Do I shoot 60P or 30P ????

[mathew bettow]

Here's the question:

We are always in the 720P 59.94Hz SYSTEM MODE. Do we shoot CAMERA MODE of 60i, 60P or 30P?

We are generally shooting talking heads against green screen with final product going in SD to the web as a windows media file.

 

We edit with AVID Adreline with HD capabilities and have a Panasonic 1400 deck.

 

I shoot in 30P but my editors tell me they are editing in 60P. I think they aren't setting the deck correctly when the digitize. But beyond that...what are my determinig factors for shooting 60i, 60P or 30P or even 24P? I know I usaually do 24P when i want more of a "film look" and I try to avoid the interlaced 60i but if I am doing green screen to the web or even to SD DVD what are the driving factors behind which frame rate I choose?

[Michael Nash]

The camera can only record 720 60P or 1080 60i. There is no 720 60i on this camera.

 

If you shoot 24P or 30P in the 720 mode, redundant frames are added to make up 60P. In the 1080 60i mode, you have a choice of pulldown patterns (24P or 24P"A"), but it's always an interlaced signal on tape.

 

The frame rate you use will be determined mostly by the post path and delivery. For the web it's generally best to avoid interlaced frames, so you could use 720 24P or 30P; or 1080 24p"A" and remove the pulldown in post to create a 1080 24p timeline (if your system supports that). You editors might have to integrate other material of different frame rates, so ask them what frame rate they need from you.

[mathew bettow]

The camera can only record 720 60P or 1080 60i. There is no 720 60i on this camera.

 

If you shoot 24P or 30P in the 720 mode, redundant frames are added to make up 60P. In the 1080 60i mode, you have a choice of pulldown patterns (24P or 24P"A"), but it's always an interlaced signal on tape.

 

The frame rate you use will be determined mostly by the post path and delivery. For the web it's generally best to avoid interlaced frames, so you could use 720 24P or 30P; or 1080 24p"A" and remove the pulldown in post to create a 1080 24p timeline (if your system supports that). You editors might have to integrate other material of different frame rates, so ask them what frame rate they need from you.

 

 

Actually I want to stay 720P and prefer 30P or 24P - I am an old 16mm film producer who used the Varicam in its early days and came to know the 24P look. But now if you consider what I am shooting...talking heads against green screen and eventually outputing to SD-DVD or Windows Movie File what in your opinion is the best choice: 24P 30P 60P and why? I'm managing some junior producers who want to shoot in 60P for a spokesperson talking to the lens while he sits in a coffee shop and I'm trying to understand why they might want to make that choice.

 

Your comments are greatly appreciated!

[Michael Nash]

It's mostly a matter of your post and distribution workflow. Again, you CAN shoot 24p or 30p and still record and edit in 60P (this is exactly how the Varicam's 24P works). 24p or 30p will give you the "film look" while 60p editing will allow clean comps, clean web video and easy downconverts to 60i DVD. If you're asking about whether to shoot (capture) at 60p instead of 24p or 30p, then that's a creative choice. 60p capture ends up looking just like 60i video on a SD DVD, while 24p or 30p capture will preserve the Varicam/film look.

 

Shooting 24p and editing with a 24p timeline (by removing the redundant frames in post) saves harddrive space, makes rendering faster, and makes smaller file sizes for web encoding. If done properly a 24p timeline can be output to SD DVD with no problems. But if any of your 24p material has to coexist with 30p or 60i material, you're probably better off sticking to a 60p timeline.

[mathew bettow]

It's mostly a matter of your post and distribution workflow. Again, you CAN shoot 24p or 30p and still record and edit in 60P (this is exactly how the Varicam's 24P works). 24p or 30p will give you the "film look" while 60p editing will allow clean comps, clean web video and easy downconverts to 60i DVD. If you're asking about whether to shoot (capture) at 60p instead of 24p or 30p, then that's a creative choice. 60p capture ends up looking just like 60i video on a SD DVD, while 24p or 30p capture will preserve the Varicam/film look.

 

Shooting 24p and editing with a 24p timeline (by removing the redundant frames in post) saves harddrive space, makes rendering faster, and makes smaller file sizes for web encoding. If done properly a 24p timeline can be output to SD DVD with no problems. But if any of your 24p material has to coexist with 30p or 60i material, you're probably better off sticking to a 60p timeline.

 

That info is a big help! Thanks.