HDV to 24p: solutions?

[Heath McKnight]

Everyone,

Post your favorite ways to go to 24p in HDV when using Sony cameras! I like using either Nattress with 60i or shooting in 50i and de-interlacing, export a QuickTime Movie (NOT conversion) as a PhotoJpeg at 75% quality and either conforming in Cinema Tools to 24p or slowing it down 4%. Or shoot in 50i with CineFrame 25 and skip the de-interlace part. Nattress told me about that one, too!

heath

[Evan C. King]

Thanks I'm so glad you started this thread. My question is about the audio, after all that's done what do you use to pitch shift the audio to fit? What program or plugin?

[Jon Fordham]

Evan,

I shot a film that Heath Produced for Director Lance Stranahan using the Z1 back in December. I chose to shoot the film in CF25. Graeme Nattress outlined the workflow Heath mentioned above. The film is still in postproduction. But I have taken the opportunity to run some of the footage through that workflow to test the results. And I can tell you that the results are fantastic! I was so pleased with the results, that I am currently employing the same workflow for a film I am shooting this weekend for Casper Andreas.

The workflow breaks down like this:

1. Shoot using the Z1 (or FX1E) in CF25.

2. Capture 1080/50i HDV natively in FCP5.

3. Cut in 1080/50i Sequence.

3. Upon completion of cut, export as Photo-JPEG75.

4. Import the Photo-JPEG75 into Cinema Tools 3 and Conform to 23.98.

For SD delivery continue as follows:

5. Import the conformed 23.98 to FCP5 and lay into DV50 23.98 Sequence.

6. Output to DVCPRO50 or DVD in native 24fps, Anamorphic or Letterboxed.

This may sound like a lot of hoops to jump through. But the results are truly superior in achieving 24P motion and excellent image quality.

As to your question about audio… All I can say is, I don’t know. The clips and test renders I’ve done with the above workflow, included the audio. And it sounded fine. It stayed in sync, and didn’t sound, or require any pitch shifting. So I don’t know if this is something that CT3 does on the fly as it conforms or what…

I am in the process of writing an article detailing the production of Lance’s Film and the use of CF25. Until then, you can experiment with the workflow above.

[Heath McKnight]

I would highly suggest, esp. with music, to conform sound in Apple Soundtrack Pro to 23.98.

Douglas Spotted Eagle wrote a book about Soundtrack which I believe covers conforming audio. I will also email him a link here. And here's a link to the book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157...lance&n=283155

heath

[Evan C. King]

Thanks guys! I think I'll probably only get the fx1 though unfortunately. The z1u is a $2000 difference in canada, money that will further put off a camera purchase (which I can't do) and saving up that extra 2grand will take me a little while and I think will be better served for other production equipment.

So if it's not too much to ask can you guys outline the process for me again but using footage originating in 60i as the example? Including the settings within the Natress plugins? Because I tried converting some footage I had downloaded off the internet (shot my Douglas Spotted Eagle I think) and it looked terrible converted. I must done something wrong it looked like I was seeing double.

[Jon Fordham]

The double image issue may be due to the field order being improperly set. HDV is Upper Field. I had a similiar problem when I tried to render Lower Field.

For 60i to 24frame output using the FX1:

Shoot 60i with a manual shutter speed of 1/60. Capture natively in FCP5. Cut on a 1080/60i sequence. Apply Nattress' G-Film filter. I believe 2.5.1 is the most current. In the filter settings change the field order to upper. I used the normal de-interlace on the music video Hip Hop's Dead. But you can choose normal or smart de-interlace. That's all there is to it!

Your sequence will take on the motion signature of 24P pulled down to 60i. Since everything stays at 60i, you can now output back to HDV tape.

[Evan C. King]

That's great news John. Have you seen your music video on an HDTV in 1080 since converting? I'm just curious as to how much the resolution loss is noticable on an HD display after outputting back to tape(Of course no one really watch it like this and it must look great in SD but I'm just wondering)

[Jon Fordham]

Evan,

Sorry for the delay, I've been on a shoot this week and haven't had much time to do anything else.

To answer your question, the premiere screening of the music video at HDFEST 2005 here in NY was off the 1080/60i HDV tape via component and with the Nattress pulldown. It was projected on a 15ft screen in Goldcrest Post main client theatre. Being that this was the first time I've ever seen anything screened at this location and on this projector, and being that I dind't screen the a non Nattress version with it, I can't say if there was a noticeable loss in resolution. I can tell you that it looked damn good for being projected on a 15ft screen. And several people in the audience remarked that they'd never seen such good looking HDV material...

[Evan C. King]

That's a perfect answer. I can't wait to get an fx1 or z1u! Now I've just got to make sure my ducks are in a row and I have excellent skills like you do because a camera alone can only take one so far.