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Weird 24p problems
I’ll try to be as detailed as possible here in looking for help.
I’m working on a sequence using footage shot 720pN with the HVX-200. The project is using the DVCProHD 60 Compressor, with the timebase of 23.976, same as the shot footage. I created a title animation in After Effects that should match my FCP sequence. I created two versions, both 23.976 — one using the animation compressor, the other using the DVCProHD codec. When I open the files in Quicktime, they play beautifully and look wonderful. In the FCP viewer and sequence, it’s another story.
Luckily for me, the animation happens to have a 23.976 timecode as part of a graphical element within the animation. When I drop the file into the FCP sequence and scroll through it, frame by frame, the animation repeats and skips frames. The timecode readout in the animation will progress normally… 2:05, 2:06, 2:07. 2:08… and then it’ll hang on 2:08 for a frame and skip ahead to 2:10… It does this consistently throughout the animation.
I’ve tried everything I could think of to figure this problem out. I created a new version of the animation, tried different sequences and sequence settings, re-rendered the project in After Effects, everything. To make matters worse, in After Effects, I created a simple running 23.976 timecode clock animation — and it works without any problems. I’m confused as can be about this. Does anyone have any suggestions??
Thanks,
Marc -
6 Replies
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did you check to make sure your footage is properly interpreted in after effects?
how does it play in ram preview?
that could be the issue right there.
I recommend you export from AE as a dvcpro-hd file. try 23.976 or even 59.94,one
of them should work perfectly. -
As I wrote in the post, the footage used is from the 720pN codec — it’s 24 frames a second, no interlacing at all. I exported from AE using the DVCProHD codec AND the animation codec. Both exhibited problems. I also exported 29.97, 59.94 and 60fps versions. The animations played fine in Quicktime, with the properties shown as 23.976, 29.97, etc., respectively. It’s only in FCP that I’m having trouble with dropped and repeated frames. Again, to troubleshoot, I created a reference animation (using the same codec and same composition settings) with a timecode burnt in, and that test file didn’t exhibit any problems. So I’m really at a loss here.
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I found the culprit…
The FCP sequence was set to 23.98. But it’s really 23.976 — for some reason, FCP calls it (inexplicably, in my mind) 23.98. My AE animation comp and animated movie were set to 23.98. Apparently FCP has a hard time making up the .004 frame per second difference between the 23.98 animation and the 23.976 timeline and ends up repeating and dropping frames. Rending the AE project at 23.976 instead fixed things.
Whew.
Thanks for your help,
Marc -
being progressive doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be manually interpreted.
the pull down can affect what your doing, but I’m glad it was
more simple a fcp issue. 🙂 -
I’m not sure I follow you. The file was progressive — 23.976 full progressive frames, no interlacing, no pulldown whatsoever…
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right but sometimes after effects doesn’t know that and
you have to hit the “guess” button if you end up with
play back/preview problems (bad judder etc…)anything thats 24 frame based can require manual interpretation
is what I’m getting at. It’s not just a fields/interlacing thing. 🙂
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