Quicktime Drop Frame or NDF question..
 

Hi,

I've been asked to do post production for a feature length, but low budget film.

It was shot in SD, at 29.97fps, but my question is this:

I'm adding the Timecode Generator Video Filter to the original footage, and after rendering and exporting from Final Cut Pro, I'm going to import into Pro Tools for the audio work. Is there a way to tell weather the video was Non Drop or Drop Frame? The TCG gives me either option, but I'm not sure which to pick.

Thanks for all the help!

-Dmitry

If at the beginning of ANY minute of timecode BESIDES the 10th, there is a ;00 or ;01 timecode it's NDF otherwise it's DF. By indicating 29.97 you are also indicating DF.

I thought NTSC was always 29.97 (as opposed to exactly 30fps), and that that's why DF was created, to account for the drift between timecode and real time over a given period, to keep the two in Sync?

Thank you for all the help!

I've also talked to the editor, and he informed me that unless I'm working on broadcast material that needs to be "real-time" accurate, I should be working in NDF. It seems Final Cut defaults to DropFrame.

Either way, the problem is fixed and I now have timecode right on my video file in Pro Tools without a $1,300 DV Production Toolkit :)