59.94 frame rate conversion to 29.97

[Lars Wikstrom]

Try to do you convertions in After Effects. When I shot in 60p and then use AE to convert to a SD 29.97 interlaced and re import into FCP to output. Sounds like you just need to do the convertion so you can keep editing.

-Lars

[Greg Nosaty]

Thanks Lars

I don’t have a copy of AE and have not worked with it for many years, if it will solve my problem maybe its worth buying a license and getting to know it again.

Will AE do batch converts? and more importantly does it mantain timecode and reel numbers so I can refence back to the HD clips for online?

greg

[Lars Wikstrom]

It will not to my understanding retain that information about the clip. IT sounds like when you are trying to do this in FCP it is not giving you what you need frame rate waise and so on. Taking it into another program will cause it to lose it’s in for but will import fine into FCP.

720 60p is awsome for doing 30i down convertions.

If you are wanting to do something batched you might want to also look into Automatic Duck. This allows you to open up the FCP timeline in AE, or export the timeline layers and all. This might be your ticket.

-Lars

[Majorasshole]

you can batch with AE. you just drag all your footage into a bin.
then set up a comp for each conversion
add all your comps to a render queue and hit render.
then go for lunch while AE renders out to whatever you want.

I use this method for converting 720p DVCPROHD footage down to uncompressed SD or even DVCPRO50

[Russell Lasson]

If I were in your position, I would have made the decision to edit everything at 23.98 instead of 29.97. Everything that you shot it 24P and there are proven workflows for removing the 2:3 pulldown (especially if you have a Kona 3 card.)

For DV50 24P material, you can digitize it with the Kona 3 and have it remove the 2:3 pulldown.

With the HVX200, when you import you can choose, remove duplicate frames on import. That leaves you with a 23.98 file. Then you just need to downconvert without playing around with tricks to change the frame rate.

Then you edit and when you lay it off to tape, the Kona 3 will add a consistant 2:3 pulldown to convert it it 29.97. Or if you’re finishing to DVD, just encode the 23.98 file to mpeg-2. That will work perfectly.

While I don’t have any nifty ideas on how to help you, a better workflow a couple of weeks ago could have save you a lot of time now.

-Russ

[Greg Nosaty]

Thanks for the suggestions Russell.

Unfortunately the majority of the documentary was shot and ingested in the summer of 2006. The pickup shoot was done this January and nobody stopped to think that DVCPRO 50 24p and 720p24p would result in two different frame rates. Now I’m just trying to figure out the simplest way to correct the problem.

I think I will re-import the P2 media and remove duplicate frames as you suggested. Then I can just reconnect the FCP clip data to the 23.98 media that way everything can be batched to save time, tape and More headaches.

cheers,
greg

[Russell Lasson]

Best of luck with the rest of the project!

-Russ

[Greg Nosaty]

Wait a minute… removing the pulldown ith P2 import won’t help. That will take the 59.94 media and turn it into 23.98 but what I want is to end up with 29.97! I need to convert 59.94 to 29.97, 60 frames to 60 fields per second, it sounds so simple. I still think my best bet is to output to tape and re-capture via my Kona 3.

cheers,
greg

[Russell Lasson]

Without using something like After Effects, your probably right. My original comment was just that with more forsight, editing at 23.98 probably would have been much easier to deal with. (Though you’ve pointed out it wasn’t an option for you.)

-Russ

[Russell Lasson]

You might download a demo of Nattress Standards Conversion and see if it will do what you want it to do. I just remembered it and thought it might be worth a shot for you.

https://www.nattress.com/Products/standardsconversion/standardsconversion.htm

-Russ