Is there any existing software to convert 30 to 24? If there is, would someone please post a link to where it may be found/purchased?

most NLE's should be able to take 60i/30p to 24fps but will it do a good job ?? you'll have to test them out. Vegas can take 30fps to 24 fps .. the BIG problem is if you shot 30P or frame mode - the problem is more with 30progressive( frame mode) and not the NLE... 60i to 24fps will come out far better then 30p to 24fps.

I'm just most interested in converting my XL-1s (frame mode) footage to 24fps. Vegas can smart drop frames to make it 24fps, or will it just slow the footage down?

How would I do this in Vegas?

I shoot in Frame Mode with my GL2 and convert to 24p using an After Effects plugin called Twixtor. The footage is rendered as an uncompressed AVI and brought back in to the NLE to be rendered with 3:2 pulldown. (You could possibly precomp this in AE, but I feel better about rendering out in separate steps.)
This plugin does an excellent job at converting framerates. John Jackman (I think) commented on it in the DV magazine some time back, in an article about film look.

Theoretically, it may be better to shoot with 60i on the GL2 and then go from that to 24p in Twixtor (setting twixtor to INPUT 60i ->lower field and OUTPUT to 24p -> no fields)

Anyhow, with 30p on the GL2 (and there are some valid arguments about the green channel shifting method on the fields to achieve the not-quite-true-progressive frames) and converting to 24p in Twixtor, the look - in my opinion - is outstanding.


About Twixtor:
http://www.revisionfx.com/rstwixtor.htm

How to get the 'film look' using Twixtor:
http://www.revisionfx.com/generalfaqsfilmlook.htm

Hope this helps!


,Frank

Vegas drops frames to get it to play back at 24fps.


link info on progressive and frame mode
ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/Drivers/PBTS/papers/Progressive-WP.pdf

I have a similar problem. I'm editing a project on Avid Xpress Pro that has ftg I shot with the DVX100 on advanced mode. I'm using a 23.98 timeline, but unfortunately in a couple instances I forgot to put the cam in advanced and shot in standard, so now I'm trying to convert this 60i ftg into 24P ftg. Would twixtor be my best bet to convert this ftg into 24f? Thanks!

Peter

Peter: Take a look at this review:
http://www.creativecow.net/articles/solorio_marco/twixtor_review/

That should help you. One of the guys in the article suggests using FieldsKit (from the makers of Twixtor) to deinterlace your 60i footage, giving you full 29.97, and then take that to 23.98 with Twixtor.

I haven't used Magic Bullet or DV Film Maker (called something like that), but maybe somebody else could comment on them.

hope this helps.


,Frank

thanks Frank, I will check it out.

Peter

Hey Frank--That plugin looks to be just what we need! I've been searching forever for something that will do the job and you found it. Thanks a bunch for the recommendation.

peter

Great! Glad I could help!
I'd like to hear how it works out for you.

,Frank

I thank you all for your advice. I used the Vegas method.

You can see what was made, here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20155

Are you looking for a "film-like" look, or are you trying to go truely 24fps? The reason I ask is AE does a pretty good job with posterizing time. The video is still 29.975 fps, but it has the motion clarity of film. Check out:

http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/filmlook/broadway1.php

It's good info on film motion.

Cheers,
Mark

Kevin: That looks good! I like the motion/look. (I couldn't hear what they were saying, though, because I was watching it on a server w/o a sound card.)

,Frank