tutorials. They may help you.

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Yes thank you Joe. I'm just collecting nuggets right now but it's highly likley I will use your solution sometime soon since I just work in DV.

Thanks!

grafixjoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sure Frank,
>
> Depending on the thickness of the dropout, I use a
> little plugin called "CC Simple Wire Removal":
>
> * Place Point A on one end of the dropout
> * Place Point B on the other side
> * Set the Removal Style to Displace
> * Tweak the thickness until the dropout is
> covered
> ? Tweak the Mirror Blend to soften the edges
>
> I don't do a lot of dropout repair. I have gotten
> maybe 3 clips is 4 years that needed a few minor
> dropouts removed and this is how I did it. With
> large dropouts / huge frame tears / massive
> missing data, I don't recommend this technique as
> the repair will be noticable. The plug-ins I
> mentioned in the second post look to be pretty
> helpful.
>
> Is that cool Frank? Hope that helps a little.
>
> - Joey