59.94i on a 29.97p timeline?

Question

Level 1

112 points

59.94i on a 29.97p timeline?

Someone just handed me a film to post. Actually, several days ago. It's all posted. Now to make my masters. And, duh, not so smart, I see I have been working with a film shot in 59.94i fps and edited to a 29.97p fps. So the timeline is 29.97p.

I'm suddenly at a loss. How do I master out this project? One version is for the US, the other for Brazil. All original footage at 59.94i.

I only noticed because I tried to clean up some clips with Neat Video, and the clips went black, and from previous experience I knew it was a frame rate issue: clips a different frame rate from timeline.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated...

Ben

MacBook Pro (15-inch Glossy), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jul 14, 2015 5:16 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Jul 14, 2015 5:27 PM in response to Ben Low

Seems like 59.94i is just 29.97 fps ... is that 29.97 interlaced or progressive? A bit unsure.

It could be that whoever set up the edit for that film just dropped the 59.94 clips on the timeline and it automatically became the 29.97 ... 29.97 progressive. So that's what I'm trying to sort out. Is the 59.94i being seen as 29.97p by FCPX?

Which means I just export as is and get 29.97p master. I think.

Reply

Answer 2

Jul 15, 2015 12:24 AM in response to Ben Low

Anything with an "i" after it is interlaced and generally the number refers to the fields not frames.

As there are 2 fields per frame, the actual fps is always half the number, so 60i is 30fps and 50i is 25fps etc.

Those 30fps and 25fps etc. will always be interlaced.

Recently several people have been shooting 60i thinking they were getting 60fps and getting even more confused when they found they weren't.

The Inspector will tell you how it sees them and whether the project is interlaced or progressive . . . it should be interlaced.

Reply

Answer 3

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Jul 15, 2015 5:08 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Thank you Ian,

So the 29.97 is interlaced ... which means every frame is actually two fields (this is like the old days). Why might FCPX be indicating (up in the inspector window) that the timeline/project is 29.97p? Which is what it is doing.

I haven't been noticing the usual stair-stepping of interlacing while colour grading. Is it just that the technology is smoother? Or is there some kind of blending going on that wasn't there in the 'old days'? Just wondering.

Thank you for the help, very much appreciated.

Ben

Reply

Answer 4

Jul 15, 2015 6:07 AM in response to Ben Low

So the 29.97 is interlaced ...

There is 29.97p and 29.97i. It depends on how your project was created.

If you need to change from one to the other, either use the Modify Settings in the Inspector, or do select all, copy, create a new project with the desired settings, paste.

Reply

Answer 5

Jul 15, 2015 8:06 AM in response to Ben Low

If you would like to see the 2 fields creating their combing effect, select View/Show Both Fields

Reply

Answer 6

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Jul 15, 2015 9:14 AM in response to Ian R. Brown

Fantabulous. Thank you Ian. I never knew that was there. This will be intriguing. I'm off to try it out.

Ben

Reply

Answer 7

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Jul 15, 2015 9:20 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Luis. The footage (clips) were done at 59.94i ... at least that's how they are named in the inspector. It was a Canon. That looks like interlaced to me. So I'm wondering why the project says 29.97p ... as I don't think the editor would have 'set' the project before adding the clips (meaning she would have created a generic project and simply dumped the clips on the timeline, which would have meant that FCPX was determining the proper format for the project based on the first clip.

Thus my slight confusion.

Your opinion. If such is the case, would I be better to create a new 'interlaced' project and move the film into it? Or will my 29.97p export be just fine, and maybe even a better choice for an end product? The film will be distributed in theatres & TV.

Reply

Answer 8

Jul 15, 2015 10:31 AM in response to Ben Low

Ben Low wrote:

Luis. The footage (clips) were done at 59.94i ... at least that's how they are named in the inspector. It was a Canon. That looks like interlaced to me. So I'm wondering why the project says 29.97p ... as I don't think the editor would have 'set' the project before adding the clips (meaning she would have created a generic project and simply dumped the clips on the timeline, which would have meant that FCPX was determining the proper format for the project based on the first clip.

Impossible to know, but sometimes people add a title or a still image first, so maybe that is how the project settings came to be?

Your opinion. If such is the case, would I be better to create a new 'interlaced' project and move the film into it? Or will my 29.97p export be just fine, and maybe even a better choice for an end product? The film will be distributed in theatres & TV.

I hope someone more versed in distributing for TV can chime in.

I have no experience in that area. I always use progressive, but then the stuff I do is for web viewing.

Reply

Answer 9

Ben Low Author

Level 1

112 points

Jul 15, 2015 12:42 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

I'll have to find out about this Brazilian thing. I'll report back here what I discover. I'm going to go with the progressive, looks great mastered, and I can't see how it would be an issue with the networks anymore.

Thank you Luis,

B

Reply