Several JVC cameras that will end up on film

[Fredrik-Larsson]

I will edit a feature that with 99.9% certainty will end up as a film. Since we have very limited budget we have access to and will use these three cameras JVC GY-HD100, HD10 and HD1. Since the two latter only shoot 720/30p I am not sure to use 720/30p on the HD100 as well or stick with 24p on that one.

We will be using all three cameras since we have some complex shots and we need to shoot as much as possible due to limited time.

I have seen recommendations to stay away from 30p and I have seen it mentioned that transfers works ok. So what should I do? Should I tell them that the HD100 should be on 24p or 30p?

[Steve Benner]

If you shoot 24P on the HD100, then you need to be able to add a pulldown to edit the footage, so make sure you can do that first, unless you edit in 60FPS.

Second, since you are shooting in 30P with the other cameras, it may be more wise to keep eveything the same rate for consistency. It may look weird jumping back and fourth.

[Fredrik-Larsson]

I am using Cineform so I can do a pulldown there.

[Tim Dashwood]

Frederik,

You should avoid 30P at all costs if you intend to print to film. The only resonable way to print 30P is to slow it down to 24fps.

If your complex shots require three cameras, but are M.O.S. (stunts/pyro for example) then the slight overcrank on the 30P cameras might be desirable.

Otherwise, shoot all sync sound scenes in 24P, and edit in 24P. DON'T ADD A PULLDOWN to edit in 29.97. Keep your post process in 24P, and slow those 30P files to 24P - it will save you headaches in post.

[Steve Mullen]

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

Frederik,

You should avoid 30P at all costs if you intend to print to film. The only resonable way to print 30P is to slow it down to 24fps.

As a supporter of 30p for DVD and Internet distribution, I've got to support Tim's statement 100%. There is no high-quality way to get to 24 from 30.

If you want to use the HD1 (good for you!) shoot at 480p60. Now you can use pull-down to get to 24. Use the HD1 for CUs and the resolution difference will not be so obvious.

[Stephen L. Noe]

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

Frederik,

You should avoid 30P at all costs if you intend to print to film. The only resonable way to print 30P is to slow it down to 24fps.

If your complex shots require three cameras, but are M.O.S. (stunts/pyro for example) then the slight overcrank on the 30P cameras might be desirable.

Otherwise, shoot all sync sound scenes in 24P, and edit in 24P. DON'T ADD A PULLDOWN to edit in 29.97. Keep your post process in 24P, and slow those 30P files to 24P - it will save you headaches in post.

I'm in accord with Tim on the workflow. It's difficult to get 30fps back to 24 without effect, however, I have done it and it turned out OK. How I did it was to take the 30fps footage and do an 80% timewarp on it. The problem is that it makes the footage noticeably slower (like a dream sequence). Last year when we did the film transfer for the JVC show, I did this technique for the "train" shot. The funny thing was that it was the most popular shot in the entire reel.

[Fredrik-Larsson]

Originally Posted by Steve Mullen

If you want to use the HD1 (good for you!) shoot at 480p60. Now you can use pull-down to get to 24. Use the HD1 for CUs and the resolution difference will not be so obvious.

So if I understand correctly...

The HD100 should always run at 720/24p and handle sound and the overview pictures. We will probably use this as much as possible.

The best use for the HD1/HD10 is for closeups and then shot at 480/60p all the time? We have a couple of battlescenes and non-dialogue shots, should we use 720/30p and slow it down to 24p? If we shoot at 480/60p will Cineform handle it ok or should we slow it down in Cineform to 24p and then use something like InstantHD to upsize?

I will have sound on the HD100 and possibly an external laptop with multitrackrecording.