Easy question for the Masters

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Michael Allen] “I shot an interview that is now prores 422 1920×1080 psf 23.98”

Shot on what? Tape or tapeless?

[Jeff Greenberg]

I’d change the 29.97 to match the 23.98 – that way you’ll have everything with the same cadence (it’s always easier to remove frames than add them.) I’d use Compressor – but with the Kona will do a RT frame rate conversion, I’d do that.

Best,

Jeff G

Apple Master Trainer | Avid Cert. Instructor DS/MC | Adobe Cert. Instructor
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[Michael Allen]

I shot it on a Sony F350 XD Cam HD 1440×1080 23.98 35mps. Then I sent it in to color and currently have a 1920×1080 Prores 422 23.98 version or the interview, however I can easily go back to the original secquence. What do you suggest?

Also, as a side note, I have not recalibrated my Dreamcolor in a while because I really could not get it to calibrate on my new Mac editing system (as a reference monitor). I have all the hardware that you suggested in your article, but the calibration did not work. I finally got it to calibrate on a pc and I have not recalibrated since I first got it about 6 months ago or more. Do you know if the problem was ever fixed?

Mike

Michael S. Allen
Video Producer, Instructional Technologies
TSYS Product & Knowledge Development

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Michael Allen] “What do you suggest?”

I suggest that you were that tuxedo in your picture to work everyday!

In all seriousness, I have to respectfully disagree with Jeff’s advice that it’s easier to remove frames than add them. In fact, it’s the other way around. Adding pulldown has been the standard for decades to get 24p material to ntsc as you aren’t making up new pictures as you would have to do to go from 29.97 to 23.98. If I were you, I would add pull-down and downconvert the files in compressor. You can choose to use the original files or your rendered Color files. You can also set the crop so that the interviews are 4×3 that way as well. I would then capture your 4×3 material in the same codec. ProRes is fine, no reason for HQ.

[Michael Allen] “Also, as a side note, I have not recalibrated my Dreamcolor in a while because I really could not get it to calibrate on my new Mac editing system (as a reference monitor).”

Do you have the latest software from XRite installed? It’s important to use it if you are on Snow Leopard.

https://www.xrite.com/product_overview.aspx?ID=1144&Action=support&SoftwareID=1037

Calibration works just fine here. I use my laptop to calibrate.

Jeremy

[Michael Allen]

What is the best way to “add pulldown” and do I set duration to 100% of source or 80% or source in compressor? Really, I have always planned my projects so I have never had to do this before. I always keep the same formats and frame rates just so this would not happen. Well, I guess I should be happy I made it this long.

Thanks for all your help,
Mike

Michael S. Allen
Video Producer, Instructional Technologies
TSYS Product & Knowledge Development

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Michael Allen] “What is the best way to “add pulldown” and do I set duration to 100% of source or 80% or source in compressor?”

In the encoder tab under the Video button, make sure that the frame rate is set to 29.97 (and choose codec). Audio set to passthrough.

In the frame controls:
-Resize set to best.
-Output Fields set to lower.
-Deinterlace set to Fast (this is crucial).
-Rate Conversion set to Fast (this is crucial).
-Duration should be 100% of source.

Geometry tab:

Set the Frame size to D1 NTSC 720×486. Now this is where you can choose to wither letterbox, turn anamorphic or crop. You might want to choose anamorphic so that you can keep the most resolution and recrop the footage for 4×3 in the timeline. To do that, choose the frame size as 720×486 and the Pixel Aspect as NTSC CCIR 601/DV (16:9). This will give you anamorphic files and upon placing them in the a 4×3 timeline, FCp will automagically letterbox them. At that point, you then scale up the images to for the 4×3 and reposition as needed. Try a few seconds of a file as a test and see if you like it.

Hope that helps.

Jeremy