24p conversion to 23.98

Currently I'm working as an assistant on a film offline feature. Our dailies were telecined to Beta masters and downconverted to DVCam for digitizing. We are working on a MacPro Quad w/ FCP 5.1.4

Initially we did not have a card of IO box so we digitized the clips at 29.97 and then used Cinema Tools to reverse telecine the clips them true 24 FPS.

Unfortunately through the IO box you can playback true 24 FPS, only 29.97 NDF and 23.98. We are able to change our sequences to 23.98 and thus be able to see the playback on our HD monitor, but that does not help for being able to preview clips outside of sequence because they are still 24p. This will pose to be a problem for turn around and daily logistics.

Does anyone know how to change our original 24p clips to a much more workable 23.98 without having to re digitize?

Martin

<<<24p clips to a much more workable 23.98 >>>

Those two numbers, as far as I know, don't have a "conversion" in the sense of dropping a field or duplicating a frame here and there. The only conversion I know of involves changing the speed of the clip. This makes the show longer or shorter depending on which direction you go.

This mucks up the timecode, too. Technically, you need to shift from non drop frame to drop frame. One framerate comes out even and the other doesn't.

I keep hoping somebody is going to drop in here and wave their wand....

Koz

24 and 23.98 do have the same timecode type in both cases NDF. And it's both 24 fps. The 23.98 movies do have a different timebase they play slower - at NTSC timing: 24/1.001 if they are played in an NTSC environment.

So a 24 fps movie should play fine in a 23.98 fps sequence, since the sequence is 24 frames as well but needs 1.001 seconds to play the 24 frames.

You could use CT to conform them to 23.98. In earlier times CT only changed the time base of the clip but I won't guarantee that this is still true. Also your audio then will appear as 47952 Hz

Andreas

I've checked with FCP (after doing some export of 24 and 23.98 stuff).
Within "01:16:35:04" the clips 24 vs. 23.98 differ by 1 frame, so 1/2 a frame not a real issue.
Both of them do play in real time without any render bars anywhere in a 23.98 sequence. And I got live preview with my ancient and beloved Decklink.

Using CT's conform to 23.98 for the 24 fps changes real world timing - which only matters if you are outside an NLE or want to do something with QTtext or SMIL or whatever.

So conclusion from my side - no need to do something with the 24 fps files, just move them into a 23.98 sequence.

Regards
Andreas

Thanks for all the help,

This morning we went through all the partitions and conformed the 24 fps media to 23.98 and then reconnected the files in FCP. The reason we needed everything to be in 23.98 was so that we could preview the clips on the playback monitor for the director. The 23.98 sequences helped but did not solve problem for when we needed to just preview different takes in the viewer rather than on sequence. The timecode slight change should not pose a problem since in the end our cut list will be based on the film address tracks which our integrated with the clips through cinema tools.

Cinema tools was another head ache but we climbed that mountain and hopefully won't have to touch that again till turn around.

Thanks for all the help, this site rocks.

PS If any one needs any help learning how to build proper system for a SD film offline set up feel free to contact me. It took some trial and error, but now we have a smooth work flo with the help of the AJA IO box.... we are only one component away from smoothness.. and that is the DVD recorder that can record and flag 16:9 DVDs. I'm pretty sure Pioneer will do the trick. They are on back order at B + H.. Get them while you can!

Martin

Might take you up on that Martin. Come and demo at lafcpug one of these months. Course you have to bring Dede Allen and Robert Brakey with you.



Michael Horton
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For 24 frame per ceond projects (film & HD) always capture as 23.98 - not 24fps. Edit in 23.98 time lines and all will display out to 29.97 correctly.