Simplest question ever?

S

ssscomp

New member
I am new to video and the GH1. For now I just want to do home videos of the kids, etc. intermixed with stills. I very much like the 24fps "look" and I am using a Mac and would like to use either Imovie or Imovie HD. What is the simplest way of getting to 24fps? Should I just use the AVCHD 1080 at 24fps, or do something with the MGPEG format, and if I do won't that involve converting the video somehow? Will both Imovie '09 and Imovie HD work natively with the 1080 24fps? If so, any reason not to go this route?

I have read so many of these great forum opinions that I have managed to thoroughly confuse myself. I just want to start off slow so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hey man, easiest way to go is to shoot 720 and you'll have no problem with editing the resulting files, if you go 1080 you have to remove the pulldown and convert them to a different format for use in Imovie i believe, which you could do with JES. Although I think I remember hearing that iMovie will import AVCHD files, but I could be wrong...
 
No, the simplest way is to just shoot 1080p. 1080p (labeled FHD in the menu options) is the only mode that is 24 fps. The SH mode is 720p at 60 fps, and is therefore not the simplest, most direct, most accurate way of getting 24 fps. The MJPEG mode is 720p at 30 fps, and there's no good way to get 24 fps from that. Removing pulldown is the major issue with the GH1's 1080p mode, but strictly speaking, you don't need to do it.

iMovie should support AVCHD. As long as it supports the codec, then the frame rate should not be an issue.
 
Yeah I meant just not worrying about 24fps all together... and just shooting 720... if he was just starting out.
 
i find shooting in 720 the safest bet and I just drop it into 25p. I probably couldn't pick the difference between that and a proper 25p either..ha. 1080 is nice and all but when you want to slow things down in post that you did not plan for it sucks big time. you will get that 24p film slow mo look that I personally don't like. I also think the codec performs better at 720 too.
 
+1 to Sean and Mr. Fanny. If you shoot 720p60 and just drop it on a 23.98 timeline, you will get the 24p look. There are some shots where it will be more obvious that frames have been stripped away, such as a shot of a car crossing the frame, but most of the time it looks just fine. I've done this in FCP...I would think this should work in iMovie as well but I've never tried. Also, as mentioned, this would give you the option to due a true slo-mo effect by conforming the footage to 24.

Despite some early worries, the 1080p24 mode also looks quite good on this camera. As ygdmdlu said, you can shoot this and run the 60i files through JES or Neoscene or similar and get true 24p. If you don't mind the extra step (which is really not a big deal), this is also a nice solution. But no true slo-mo of course.
 
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