• Canon DSLR Cameras

  what the correct fps for stop motion, early 1900s film, and super 8 mm???

  Posted by Nick Natteau on February 3, 2013 at 11:21 pm

  I’m planning to do a stop motion film with my Canon 7D and mix it with simulated turn of the century (1900s) type film, as well as super 8mm 1960s type film camera motion.

  Can anyone advise me on the proper film speeds for those subjects???

  First regarding stop motion. I’ve heard it said that you can shoot 24fps using two identical frames per shot in order not to have to shoot so many frames. But isn’t it exactly the same if I shoot at 12fps rather than shoot 24fps with 2 identical frames per shot?

  For 1900s (or WWI era films) was the standard film speed 16fps or 18fps???

  And is it true that super 8mm film in the 60s and 70s was shot at 18fps? I read this somewhere but thought this forum the best place to find out for sure.

  Thanks very much in advance.

  Chris Wright replied 13 years, 5 months ago 4 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  Sareesh Sudhakaran

  February 4, 2013 at 1:35 pm

  I have no experience with images below 24 fps, but for what it’s worth: You do realize that NLEs don’t have workflows for 12 fps or 18 fps, right? Furthermore, there’s no delivery format for anything less than 24p either. You could export image sequences, but what next?

  What this means is that you will be duplicating frames, no matter which frame rate you choose. In this case, it would be easiest for you to choose a direct multiple of the time-base frame rate (project frame rate). For 24p, that would mean 12 fps. If you choose 18 fps, then you’ll be at the mercy of the algorithm doing the interpolation.

  However, 12 fps might not give you the look you want, since 8mm had 16 and 18 fps. According to Wikipedia, silent films had frame rates from 14 to 24 fps, but I think 18 fps was the most popular (I could be wrong). Here are two threads that you might find interesting:
  https://forums.adobe.com/thread/844524
  https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/3/911293

  Hope this helps.

  https://www.wolfcrow.com – Workflow information and support for filmmakers, photographers, audiographers and videographers.
• 

  Nick Natteau

  February 5, 2013 at 4:55 am

  Thanks very much for your help Sareesh. Sorry I had no idea that NLE’s didn’t have frame rate workflows below 24fps. Perhaps then I should simply shoot 2 identical frames per shot in a 24fps timeline, the equivalent of 12fps. Thanks very much for those links!
• 

  David Eaks

  February 5, 2013 at 6:58 am

  [Nick Natteau] “Perhaps then I should simply shoot 2 identical frames per shot…”

  Or when your done shooting all the frames, make a copy of all the images in a new folder, batch rename them in a way that they will sort as desired. Maybe “img001” copied and renamed to “img001a”

  img001
  img001a
  img002
  img002a
  etc.

  just a thought, not like I’ve done what your trying to do. I guess hitting the remote shutter twice wouldn’t be too hard anyway though.
• 

  Chris Wright

  February 5, 2013 at 11:04 am

  actually, what you’ll need to decide is:

  1. do you want 18 fps with frame blending with pixel motion to give a smooth 18fps.

  2. 18fps as an undercrank where the motion is a little faster than normal, like in some b/w film by timestretching the comp to 24fps to speed it up.

  3. 18 fps(-as is-) is pretty choppy for stop motion, heck! even 24fps is brutal if you don’t have giant armatures and perfect motion.

  You may definitely want to do some tests before deciding on your final post production and not screw yourself out of 10,000 frames of work.

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