Cinematic look

I want to add some kind of filter to my movie. When you watch a film you're not in doubt that it's a film, and not some news programme or home video. Like sometimes directors use a filter which makes their film look like it's from the 70's. How do I make my movie look like an actual film, and not just a home video recording? I know this is possible in After Effects, but can you do it in FCE?
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

"When you watch a film you're not in doubt that it's a film"
That's cuz it IS film. Not video. My best advice to making things like film: shoot on film.
Other wise, the thread Ian refers to will have some good ideas.
Try shooting on 24p. Try the Nattress film plug ins. Or the free Stibbs Film Curves plug in. Try adjusting your frame rate. Playing with the contrast. Try Magic Bullet plug in. Play with your Gamma settings.
Personally, video never fools me into thinking its film. That being said, the "look" of a film (or video) can help tell a story. I decide what that story is, then tinker with the look till its right.

Similar Messages

How to get a cinematic look?

I just did a small 4 minute movie in FCE 4 and would like to get a cinematic look. There's actually a function on my camera (Canon HF 100) to get this type of look along with using a frame rate of PF24 but I didn't use it.
Is there a certain video filter I can use to try to obtain this type of look?

Good thing you didn't use the 24p mode on your camcorder, because FCE doesn't work with 24p footage.
Try looking over this thread and see if it's of any use:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8938482&#8938482

Simple solutions for cinematic look with 60i video?

I'm sure this questions pops up over and over but I'm getting a huge headache trying to sort everything out through my searches, especially as a beginner to the film making world. I'll get right to my questions, but first here is the equipment I am working with:
Camcorder = Sony HDR-XR500, shooting in 1920 x 1080 60i AVCHD format
Software = CS4 Creative Suite
I recently threw together a 10 min movie of a trip I just arrived back from using Premiere Pro, and while it was a lot of fun putting together I really have no idea if I went about it the right way. I want to practice taking a clip of mine and converting it to that cinematic look, and hope someone can help guide me through some steps.
Here is what I want to achieve:
- 2.35:1 pixel ratio
- 24p or similar effect (trying to figure this out makes my head spin)
I know color correction has a lot to do with the cinematic look, but I realize there are many ways of going about this so I'll refrain from asking any questions in regards to this for now. (I did find using the Fast Color Corrector and setting Saturation to 75%, and Input levels to 20, 1, 220 gave a nice film look)
Step 1: What settings should I use to create my new project?
Capture Format = HDV?
For the sequence presets should I use AVCHD 1080i30 (60i) non-anamorophic?
Step 2: If I want to create a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, should I simply crop my clip? I think I read somewhere for 1920 x 1080 video, crop 14% from top and bottom? Or should I crop when I export out the movie?
Step 3: What would be the simplest/quickest way of getting that 24fps look using Premiere Pro or After Effects? I know shooting in 24p is obviously the easiest way, but should I simply deinterlace my 60i video by right clicking clip>Field Options> Always deinterlace to achieve similar effect?
Step 4: Exporting video....again so many options I'm not sure what to do here. Basically, could someone provide me with the best exporting options for the format I'm trying to achieve for:
- Posting on Internet
- Viewing on computer
- And viewing on blu-ray
I really appreciate any help to the above questions. Big thanks!

