24p and Final Cut

[Captain Mench]

Ok — I’ve explained this a bunch so I think I’m good at it. I’m not gonna cover everything… google’s your answer there… but this will get you close. Plus, I’m not gonna guarantee my facts here…

So — The DVX can shoot 24 frames of video per second. But the DV tape cannot handle capturing at 24 frames of video per second, so there are little Gnomes inside the camera that grab certain frames and pull them down (pulldown) and combine them on the fly to create interlaced frames inbetween the anchor frames so when all is said and done there are 30 (ish) frames of video per second flying onto the tape. The Gnomes are SO GOOD at what they do, they have it down to a rhythm… a cadence if you will… (hee… Pulldown Cadence).

There are two types of cadences these Gnomes sing. One is a simple 3.2 cadence (24P) and the other is more advanced… comes from a slovac rhythmic influence and that advanced cadence is 2.3.3.2 (24pA)

As you know, broadcasters here in America don’t like anything other than 30(ish) frames per second, but for YEARS they’ve been showing films on tv… HOW? you might ask… well, but using relatives of these gnomes (though bigger) to create the 3.2 cadence. In the old days they called this telecine maybe because they were trying to create cinematic television?

IF you want to use your film for broadcast it is best if you shoot 24P mode. This way you’ll edit the pulldown cadence of 3.2 in a 29.97 timeline and it will look film-ish but still retain the 30frames per second. If you need to go to film with that after the fact then you’ll need to do a REVERSE TELECINE (which is another post, but look into Cinema Tools if you NEED to do this).

HOWEVER — If you’d like to go either to FILM/WEB/DVD and retain the true 24 frames per second shuttering that the camera gave you in the first place BEFORE the gnomes got in the way with their song, you’ll want to REMOVE the ADVANCED PULLDOWN CADENCE. The Gnomes were very upset when we asked them to sing their Advanced Cadence and they chose a cadence that really looks crappy when played on a TV… so we REALLY want to get rid of it. Lucky for you, FCP can remove that cadence on the fly when capturing.

Choose DV/NTSC 48k Advanced Pulldown Removal capture preset and you’re good to go. (you’ll need to create a new one if you are capturing anamorphic material because for some reason FCP didn’t come with THAT preset already… no problems, just edit and save.)

So, now you’ve captured the material shot with 24pA mode into FCP. The DVX was clicking away at 24 frames per second, the Gnomes were singing their Advanced Cadence and the tape was recording 29.97 frames per second… Then when you got home, the deck was reading 29.97 off the tape, FCP Anti-gnomes were busy ripping out the combined frames and leaving you with captured material of only 24 progressive frames per second (ish).

NOW — create a sequence set to 23.98 fps and start editing away.

You can send it to the web at 24fps and it will look great! You can send it to DVD at 24fps and it will look great! OR you can even send it direct to film and it will look great! All in 24fps.

Should you want to go BACK to tape for backup… guess what… you’ll need to hire again some gnomes to sing a song… your choice… Backup? Use ADVANCED CADENCE so you can remove it again later… FOR BROADCAST OR TV from tape? Use 3.2 Regular Cadence.

Hope this helps.

Oh — to answer your question. Web and DVD? Use 24pA setting on the DVX.

CaptM

[Canadianguy]

Thanks Captain! This is a really complicated topic and it helps that someone is able to explain it clearly. I will give that a shot!

[Canadianguy]

One other question… will 24p DVD’s play properly on interlaced tv’s as well as progressive displays?

[Captain Mench]

You know, I’m not sure… I mean I KNOW my tv is an interlaced unit… but it still looks good. Here’s my rational… I have a progressive scan DVD player but not a progressive scan TV… all my Hollywood DVDs still look fine…

Maybe flawed rational, but it works for me.

CaptM