60p with an XL1s

[Cole McDonald]

I've posted on this technique in the past, but this time I shot footage specifically to show it off. This works by deinterlacing evens and odds separately and putting them back together like shuffling a deck of cards. Turns 60i into 60p so each frame is a discreet timeslice.

http://www.yafiunderground.com/Video/shutter_test.mov

This is shot with a shutter of 1/120 to get a nice image in each frame.

I export the even and odds as image sequences and have written an applescript that renames the files in the correct order to reimport to the NLE.

If anyone wants to, my server is pretty slow, go ahead and mirror this.

[Nicholas Foster]

Cool shot. Like it. Any more information on how you acheived that?

[Cole McDonald]

I deinterlaced in Final Cut Odd fields and exported as an image sequence...then repeated with even fields. I wrote an applescript which moves the images from the two sequences into a single sequence like shuffling a deck of cards.

Since the two fields are 1/60th of a second apart (hence the 1/120th shutter), when deinterlaced, the resulting clip played back at 30p results in true 50% footage. Basically, you trade physical resolution for temporal resolution...but since most folks de-interlace anyway to acheive a nearer approximation of film, I don't see this as that bad a trade.

The same offer for this applescript is still on the table...it's available in exchange for screen credit (read: free).

[Djee Smit]

Looks good, would love to try it out. While exporting as image sequence, wat format images do you export? And can I try the script out, to try it for my self and use it in the future if it works for me. (with proper credit offcourse ;-)

[Cole McDonald]

any image format...the script works on the filenames (mac only...I'm sure someone could write a batch script or a VB script that coulsd run on the PC). Shoot me an e-mail: knightscape at charter dot net

I'll sling you a copy of the applescript.

[Harrison Freedman]

I would love the applescript for this! Truley amazing quality. Screen credit? Pfftt...if I could I'd pay you :P I'll send you an e-mail.

[Cole McDonald]

Originally Posted by Harrison Freedman

...if I could I'd pay you :P

I wouldn't stop you from doing so. ;)

[Greg Boston]

Hey Cole, in the spirit of sharing that we have here at DVINFO, why not place your Applescript droplet in a ZIP file and attach it here. Please? I would like to try it on the 1080 60i from the Sony.

Or, you could email it to me. Just click my name at left to send an email.

-gb-

[Andy Gordon]

Maybe I'm missing something in your method, but Vegas does this automatically when you set playback rate to 50% and render an interlaced clip as progressive. It interpolates the missing set of lines for each frame.

[Cole McDonald]

I've tested the same footage in Final Cut and the script renders better 50% than setting the speed and rendering out. I have no idea wat methodology Final Cut uses, but this works. This script wouldn't apply to the PC as it's a mac only solution being an applescript.

[Cole McDonald]

Here is the script for sharing... I'll reiterate that I won't turn down money, but it's not at all necessary. I would like screen credit of some sort if you use it for a project though. :)

[Harrison Freedman]

Your test footage link seems to be down for me, anyway you could post that again or possible put up some more of your results? Thanks.

[Cole McDonald]

We're currently having server issues...I'll try to trrack that down locally...here's some instructions I've written up by request:

In Final Cut (only thing I've tested with):

1. Place your clip on a timeline (I like to make a new sequence to work with clips).
2. Double click the clip to bring it up in the viewer window
3. Apply the deinterlace filter (I think it's in the Video filter/Video subfolders)
4. Click the filters tab in the viewer window
5. Pull the Field pull-down Menu to Upper(Odd)
6. Render the clip (select and hit apple(command)-R)
7. Pull down the File > Export > Using Quicktime Conversion...
8. Pull down the Format pull-down menu to Image Sequence
9. Under options... right next to it, select an image format (prefereably something that doesn't compress in a lossy manner - TIFF is a good choice)
10. Under the Options in there, Best depth and none for compression.
11. Fit the naming to the convention called for in the script (when you start up the script, it'll show you the naming convention)
12. save the sequence to a new folder on the desktop
13. repeat steps 5-11 with Lower(Even) fields selected saving to the same folder as before
14. Hide Final Cut (under the final cut menu)
15. find the folder you've created on the desktop and duplicate it (cmd-d - always work on a backup)
16. run the script and select the backup folder you've just created (for real fun, keep the folder window open while you run it :) )
17. when the script stops, go back into final cut
18. Under Final Cut > User Preferences > Editing > Still/Freeze Duration = 00:00:00:01
19. Create a new sequence (or just delete the clip from the timeline and use the one you were using before)
20. In the project window, ctrl-click (right-click) and import > folders
21. Select the duplicate folder and let FC do its thing.
22. open the new bin (folder) that is created and select all (cmd-a)
23. drag the series of pix to the timeline...they should propogate in order
24. Export again as Quicktime so you can have a clip that doesn't have to re-render 1000 images with every change
25. Import the resulting QT file and use as you would any other movie clip.

I tried making a plug in that would do this automagically, but it needed to be a double pass operation, and I couldn't figure that part out...so this clunky process is what I have to offer.

I'll try to trackdown the two tests I've done so far and post them here.

[Harrison Freedman]

The process worked incredible. Thank you so much once again. Any word on your test footage, or even your website so I can take a look. It'd be great to compare results.

[Cole McDonald]

would you be willing to post yours? I'd love to see what's being done with it :) My server should be back up sometime today hopefully...if not, I'll track down the original media and make a file to post up here.