Step 1: Capture settings are irrelevant for AVCHD on that camera. Just copy the entire folder structure intact to your hard drive. Pr will find the copied footage through the Media Browser panel. You may even be able to edit directly from the camera's HDD. You should try it and see.
Step 2: 1920x816 produces a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Assuming all of your action occurs in the exact vertical center of the shot, then you should crop 132 pixels from top and bottom. Placing your 1080 footage into a custom progressive sequence of those dimensions should get you what you want, as long as you don't have Default scale to frame size selected in Preferences.
Step 3: This is the tough one. To get 24 fps out of 30 fps, one frame out of every 5 needs to be dropped. This will produce perceptually jerky playback, especially if any motion at all is present. So the remaining frames must be blended together in some way to smooth out the bump where the missing frame is. Using AE to accomplish this is, IMHO, the best solution for an all-CS4 workflow. In AE, you have 2 choices: Frame Mix and Pixel Motion. PM produces better results, but FM renders faster. If you haven't done any editing of the clips in Pr yet, then the best idea would be to convert all of the footage in AE before importing it into Pr. If you've already got edits in place in Pr, then you can select all of the clips in the sequence and choose File | Adobe Dynamic Link | Replace with After Effects Composition. Either way, each clip in AE must be individually interpreted to Separate Fields/Preserve Edges. The comp settings must be set to 24p. Then Frame Blending must be enabled for the comp, and finally, each Frame Blending Layer Switch must be set to either Frame Mix or Pixel Motion. If you do use Dynamic Link, be sure to turn *off* Frame Blending in Pr, because AE has already taken care of that.
Step 4: Because rendering will be so intensive and take so long, I recommend exporting an intermediate file from Pr, then re-importing that file to be used as the source for the various export formats. Otherwise, you'll have to render all over again for each individual export format. For web, I recommend Flash. For computer viewing, it depends on your delivery method (CD, DVD, Download, External Hard Drive, Flash Drive, etc.). For Blu-ray, either H.264 Blu-ray or MPEG2 Blu-ray.
-Jeff

How to get the cinematic look with FCE 4?

I have an hdr-sr 10 camera with avchd and am using FCE 4.
How or what are the steps I need to take to get that film or cinematic look? Is there a special combination of filters I need to use? Is there a setting on the camera I need to use as well?
Mike

Light the scene carefully.
Turn off detail enhancement on the camera.
Never zoom; move the camera instead--using a home-made dolly, for example.
Try to set up your shots to decrease depth of field,
by setting your aperture to the smallest number (f1.8)
and keeping your optical zoom maxed out--if possible.
Use zebra stripes; never overexpose.
Shoot multiple takes from different angles.
Get your microphone close to the talent.
Turn off auto-focus and auto-exposure.
Turn on Progressive Shutter Mode.
Use a tripod to make sure your establishing shots are rock steady.
Edit without dissolves, unless you're showing the passage of time.
Check out whether these filters will work with FCE4:
http://pistolerapost.com/pluginz/index.html
Go to Ken Stone's site, and scroll down to Film Look:
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/fcp_homepageindex.html
When shooting, wear a beret.

How they create the cinematic look (Basic Film Question)

Just wondering how real cinema is done with digital cameras. Is it filters, or their cameras, or programs which clean the colors and image up, like After Effects, or all of the above? Seeing all digital movies like "Inland empire" was a little disappointing because the digital look is, well, TOO realistic.
Traditional film in most movies for the last two decades always has the same feel, where it's not familiar enough to resemble a home movie, but close enough that you can identify with it.
Anyways, I'm just pondering the potentials of my low budget and access to these great programs, such as FCP and AE, and I wanted to know if it is indeed possible to create what we see from modern films with our humble means. Phew.
thanks.

I think it comes down to a couple of things. Film has grain. (but you could add that to the RED shots an get it that way if that's what you want).
The other thing that will replace film is plain dollars and sense. You can buy 24 RED One setups with the cost savings of a major motion picture's film stock/processing/telecine costs. With the general public not being able to tell the difference (heck most of them can't tell the difference between video and film now), Hollywood is gonna take those savings. They already are actually... there are many films right now in production using RED ONE... and if it makes the bucks that a film shoot does, trust me, producers are going to start wanting RED shoots instead of 35...
The situation reminds me a lot of the time when Hollywood editors wouldn't touch an Avid, because they said they "needed" to feel the freaking celluloid. PLEEZE... the real reason was they were computer illiterate and quite frankly, they were too lazy to get up to speed. It wasn't until the younger editors began to get it that Avid began to take hold in motion picture production. Took years for this in fact. The same thing is going on right now with DP's and RED. I think it scares them a bit and there's that old "film is better than video" thing that still pervades.
Content is king. Doesn't matter what you shot on.
Jerry

Speedgrade crashes on applying my own looks.

