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Sound Sync: 35mm to 29.97 to 23.98 to 35mm Film
Bit of a dilemma here.
I’m working on a film that was was shot on 35mm (3-perf and 4-perf) which was then telecined to Dbeta and DV at NDF 29.97, then edited in FCP at 29.97. When the EDL was given to the Digital Intermediate lab, they mentioned they would require a 23.98 keycode EDL before they would begin scanning the negative. This makes sense, since one would want a perfect correlation between the 24 fps camera negative and the cutting copy since the project is eventually destined for 35mm film output.
So, to fix this, I reverse telecined all my sources (with Cinema Tools Reverse Telecine), then exported an EDL from my 29.97 timeline, and then used Cinema Tools to convert it into a 23.98 EDL. I then created a new 23.98 timeline, imported my 23.98 EDL, and re-linked my clips to the new 23.98 media.
All seemed to be perfectly fine. Everything was in sync, with the expected frame dropped or added here and there to ensure a perfect duration match.
Here’s my question: The sound session (ProTools TDM) is still in 29.97. I was going to wait until I received my conformed 23.98 master before giving the sound guys the new 23.98 cut. But since obviously one can’t reverse telecine sound, I figured I could keep eveything in 29.97 without losing sync consistency.
However, will my newly adjusted 23.98 clips (with one frame added or removed from my original 29.97 clips) cause the sound session to have to be re-adjusted afterwards, clip for clip? What I mean is, though my new 23.98 session is in sync throughout, could this frame adjustment have repercussions that will cause the occasional sound sync offset of one frame?
To clarify some more, if, for instance my 10th clip had one frame added to the head during the reverse telecine, will that extra frame cause the rest of the clip to be 1-frame off with the sound, until the next clip begins?
Any insight into this would be very much appreciated.
-David -
2 Replies
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with our experience and in theory, it shouldn’t b/c you can remove the 3/2 pulldown and acquire the 23.98 sync. However, each film is a little bit different so what we have done is adjusted our schedules so that we can get the video perfected and then QC with the sound prior to that mastering process. This would depend on your budget and schedule as well.
I always prefer the method of testing. I might take the first 10 minutes and see how it works. Occassionally I would see that we might need to do an overall correction on the audio in order to adjust it due to other issues, but this method generally works.
of course, then again I am just your
–Dumb Guy.
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After four days of rebuilding, it seemed to work.
However, naturally the field cadences keep changing clip to clip so I’m getting artifacting all over the place.
I want my Steenbeck back.Thanks for your help.
D
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