Best format and fame rate for stock footage? And for a documentary?

U

underseafan

Member
Hello everyone. I've been reading this forum for a while and have found your posts very, very helpful; this is my first post.

I'm planning on buying the HVX200 when it comes out. I will be using the camera to shoot wildlife footage for both the US and European market. I have a couple of questions that I can't seem to find answers to:



1.) I have been selling some of my DV-PAL catalogue through a stock footage agency. I'd like to do the same for the DVCPRO-HD footage. Which format would have the broadest market: 1080/24p, 1080/60i, 720p, etc, etc?


2.) I would also like to make a natural history documentary in HD. Again, for the broadest possible market, in which format and frame rate should I shoot?


3.) Does anyone know if there will be a separate HVX200 for the European market that will shoot in 25 frames?



Many thanks for any answers, and apologies if these questions are stupid - I'm pretty new to all this!
 
Which stock house are you currently using? Have you asked them suggestions?

Like most things there is no single right answer, so much of it depends on what people what to use the footage for. However, if I were trying to cover the most bases I think I would shoot 1080/60i. It converts well to 24P if thats what a customer is looking for, it transfers well to film and probably the best looking variable speed.

Here's a stock footage company that's using HDV. I was impressed with the quality. You might want to ask them what they suggest. http://www.mammothhd.com/
 
underseafan said:
3.) Does anyone know if there will be a separate HVX200 for the European market that will shoot in 25 frames?
Click to expand...

Yes, there is supposed to be a European version of the HVX200 which is said to do 50i and 25p. We will see at IBC in Amsterdam next week.
Until now, it seems this 50i version is not switchable to 60i :-(

Best,
Peter
 
Thanks so much pkraft and chuks for your answers.

I heard the European version of the camera will not have 1080/24p -- what a shame.
 
Thanks Barry. I'm fine with slowing down the wildlife footage by 4% - it might even look a bit nicer. But, I'm worried about the interview portions of the doco - can 25p be converted to 24p without slowing it down?
 
underseafan said:
But, I'm worried about the interview portions of the doco - can 25p be converted to 24p without slowing it down?
Click to expand...

Easily feasible for the video part, just designate your video a different framerate, 24 fps that is. Detach sound and picture, resample the sound without pitch shift so that it runs at "24 fps" and re-attach it again to the video portion of your production. Done.

That's at least how I would start to solve the problem. Not sure, however, if 29.97 fps and/or 23,97 fps have to be taken into account as well, living here in merry old Europe without these nasty framerate problems.
 
USF,

which NLE are you using? Apple's Final Cut Pro 5 comes with Cinema Tools to achieve just these conversions without hazzle.

Best,
Peter
 
underseafan said:
Thanks Barry. I'm fine with slowing down the wildlife footage by 4% - it might even look a bit nicer. But, I'm worried about the interview portions of the doco - can 25p be converted to 24p without slowing it down?
Click to expand...
25 cannot be converted to 24 without slowing it down. Well, I guess you could just drop one frame, but that would look awful.

So you will have to slow it down. PKraft points out that when doing the conversion, you can resample the audio so that it doesn't change pitch.
 
PKraft said:
USF,

which NLE are you using? Apple's Final Cut Pro 5 comes with Cinema Tools to achieve just these conversions without hazzle.

Best,
Peter
Click to expand...

Yes, but that isn't the same as in camera.
 
how are you doing body,

how do you resample the audio the audio with no pitch can you explain it step by step please
 
araujofh said:
Yes, but that isn't the same as in camera.
Click to expand...

Never said it would be. BUT: Will anybody notice the difference? Sure not,
as you can trick your eyes much easier and better then your ear. That's
why you have to resample the audio part.

Resampling without pitch shift is done with any audio editing application that offers such functionality (like Sound Studio from www.felttip.com, for Mac).


Barry Green said:
25 cannot be converted to 24 without slowing it down. Well, I guess you could just drop one frame, but that would look awful.
Click to expand...

You just slow the video down by 4%. Nobody will see the difference.
Don't take one frame out as it would interrupt the flow of frames and make the motion jump at that point.
With the Audio slowed down by the same factor (without pitch shift), the result looks and sounds just perfect.

Hope this helps,
Peter
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top