24, 30 or 60?

[Brock Burwell]

I am shooting a video similar to the one below and I am wondering whether it would be best to shoot this in 24, 30 or 60fps. I know it's a dumb question. I planned on shooting it in 24fps, but I wondered if 30fps would actually look nicer with all the movement. I don't plan on slowing anything down in post.

Any suggestions?

Boston College - Happy - YouTube

[Jon Fairhurst]

I'd shoot this at 24 fps - and I'd avoid doing a pan without following motion like they did in the opening at 0:05. It looks like they shot this at 24 fps with a fast shutter on some scenes to deliver the shallow DOF. I'd use a lower ISO and/or ND filters to retain a 180 degree shutter.

Why?

I'd do 24 fps because this isn't a documentary or sporting event. It's more about feeling (Happy!) and an alternate world where people who go to this college do nothing but smile, dance, and sing. Rather than a stark reality, this is about an imagined experience. Had this been about a sporting event or documenting a campus protest, I'd choose 60 fps.

The reason I would avoid a fast shutter speed is that it can lead to a strong strobe effect. That directs attention to the arms and legs, and takes attention away from faces and eyes.

I tend not to choose 30 fps as I prefer the stronger statement of "narrative" or "real". "A little of both" seems weak, artistically, to me.

But here's an interesting possibility: Speed the music up by 25% and have people lip sync to that while shooting 30 fps. Slow the footage to 24 fps. Now when people jump, they stay in the air just that little bit longer. There's a bit of a float in people's walks. This would really push the dreamlike quality of the result without looking like obvious slow motion. It really says, "this is an experience, not literal reality."

Of course, there are no wrong answers. This is an artistic choice. Consider what you want the audience to experience and go from there.

Oh, and if you use a popular song, make sure you have clearances. :)

[Bryan Cantwell]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

Oh, and if you use a popular song, make sure you have clearances. :)

I agree with everything Jon said, especially this bit.

In my experience, universities have completely misunderstood the terms of their ASCAP/BMI University licenses, and think they have carte blanche to use music wherever they want, regardless of the license agreement's specific terms. You may also need to explain to them the difference between "performance" and "synchronization."

Make absolutely sure you obtain written proof of their licensing, from the university, on letterhead, and verify the actual clearance of any music they ask you to use!