Hey there,
I loaded a premiere pro-project into speedgrade and corrected the first clip. With that correction I created a look and wanted to apply it to the second clip but speedgrad keeps on crashing if I do so. It only happes if I am working with a Premiere Pro-project and my own looks. If I load footage directly and apply my look it's working and if I apply a cinematic look to my premiere pro-project it's also working.
I am on a Macbook Retina Middle 2012 with Geforce GT650M and OS 10.9 running. Speedgrade is up to date.
May somebody help me?
Process:         sgmacosx [928]
Path:            /Applications/Adobe SpeedGrade CC/Adobe SpeedGrade CC.app/Contents/MacOS/sgmacosx
Identifier:      adobe.SpeedGrade
Version:         7.1.0 (7.1.0)
Build Info:      Adobe SpeedGrade CC-0~158
Code Type:       X86-64 (Native)
Parent Process: launchd [311]
Responsible:     sgmacosx [928]
User ID:         501
Date/Time:       2013-11-07 10:54:52.043 +0100
OS Version:      Mac OS X 10.9 (13A603)
Report Version: 11
Anonymous UUID: AED8AE9A-B021-E3B4-1769-EF3D29B71907
Crashed Thread: 23 Dispatch queue: com.apple.root.default-priority
Exception Type: EXC_CRASH (SIGABRT)
Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000
Application Specific Information:
abort() called
*** error for object 0x116b81c00: incorrect checksum for freed object - object was probably modified after being freed.
Thread 0:: Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
0   libsystem_kernel.dylib                  0x00007fff93cbda1a mach_msg_trap + 10
1   libsystem_kernel.dylib                  0x00007fff93cbcd18 mach_msg + 64
2   com.apple.CoreGraphics                  0x00007fff983e4aec _CGSGetSurfaceBinding + 109
3   com.apple.CoreGraphics                  0x00007fff983e49c2 CGSFlushSurfaceWithOptions + 130
4   com.apple.opengl                        0x00007fff8dd6f2ab 0x7fff8dd6c000 + 12971
5   com.apple.GeForceGLDriver               0x00001234402ef46d gldPresentFramebufferData + 266
6   GLEngine                                0x00007fff91495fdd glSwap_Exec + 93
7   com.apple.opengl                        0x00007fff8dd79089 CGLFlushDrawable + 66
8   sgmacosx                                0x000000010024bff0 CIrBlitter::Blit(bool) + 1112
9   sgmacosx                                0x00000001004381b1 CIrosApp::ScreenUpdate(CIrList<IIrCompDataProvider const> const*, bool) + 213
10 sgmacosx                                0x0000000100435cb0 CIrosApp::CommandLoop() + 3268
11 sgmacosx                                0x0000000100434c9b CIrosApp::iDoRun() + 3623
12 sgmacosx                                0x000000010001e1a2 main + 98
13 sgmacosx                                0x0000000100003334 start + 52
Thread 1:: Dispatch queue: com.apple.libdispatch-manager
0   libsystem_kernel.dylib                  0x00007fff93cc2662 kevent64 + 10
1   libdispatch.dylib                       0x00007fff992de43d _dispatch_mgr_invoke + 239
2   libdispatch.dylib                       0x00007fff992de152 _dispatch_mgr_thread + 52
Thread 2:
0   libsystem_kernel.dylib                  0x00007fff93cbda1a mach_msg_trap + 10
1   libsystem_kernel.dylib                  0x00007fff93cbcd18 mach_msg + 64
...to be continued.

Hi everyone !
I had the exact same problem and i've found a work-around that works most of the time (i'll say 9/10 times).
Set your look with your mask (on primary or secondary layer) but before saving it just deactivate/hide the layer with the mask. Apply the look you just saved on another clip, wait a few second and then activate/show the masked layer.
Voila, your look is applied WITH the mask and speedgrade doesn't crash.
Hope that work-around will work for you.
Don't be shy to share that tips, that's what forums are made for
Good luck and sorry for my bad english (I'm french)
NaZa-Giral

Any Effects to make Video footage look dreamy/heaveny

I am trying to see if there is anyway or effect to make some video footage look dreamy or heavenly, it is for a wedding so I want to give it that "mystical" feel. I hope my descriptive words make sense. The footage should almost have a shimmer.
Thanks!

