Help Me with XHA1 question

M

Milad

New member
Hi Everybody.
My name is Milad and I’m an Iranian student Cinema in Italy. In few days I’m going to shoot a long film.
This is the only chance that university is giving me and I’m putting all my life into this project: my money, my academic career and my staying in this country. This project is matter of life and death to me. The university is giving me canon XH A1. I have read all the things about this camera here and there. But I got very important questions to ask.
My film will have some very important close up shots. (Mainly close up of faces).
Here are my questions:
1. I know that for that film look it’s better to shoot in 24p (which in this canon is called 24F). but I read that in 24p you will have jerky slow motion. Is it possible to shoot all the normal scenes in 24F and the slo motion scenes in 60i and then have it slowed down to 24p? will there be obvious difference between these two when you see them in the final result?
2. some people say 60i is the best for the slow motion…but some other tell me interlaced is not good for this purpose…
3. They tell me that working in post in 24p is hard even for normal speed shots…
4. for the film look they suggest double of the frame rate. (24p with 1/48 or 1/50). But also they tell me higher shutter speed is best for slow motions…
Please help me… what frame rate and shutter speed should I use for ALL this film… THIS IS AS IMPORTANT AS LIFE TO ME…
(P.S. this camera is bought in Europe so it also has 25f/50i option, a editor here told me to shoot all the film in this mode…)
 
1. Yes, that is how you do it on an XHA1, and yes there will be noticeable softening when in slow-mo, but -- it's the best you can get with that camera, and the scenes will be slow-mo so they'll look different anyway.
2. 60i, played back at 40% speed, with no frame blending, can work fine for slow-mo.
3. Nonsense. 24p is a standard frame rate that is well supported by most if not all NLE's.
4. Same thing applies. Double the frame rate for the shutter speed, so for 24p use 1/48 (or 1/50). For slow-mo, use double the frame rate (so 1/120 for 60i).
 
I've done many shots that way with the XHA1. I shoot 60i, bring it into After Effects and turn it into 60p and export a new file so I can edit it as I please in my editor without the editor doing the conversion. Yes you lose resolution, but few will ever notice.
 
you might have issues with refresh rate. not sure though Barry could answer this better. I know certain lights and the htz can be troublesome.
 
Have you tested the XHA1 you will be using? Most Canon video cameras were region specific, meaning XHA1's sold in Europe would not even have an NTSC option (I think there was a paid firmware upgrade available to unlock both PAL/NTSC though).

Normally in PAL regions you would shoot in 25fps or 50i; this is as much to do with the lighting (50hz) as it is to do with basic compatibility. You would probably consider shooting 24fps if you were planning to convert the video to 35mm film, which seems unlikely.

What are the other people in your college shooting at? What do your tutors recommend?
 
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