Varicam Variable Frame Rate Issues During Capture

[Charlie Gruet]

I have shot several projects with the Varicam. I have heard from various people - ACs, Ad Agency Producers - that I need to use a separate tapes for overcranked footage and then run it through the Panasonic Frame Rate Converter, which is an additional piece of hardware. I have also heard Final Cut 5 has a DVCPRO HD FRAME RATE CONVERTER plug in which allows you to import the footage directly through the video card and (down converting and frame rate converting too).

 

Does anybody have first hand experience seeing the whole process through - shooting to capturing. I have yet to get a firm answer from Post Houses, Camera vendors, Editors, DPs, etc.

 

Thank you.

Charlie Gruet

[Bob Hayes]

If you shoot VariCam on a regular basis I recommend buying Goodman?s guide and it will walk you through everything the VariCam does. It is a good idea to switch tapes when changing frame rates. It screws up the digitizing if you don?t. The VariCam easily does quality slow motion up to 60FPS. To play back the footage you need to convert to the proper cadence relative to 24, 25, 30 fps. You need a Panasonic aj-frc27 (FRC) or an editing system capable of reading user bit flags that identify unique frames. There are programs that will create 120 FPS footage that looks good from your 60 FPS shots.

[Christopher Bell]

Here is a good resource:

 

http://www.proapptips.com/proapptipsvideot...D444C00B92.html