Camera modes and docs

[blue state]

I have 100b and I'm filming a documentary. I never filmed anything before and am looking for insite. Which of the three modes (24p, 30p, 60i) do you think I should film in? I'm reading this book and it isn't super clear as to what the advantages and disadvantages are of the three types.

There will obviously be sitdown interviews. There will be reality show type coverages as well. Where we will be following people on dates and training for a marathon as well as the race itself

Oliver

 

[andythefilmer]

60i is interlaced, and you should only shoot it if it is going to be shown on TV. I would recommend 24p (not 24pA) because you can mix in other footage at other frame rates, and it looks professional like film. I have shot a few mini-docs and I shoot 24p.

 

[renegadewill]

andythefilmer, that is exactly what I would have suggested.

 

[David Jimerson]

Frame rate is an aesthetic choice and nothing else. Decide how you want it to look, first and foremost, and then choose your frame rate. All frame rates can be shown on TV or on DVD or on the web. All frame rates are also recorded on tape in a 60i stream, so everything could be edited on 60i timeline if you wanted.

As for the choice between 24p standard and 24pA, it's this, and this alone:

Will you edit the footage on a 24p timeline? Shoot 24pA (especially important if you're editing with FCP), because it takes less effort to remove the pulldown and retrieve the 23.976 progressive footage.

Will you edit the footage on a 60i (standard DV) timeline? Shoot 24p standard, because the pulldown cadence provides for smoothest playback in a 60i stream.

With that said:

You should edit as 24p if your footage is 24p and you're not mixing in 30p, or 60i that you want to keep as 60i. You will then be editing in the timebase at which the footage was shot and will have best results.

You should edit as 60i if you plan to mix your 24p footage with 30p, or 60i that you want to keep as 60i (as in, no conversion to 24p, including 24p slo-mo). All of those framerates can be edited easily as 60i, so that's the common denominator you want.

That's pretty much it. Don't be confused about "well, I want to go to film, so what do I shoot" or "well, this is going to be on TV, so what do I shoot" -- follow the above guidelines and you'll be ready for whatever it is you want to do.