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runtime discrepancy
Hi guys,
Long time listener, first time caller (as they say!)
Some friends and I have spent the better part of the past 3 years working on our little masterpiece of independent filmmaking, and now that we are in the editing stage, we’ve come up against a few problems and are at our wit’s end dealing with this particular one.
According to Premiere, the first cut of our movie has a runtime of about 2 hours 30 minutes, but when it was exported to avi and made into a DVD (not a final DVD, just something we could analyze and decide what to cut, etc…) I clocked it in at over 2 hours and 50 minutes.
My question is: where did the extra 20 minutes come from and how can we get rid of it?
I personally know very little about Premiere, and am asking on behalf of our shy editor. He is busy at work trying to cut the movie down to a manageable runtime, whereas I believe that we can save 20 minutes if we can just figure out how to export it to the length indicated in the Premiere timeline. If we can do that, we can avoid cutting out entire story arcs!
So my question is: do any of you have experience with this sort of runtime discrepancy? If so, what is the cause of it, and how did you solve it?
I have spent weeks Googling around for answers before bothering you all with a post, but I can’t find a thing. I am not well-versed in Premiere myself (although I am using After Effects to create some of the effects shots), so I don’t know what his settings are. I have noticed, however, that in some of the DV footage on which I am working, every fourth frame or so is duplicated. (duplicated and interlaced, as it happens. Very annoying!) Is this related to our runtime problem?
Thanks very much in advance for lending us your expertise!
DK
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7 Replies
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It sounds like you have a 24fps based type of project which is why you see that repeated frame (called pulldown)… It’s not working properly with the footage you have. The issue you are having with length might be as simple as having a small (1 frame) cut of footage sitting way out down the timeline. I’d hit the back slash key to see the whole edit in the timeline. If there is a large gap at the end of the timeline after where it should finish there is a clip up the back end causing your issue. You’ve googled this prob and it’s got no hits because it’s never happened before. But this ‘hidden’ clip has… 🙂
– Jon 🙂How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
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Jon, thanks for your suggestion … I think I see what you mean, but that’s not the case. I went through the DVD and timed each scene (you know, to see where cuts are most needed) and came up with a total consecutive runtime, from the opening shot to the last line of dialogue, of 2:51.
In contrast, the total runtime in Premiere (it’s split into 3 projects) adds up to just 2:35.
You’re right about it being a 24fps project, as we want to keep our options open when it comes to transferring our magnum opus to film. My director tells me we shot at 24pa. (Me, I’m an actor and producer, and know nothing of the black magic that captures images in his camera!)
The nearest I can tell is maybe it’s a pulldown thing?
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can you post your ppro prj file so i can see the settings etc, it will all come in offline and I can’t see what’s actually happening in your film, but I can see what might technically be happening.
– Jon 🙂
Pulldown is right. that could be set incorrectly.How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
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Jon,
My director tells me the project file is 64 MB, and therefore a little too unweildy for him to email over to me (is that normal?!?!).
Is there a way to extract the information you need into a text file or something smaller with the required information that I could send to you?
Thanks again for your help!
DK
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OK, I’ve got project file. I can’t open it, as I don’t have the software, but would you mind if I emailed it to you? I zipped it so it’s only a couple megs big.
DK
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Dean, I’m rendering out an MPEG2 and the frame count adds up to the 2.31.12.03 of the 24pA clip.
I’d suggest your editor renders it out to MPEG2 from PPro at the 24fps setting. Or the 30fps as this is how it’s actually been recorded.
That should come out properly.
– Jon 🙂How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
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