Hi - One way to go is to use third party plug-ins, another is to learn how to combine and use filters in FCE to achieve the effect you want. Final Cut contains dozens of filters, that when combined can achieve very nice effects, and allow you a lot of control. I actually prefer the filters layering process as it keeps me in control of subtle variations of the effect. Here is one way to make your images a little more romantic. The following demo is done on Final Cut Pro, but as Mr. Wolsky pointed out, most if not all of these filters should be available to you in FCE:
I start by editing my scene to the timeline, and locking the audio:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/FinderScreenSnapz002.jpg!
It is a harshly lit shot of Meg The Dog ( a self portrait) with a cheap Kodak Zi8 camera:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/FinderScreenSnapz001.jpg!
To make it look nice, I edit the exact same scene in the exact same position on the timeline to V2:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz001.jpg!
I double click *on the clip on V2,* which is above our untreated clip, and it opens in the viewer. I select the Filters tab (which is empty).
I then go to the Effects Tab > Video Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur, and drag the Gaussian Blur filter to the Filters tab in the Viewer window, and set it to around 20 pixels of blur:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz002.jpg!
This gives the image a nice soft look:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz003.jpg!
but everything is soft - and I just want the highlights to be soft and hold the detail in the non-bright parts of the picture. So I return to the Effects Tab > Video Filters > Image Control > Brightness and Contrast and drag the Brightness and Contrast filter to the Filter pane in the viewer, setting the brightness and contrast up slightly:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz004.jpg!
Which makes the bright parts of the picture even brighter:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz005.jpg!
Now I want to combine this with the "normal" image on V1, keeping only the blurred highlights on V2. So back to the Effects Tab > Video Filters > Key > Luma Key, and drag the Luma Key to the Filters Pane in the viewer. Note that I switch the Key Mode to Key Out Darker:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz006%20copy.jpg!
Which now gives me nice soft highlights while keeping detail in the scene where the luminance is in the more normal range:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz007.jpg!
To complete the effect, return to the Effects Tab > Video Filters > Stylize > Vignette and drag the Vignette filter to the Filters Pan in the viewer:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz008.jpg!
and this gives me a natural Vignetting look which focus attention more to the subject and has a more cinematic look:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz009.jpg!

4:3 vs 16:9, best choice for DVD?

What reasoning do I use in determining the best format for me to produce my DVD, 4:3 or 16:9? I'm just not sure of all the pros and cons to either, but it seems like 4:3 is going the way of the 8-track tape and with more and more TVs at 16:9, should I even bother with 4:3? Thanks.

fbcbootie wrote:
Since I can't produce both versions, I just want to satisfy the majority.
You can make it compatible with both formats. It will play full screen on a 16X9 monitor and letterboxed on a 4X3 monitor.
This is done all the time. It depends on your choice of authoring software, and the format choices you make within that software. In Toast, for example, you simply select "Automatic" for the Aspect Ratio. In DVD Studio Pro, you choose 16:9 Letterbox as the aspect ratio.
Most people think that seeing the letterboxed image on a 4x3 set gives the video a "cinematic" look.
MTD

Canon Vixia HF20 and "Progressive" frame rates: how do you edit them in PE7, or any PE version?

My owner's manual is splayed before me: I have these options with my Canon HF20 Camcorder:
I can record video in: 60i (standard) - I guess they mean "default"
I can also record in PF30 and PF24.
It says this:
PF30: 30 frames per second, progressive. Use this frame rate to easily edit your recordings, for example, to post them on the Web.
(I do post my videos on the web: indeed that is all I do with them. The Web is a free storage closet that we get as a bonus, by paying for monthly Internet charges.)
My manual also says this:
PF24: 24 frames per second. progressive. (That is what it says - progressive.) Using this frame rate will give you recordings a cinematic look. When combined with the Cine Mode recording program, the cinematic look will be enhanced.
I have noticed no interesting differences. And editing these .mts files is a pain, no matter what format one uses.
I am wondering if anyone is in a similar situation, regarding AVCHD and editing problems using any version of PE.
I constantly have trouble with artifacts - ghosting - combing - all manner of problems, which is enhanced by using the available HD. That is, in 1920x1080, the drop-frame system creates highly compressed, problematic files.
These are hard to edit, but can be done decently using a kind of sleight of hand. I often downgrade 1920x1080 to 720p in editing, just to get the jumpy quality to look decent. This usually works.
I wonder what others do. I really miss 8mm. ... sylvester

The 60i setting should work best with PRE with the Full HD 1080i preset.
As for performance that can be highly dependant on your system and how it is set up. By default most PC's startup with a whole load of cr*p provided by your supplier - all of which can eat into your performance. Anti-Virus software (especially McAfee) can cripple PRE. Try working through the steps in this article: PrE Hanging, or Crashing - Some Tips. If that doesn't solve your issue then this article lists the things we need to know about your system and clips - Got a Problem? How to Get Started
Cheers,
Neale
Insanity is hereditary, you get it from your children

Rendering out of phase (pixelated). How can I fix it?

