24p -> AfterEffects -> 30i

[Kyle Mallory]

I need some help. I've got a small short film that I'm trying to wrap up, but I'm having some problems in the AE workflow.

I've got footage that was shot 24p (not pa), captured D1 SDI on an Avid (30i), which is fine because 24p is really 30i. The film was cut, and we have exported a bunch of visual effects shots, as Targa sequences (which show interlacing artifacts).

The sequences are imported, interpreted as 24p (23.97) (guessed 3:2 pulldown), and they render correctly at progressive frames in AE.

I'm doing some rotoscoping/compositing greenscreen effects in AE, on this footage. My composition is configured as 29.97, which means there is a duplicate frame every so often (6 frames?). This is causing cadense problems in my key frames, but I throw down a few extra key frames, match the grain, and soften the masks a little bit, and no one knows the better.

Now, I'm trying to export the shots and prepare them for import back into the Avid, as a Targa sequence, interpreted as 29.97, with 3:2 pulldown removed (reinterlaced).

I haven't started exporting yet, but something tells me that this isn't going to work right.

So my real question/concern is: I'm not sure how to reassemble the interlaced frames from the 24p progressive. If I export composition at 29.97, I'm really exporting 29.97p. I also need to insure that the same 3:2 pulldown order is preserved from the original frames.

Anyone have any ideas? Am I going about this completely wrong?

Please HELP. I'm desperate! :laugh:


Kyle Mallory

 

[Scottdvx100]

If you're removing pulldown in AE then your comp should be 23.98.
When outputing set the output module to add pulldown. Any cycle should work but you can also write down what the guess was on pulldown removal.
With the added pulldown on output just import directly into Avid as 29.97. No additional pulldown removal needed if you want 29.97i

 

[Kyle Mallory]

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thank you soo much! I swear I looked for the field rendering option, I guess I kept overlooking it as part of the frame blending option. Time to slow down, I guess.

I'll give that a try (as if I have to guess that it will work). Interestingly, I did get a small sequence 60+ frames exported and to the editor which he imported and reported was perfect. This still doesn't make sense to me. It seems like it might work because Avid should reinterlace the progressive frames, which should give a similar, though not perfect result.

Anyway, I'm especially curious now, to see if there is a noticable difference in the Avid import of the original sequence I tested and a new one using the method you describe.

Thanks again!

KM