shooting for tv - 60i or 30p or F5

J

joshtownsend

Well-known member
I got offered real good money to shoot some interviews and inserts for a local tv show. I'm of course using the dvx then just turning the tapes over to them. I asked them if I should shoot progressive or not and they didin't know. I guess they just turn the tapes over to editors at a local tv station.

I'd rather shoot progressive of course. What do you guys recommend? THink I can get away with shooting f5? Or should I just shoot 30p?

I've shot plenty of short films and worked on features, but NEVER had any experience in TV. I know not to shoot in F6 advanced, cause it might give the editors head aches.

I shooting tommorow and it's kinda a last minute thing, but it's a real good $. I need $ for my next film and for festival traveling this summer.

thanks

josh
www.loyaltythemovie.com
www.emptybottle-loadedgun.com
 
To be safe, I’d give them examples of both and let them decide.

But if you don’t have time to do that, you should be safe either way. I see so much 24p stuff in news and info-type shows – even slapped together with 60i stuff – that I doubt they’ll care either way as long as the content is good.
 
I'd second that ... you should see what they are looking for as they may not like the progressive look.
 
I keep a demo reel on DVD, VHS, and MinDV that I give to clients whenever this issue comes up. The best way to do it is to get two DVXs and shot the same subject, at the same time, with camera A on 24p and Camera B on 60i. If you have good DVD encoding software, you can use the angle feature to go between shots. I also do a couple of minutes in both side-by-side on screen at the same time for visual comparsion.

It's a nice rainy day project, but one that will make you look like a complete pro to your clients and prospects.

Justin
www.beyondtimemedia.com
 
If you are shooting for broadcast television you want to shoot interlaced. All standard definition broadcast television is interlaced.
 
Jubal28 said:
To be safe, I’d give them examples of both and let them decide.

But if you don’t have time to do that, you should be safe either way. I see so much 24p stuff in news and info-type shows – even slapped together with 60i stuff – that I doubt they’ll care either way as long as the content is good.
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Wow, what news channel are you watching?!:grin: I rarely get to see 24p on TV, most of it that I do see comes from these boards.

From what I mostly hear about broadcast standards, 30p and 60i usually are okay for any station but 24p is the one you have to ask about before shooting as some stations won't (or most likely "don't") want to air it.
 
Thanks a bunch guys.

It's a local cable channel http://www.lynnandfriends.com/ and not broadcast. This came out of nowhere cause I've always just done films. I'm not just gonna shoot interlaced, I figure they can do that in post if they want it. So I'll shoot 30p........

I am however thinking about throwing in some 24p regular (f5). They are gonna let me do some B roll shots with my steadycam though which is kinda cool. Maybe I'll get to do a shot with them walking and talking, Practice for the movies and money to pay for http://fantasiafest.com/en/index.php
 
I would shoot 60i instead of 24p since NTSC TV's are interlaced. And most commercial broadcast is now HD interlaced.
 
I shoot an epasodic Rock Crawling 4x4 show and we shoot everything f5 24p it just gives us a look that pops of the screen. People see that it look different and thats what they want to watch. The cable co that runs the program has no prob with it. the drop it in befor after 60i programing all the time. Your tv will still play it no prob. But remeber that is shooting f5 not f6 24pa. We bring the footage into a 29.97 timeline in FCP and come out that way. So we are NTSC with the 24p look.
 
You can definitely use any of the modes you want. I shot a weekly television show in 24p, lots of commercials in 24p, and some reality TV series pilots in 60i. Use whatever you want for broadcast -- 24p, 30p, 60i. It's all 100% broadcastable.
 
Walter_Graff said:
If you are shooting for broadcast television you want to shoot interlaced. All standard definition broadcast television is interlaced.
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24p and 30p are recorded as 60i.
 
Jack_Felis said:
Wow, what news channel are you watching?!:grin: I rarely get to see 24p on TV, most of it that I do see comes from these boards.
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Network news, shows like "Entertainment Tonight," some MTV stuff, random things here and there. I recently saw a press conference where one of the cameras swung around the room to see all the other cameras, and one guy had a DVX. The next cut was to footage from the DVX.
 
Just to be clear - let's not confuse a broadcast format with a production mastering format. There is a ton of 24fps acquired material on TV. Primetime drama and comedy shows, sitcoms, movie of the weeks, movies, commercials, music videos... etc. All those NFL football shows are shot on film at all frame rates and transferred as 24fps to NTSC for post.

Frame rate and progressive/interlace is a creative choice - the material, the DP, the director, the client may all have their own reason of which one to shoot. Work with your client in this case to give them the look they want but show them all the looks that are possible. If they are trying to intercut your new material into existing material, ask them what format the original material is - etc.

Michael
 
joshtownsend said:
I got offered real good money to shoot some interviews and inserts for a local tv show.
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Sorry, I am newbie in the news-show, could you guys please give me some details about: how to organize such shooting? What I mean:
1. Do you need to find the actually person who will be interviewed as well as a dialog' subject, or they have already defined all stuff for you?
2. Did you got some document from them which explains everything, including your functions, targeting, etc?
3. Normally, do you need to show some special documents when going to shoot an action like interviews?

Thanks in advance,
Alex.
 
As an aside, while watching the MTV movie awards I noticed that a couple of the cameras were 24p. I thought it was very jarring when intercut with 60i.

Joe
 
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