Equipment: Canon Vixia HF20 (set to MXP) and Kodak Zi8 (set to 1080) Alienware M-18x - i7-2860QM @250GHz – 16 GB ram – Windows 7 Professional Service pack 1 (with all recent updates installed.) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (with latest drivers and updates installed.)
Premiere Elements 12 (Expert mode)
Canon is used for the main picture. Kodak is used for smaller “picture in picture” on top of main picture.
Preset in Premiere Elements 12: NTSC-AVCHD Full HD 1080i-30
I have used this same camera/Premiere Elements setup with success in Premiere Elements 8 and 10.
When the first video (Canon) is brought into Video 1 track it looks great and no orange render line appears. When the second video (Kodak) is placed in the Video 2 track, resized, and placed in the lower right hand corner of the monitor panel (on top of Video 1) and I click outside of the bounding box it looks fine (as does the Video 1). The orange line then appears above both videos as normal.
The problem is when I render the videos they both become “out of phase,” pixelated, as if I had dragged their bounding boxes slightly one way or the other.
How do I get the videos to render properly so that I can upload the project to YouTube? (This was never a problem with Premiere Elements 8 or 10)
Many thanks,
Randall

The camera manual does not offer any clear information regarding interlaced or progressive.
Here is what information I have been able to obtain from other sources on the web:
<<As far as I can tell, I am recording in 1920 x 1080p (not interlaced). I have sent a question to Canon tech support, but they tout that the Canon Vixia HF20 records in full 1080p. I have the ability to set it to a 24p or 30p frame rate, and apparently, that records in 60i.>>
another sources adds:
<<My recording options are:
- 60i
- "PF30" which is described as "30 frames per second, progressive" but then it goes on to say "Using this frame rate, video is recorded as 60i"
- "PF24" which is described as "24 frames per second, progressive. Using this frame rate will give your recordings a cinematic look." but then it goes on to say "Using this frame rate, video is recorded as 60i">>
My camera is set to the default "60i"
I installed the latest version of Quicktime
I added the tracks to the timeline as suggested above and used your method for adding PiP 25% LR. When I rendered a section of the video, it was pixelated as mentioned above (no change.)
As I mentioned before, this was not a problem with either Premiere Elements 10 (Using this computer) or 8 (using another computer). The only reason I upgraded to Premiere Elements 12 was that Premiere Elements 10 would not work when I updated the video drivers and software.
Many thanks for your help.
Randall

Anamorphic Pixel Aspect Ratio

I am confused on all the different ways to get the "cinematic look". There are various ways to do this and I want minimal distortion. I have PE 10, source Canon T3i in camera settings are 1920 by 1080 23.976fps. Initial project settings are DSLR>1920 by1080>24fps, square pixel ratio 1.0.
My first question
1- Is shoting anamorphic in itself a distortion of the actual scene?
2- If it is distortion of the actual scene, then it seems like strching the image in post or with a lens shouldn't matter to much?
3-I can right click>Interpret Footage and then select conform to --"D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2121)" or "Anamorphic 2:1 (2.0)" or "HD Anamorphic 1080 (1.333)". Which option would be best to get a proper depiction of your scene but also while achieving the "cinematic look"?(if any at all). (to me...it seems like "D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2121)" does the best)
-buying anamorphic lens with an adapter that screws onto one of your prime lenses is the best option but it is a pain to have to deal with and is very expensive.
The easiest option is to select a title and put two black rectangles over your footage to mask it. I don't want to do this because you lose some of your footage and I would like to preserver all the footage if possible.
Thanks

I could be mistaken..I'm not even sure
Premiere says it will "Conform" the "Pixel Aspect Ratio". When I select "D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2121)" the pixel aspect ratio is changed from its original 1.0 square pixel to 1.2121. This is a screen shot of what I have been encountering. When this happens you do not lose any of the original footage by covering some of it up via a title and you get the "cinematic look" the wide screen look. So Yes, I am trying to get the 2.35:1 movie frame that you mentioned. That’s what I'm ultimately aiming to get. (the clip as you see it has yet to be changed, have not applied it yet so no black bars.
This is what it looks like with the "D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2121)" conversion applied.

