C100: Need some frame rate advice for a project

puredrifting

puredrifting

Major Contributor
Hi all:

We just picked up a project that was shot in Afghanistan in mostly 1080 25P on various different cameras. The files we were given are mostly QTs so I assume they were shot on a DSLR possibly? We also have a bunch of RED footage that an ad agency shot a commercial on over there, they are .Rd3 files shot in UHD 25 fps. We have now been charged with shooting an interview with the head of the organization here in LA. The interview will be mixed in with all of this b-roll and event footage that was shot overseas. The end product will be used in many different formats (some on-line, some DVD, some probably projected live to an audience in an auditorium) all over the world, in both 50 and 60Hz markets. We have been charged with delivering an English cut with no subtitles and then the client will be having the final video converted to Dari, Pashtun, Korean and possibly other languages both with and without English and other language subtitles. A truly international multi-format project that will be aired all over the world in many different settings.

My thought is, why fight the tide? I am thinking of shooting the head exec's interview here in LA in 25p on my C100 MKI. This will allow me to edit a 25P timeline in FCP 7. Have not yet made the switch to FCPX. Was getting ready to but then I decided NOT to learn a new editing platform before a big project.

1. Do any NTSC shooters have any feedback about shooting the C100 MKI in 25 fps versus our usual 23.98 most of us shoot?
2. I have tungsten, LED and fluorescent lighting available to light the interview. My question is, will lighting with 60Hz lighting result in flicker if I am shooting 25p? I know that it probably will with discharge lamps like fluorescent, I even see that shooting 23.98 with them sometimes. Has anybody shot a C100 25p with tungsten or LEDs operating at 60Hz? If I have flicker problems, I will have th just use window light, which is limiting.
3. Has anyone shot with the C100 with the Ninja Blade at 25p? Any caveats for that part of the equation?

I have shot 23.98 in the UK with their 50Hz lighting and experienced little to no flicker but I have not shot 25p with 60Hz lighting. Any recommendations, cautions or gotchas?

Thanks!
 
You could do PAL 25p but shoot at 1/60 shutter. Gives you more options than relying on window light should there be flicker problems.

I've shot a few jobs here in the states on the C300 for a European client which had to be at 25p. Both interviews and available light fly-on-the-wall footage. I was concerned about flicker especially with the candid footage so I shot at 1/60. The client and I had discussed this option ahead of time.

The lighting for the interviews was with 1x1 Litepanels. They have not been an issue at all. I've shot 25p @ 1/60 with them, I've shot 25p @ 180 deg. shutter with them. All fine.
 
Thanks guys, the reassurance that it will all be okay is nice ;-) I have LED panels that should do the trick. Come to think of it, when I have had those slight flicker issues at 23.98 with Kinos, I was at 1/48th shutter, I should have bumped to 1/60th, probably would have solved that issue.
 
Terminology question India? Is 1080 25p still refered to as PAL or just 25p? Doesn't PAL have to be 720 x 576?
 
Originally PAL and NTSC standards for broadcast were much lower than today's resolution. PAL at 576i (25 frames per second) and NTSC at 480i. We still refer 25p at 1080 as PAL. Infact, in my C300, I have to set it at PAL or NTSC before selecting the frame rate. For US broadcast clients I mostly shoot at 24p. For my regular stuff I set PAL and 25p. There is also an option of 50i in PAL, as some european broadcasters at times ask for it.

C300 detects that some of the media in the card is PAL when I change the settings in the camera to NTSC. However I am not sure why it asks for reformatting.

PS: Since the Canon 5D led DSLR revolution, I haven't shot in 720p. Not even once.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi
 
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