Varicam Footage : convert to 24fps?

[ltf3]

Hi

I'm very familiar with HVX200 P2 workflows, but was just handed a HD with footage shot on a Panasonic Varicam and captured to FCP 5.1 with a Panasonic Deck via FW.

I've never dealt with a Varicam tape in my life so I am unfamiliar with the variables involved in the workflow.

Now, the DP says the 720p footage was shot at 24 (23.98) fps in the camera. I assume this was pulled down to 60fps ( 59.96 ) at the recording stage (tape) and later captured into FCP without any pulldown removal.

Indeed, the QuickTime movies show up as 1280 x 720, 59.96fps (13.4 MB/s). If I go through them frame by frame I see a 2:3:2:3 pattern of frame duplication.

The issue is that the playback from a FW400 drive is a bit below par (being 60fps) and if possible, it would be good to restore the frame rate to the original 24. This works fine in the land of P2 during transfer usually.

However seeing the files have already been captured that option has gone (if it ever existed) so I thought I could do a pulldown removal in Cinema Tools. However upon opening a clip there, the "PullDown Removal" option is absent (greyed out).

Perhaps varicam footage isn't really 'Pulled Down' in the standard sense?

If anyone has some information that would clear this up for me I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks

Lee

 

[Shane Ross]

Well, if it was shot flagged for 24p (23.98), then you should have chosen the DVCPRO HD 720p24 Easy Setup...then FCP would have pulled out the frames at the time of capture, and you would have the 23.98 footage you require. If you cannot remove the pulldown with CT, or within FCP, then your best bet would be to recapture with the proper Easy Setup.

That is if they shot 24p flagged for 23.98...that camera also shoots 24p as 59.94...just like the DVX and 24p and 24PA.

 

[ltf3]

Thanks Shane

Unfortunately I was just given a hard drive of files. No involvement in how they got there!

However ... if the footage was shot 23.98p as 59.94 as I suspect, shouldn't it be possible to still go back to the original 23.98 after capture (at 59.94)?

Thanks

Lee

 

[ltf3]

HI

Fixed it...

I just needed the DVC Pro HD frame rate converter tool (FCP Plugin) from Panasonic.

Selected the clips in FCP ... applied the converter via the Tools Menu and new files were created with the duplicate frames (not pulldown in the strictest sense) removed.

Now we have pure 23.98 in the timeline!

Hope this helps someone else.

Lee