24P Workflow

We got a new HD system last year with two Panasonic HPX500P cams. We do Corporate Video so we generally stick to 30/60i settings but I wanted to play around with the Cine settings on the camera. I've been digging through the menus and output some 24P footage but everytime I bring it into FCP, even in a sequence that is set for 24fps it still looks bad to me. I know it's the pulldown but I don't understand why FCP isn't compensating for that. I've seen other posts that say to bring the footage into Cinema Tools to correct the pulldown and get it to 30fps but that just seems odd to me. Shouldn't you be able to edit it raw in FCP and then change the settings when you do final output, depending on how you want it to be output?
I would love to hear experiences/workflow from someone that has shot 24p both for final output to TV and for Film if possible. Thanks!

I had just assumed that when you were in FCP and had the sequence set to 23.98 that it would be smooth on my monitor. Why wouldn't it be?
Well, did you SHOOT 23.98? Look at the frame rate of the footage. Is it 29.97 or 23.98? If it is 29.97, and you put it into a 23.98 sequence...then no, it won't look good at all! FCP doesn't remove pulldown properly in the timeline. Instead of 2:3:3:2 or 2:3:2:3, it does 2:2:2:4. BAD. So no, just changing the frame rate doesn't work. That only works well with Avid Media Composer 4.0.
So, why shoot in 24p at all?
To get the film look. You can shoot 24p and have the frame rate still be 29.97...as I said. People who shoot 23.98 either master to 23.98 (HDCAM SR, HDCAM, D5 formats support this)...or output to DVD directly, and that supports this, or print to film. Or upload to the web only...that supports 23.98. OR, because 23.98 takes up a lot less space than 29.97. And if you have a decent HD capture card, it will add the proper pulldown when you output. So you can shoot and edit 23.98, but deliver 29.97. SD tape, and a lot of broadcasters and corporate delivery requirements are still 29.97.
Why have the option on the camera?
Because people want the film look, and don't like the VIDEO look. Mainly people shooting short or feature films...and TV shows and some documentaries. Before 24P people bought PAL versions of cameras that shot 25fps, then adjusted the speed when they were done to 24fps.
I had assumed that was part of getting a more Cinematic look to the footage.
EXACTLY.
But if it just ends up as 29.97 why do it at all?
Because some of us don't like the smooth video "soap opera" look of 29.97. And as I stated, you can shoot 24p at 29.97 and edit 29.97 just fine.
I shot in every mode on that camera and did comparison. It won't do 1080p/24p, though, just 1080i/24p.
1080i 24p is the way to get 24p in a 29.97 frame rate. it is just called 1080p24 by some people.
Shane

Recording video on 24 fps?

I wish to record video in 24 fps - dearly
Is there any way to by pass the phones inbuilt regulations (30 and 60 fps)? For example, I use an app (vintage 8mm video camera), which makes my phone record, or at least appear to record, in 15 fps, so maybe there is a way?
Otherwise, do you know of any other sony phone that can record in 24 fps?
Best wishes
Coraxo

Well, 30 fps is smoother than 24 fps and that is the problem, a bit of the cinematic look is lost. The industrial standard so far is to record or at least deliver the films in 24 fps, so we are simply conditioned to associate that frame rate with a film in the cinema. A deviation is The Hobbit, which is delivered at the double, 48 fps, I have not seen it myself though but am curious.
I read another interesting explanation on why many find 24 fps attractive, and that was that because of the less smooth expeience, we accept it as a film, and not reality, and because of this, more easily are drawn into the alternative universe the film maker creates.
At the last Sundance film festival, Tangerine, a film that was shot entirely with a phone, received a lot of praise, here is what the director says about the technical solutions:
"CP: What additional technology did you use to make shooting with an iPhone viable?
SB: We had this wonderful little anamorphic adapter that fits onto the end of the iPhone. It allowed us to shoot with a widescreen aspect ratio, which gave the film a very cinematic scope. We also used an inexpensive app called Filmic Pro; it locks exposure and focus, and most importantly it shoots at 24 frames a second. The adaptor and the app are what made me believe we could make an iPhone movie that looked like a film. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the film has a Super 16 feel on the big screen. [In post-production] we added grain and pumped up the colors, which added to the cinematic look and achieved something unique."
(For android I believe 'Cinema FV-5' is a corresponding app)
Anyway, in the end it boils down to taste.

