using HVX to transfer/telecine 8mm - best settings.

[simismo]

Hello everybody,

For the last two years I've transferred film to tape following many procedures I've prove somewhat useful. I've tried frame by frame scanning -slow, but almost perfect since I end up with some sort of digital negative whose exposure value I can nicely tweak-, taking pictures of the screen, and the regular telecine with a video camera recording the projected image either next to the projector or behind the screen and then fliping the resulting video.

The main issues of this way -which is naturally the quickest of them all- are related to framerate accuracy. With NTSC camcorders, I found it is almost impossible to get away of it; no matter what you do you get the awful frame-blending look and massive flickering. With PAL camcorders the frame blending issue is less noticeable, since it only happens once by second, but you get the flicker as well.

My personal experiences are up-to-now mostly in film. There, if you were to shoot a screen or a projection you could always match the fps to the source's, or else adjust your spinning shutter size (the famous 172,8 degrees used for HMIs here in 50hz 220V countries). When I got the HVX, I was very happy yet uncertain about the 'film shutter emulation' feature, available in Film Cam mode. The fact is yesterday I faced the challange of pulling out my first 1080p super8mm transfer and wasn't able to make it work.

I was wondering if any of you guys know, or else we could think of it together, of the perfect settings to telecine 24fps film to HD Video. In my case would be 25fps video, since my HVX is PAL version. However it applies to you as well, cause from what I read and download, 24p mode isn't completely satisfactory either (23.96).

The first goal should be the fps issue; I've tried adjusting the freq both in video and film cam, but I was never able to reduce the flicker in the viewfinder -I'd guess that's because of the fps difference; by adjusting the freq I'm only 'moving' the flicker, which will happen no matter what in the same exact frame every second. Reducing the shutter speed ends the flicker but of course causes frameblending. I haven't tried variable framerates.

About the exposure, I always finds it hard. It's not just a matter to zebra the white, I rather analyze the cartidge and set an iris for the whole of it. If I were to make something really proffesional, I'd shoot the reel twice with different f/values and then compose the final version, as if it were HDR.

White balancing is another issue. I use the white from the projector naked bulb at the screen, but then I often find the footage much cooler/bluer than its source. Easy to tweak in Scratch, Color or even FCP, however.

I haven't made tests of gamma and detail levels yet.

Well, I hope you find this interesting. Maybe a DP could help out. I'll appreciate any help, it's not urgent but I think it would be great to meet the best in-camera settings for this procedures. Perhaps you can share your telecine experiences?

[mikkowilson]

You could run the camera in 48pN mode (avaiable on the PAL camera) and then simply drop every other frame in post. This would at least get you to 24fps.

- Mikko

[el jeffe]

I have a machine called a workprinter which I do frame by frame scanning with. I use the HVX200 in this setup but I am only doing Standard Def transfers until I get my hands on a Mac Pro then I can do HD transfers. This does not really answer your question but with this method you have no pesky frame blending. Goto my site at www.tripoddog.com and watch the Super 8mm example. This was telecined by me with the mentioned setup.