24 fps

A slew of recent DSLR releases from Nikon and Pentax all shoot 24fps for HD recording. Why?
Well, apparently consumers complained that faster (30fps) speeds needed far more time and processing power to edit, and looked artificial. 24fps also helps to sync the shutter speed for low light shooting where these cams handily beat the $1,000 digital videocams.
So 24fps is emerging as a dominant standard for low light, consumer video, in multi-function cameras. These cameras outsell dedicated videocams by about 25:1.
The Canon S95 also shoots 24 fps. Nikon D3100. Pentax K-r. Fuji 300EXR. The Canon is even in H.264!
And so on...
That is a pretty hefty chunk of new unit sales coming down the pipe from major manufacturers. There's not even an option for 30fps unless you go Sony, Panasonic, or Olympus. Four big names are 24fps dominant now.
So, how do we consumers edit our 24fps movies on our Macs?

Meg The Dog wrote:
Hi -
Final Cut Pro supports 24 fps (23.98 fps).
Aristophanes wrote:
A slew of recent DSLR releases from Nikon and Pentax all shoot 24fps for HD recording. Why?
Well, apparently consumers complained that faster (30fps) speeds needed far more time and >processing power to edit, and looked artificial.
This is incorrect. You need more CPU horsepower to edit the DSLR footage as it is usually recorded in H.264 codec, which is an excellent recording and delivery format, but an absolute nightmare to attempt to edit. This is because it is so heavily compressed in Long GOP MPEG, which does not allow for editing without tremendous CPU power. To edit this footage, even in Final Cut Pro, you must first convert the footage to an edit friendly codec such as Apple ProRes. The "un-compression" of H.264 files (the "unpacking of the video", so to speak) results in converted file sizes that normally run between 8 to 12 times the size of the compressed H.264 file.
So if you shoot a 1 gig H.264 file, you will need to convert it to a file that will occupy 8 gigs on you hard disk.
As to looking artificial, does Monday Night Football look artificial on an HD screen? If anything, the 24fps frame rate actually looks less accurate - less like real life - but it is what we all grew up with seeing movies projected in the theater, so that look is associated as "cinematic". It is interesting to note that while in the US, primetime shows are shot with HD equipment at 24fps to get that cinematic look, in Japan, they prefer their primetime dramas to be shot in HD 1080i60.
It's a matter of personal preference as to which one is best . . . and if your content is worth seeing, what does it matter what the delivery format is?
24fps also helps to sync the shutter speed for low light shooting where these cams handily beat the $1,000 digital videocams.
Yes the low light sensitivity, the larger image sensor allows for use of lenses that obtain the more cinematic limited depth of field. That is why many indy type productions are shot with the Canon 5D.
There is also an explosion in quality support equipment for these DSLRs to be used as video cameras.
So 24fps is emerging as a dominant standard for low light, consumer video, in multi-function cameras. These cameras outsell dedicated videocams by about 25:1.
Well . . . that is an interesting statistic. I would say, based on a stroll by the camera counter at Costco, that cameras like the Kodak Zi8 or Flip Mino are probably becoming the dominant camcorder sold, but that is just anecdotal on my part. The Kodak Zi8 does not shoot 24 fps, but does shoot a very good looking 720p60 while selling for way south of $200.
The Canon S95 also shoots 24 fps. Nikon D3100. Pentax K-r. Fuji 300EXR. The Canon is even in H.264!
And so on...
That is a pretty hefty chunk of new unit sales coming down the pipe from major manufacturers. There's not even an option for 30fps unless you go Sony, Panasonic, or Olympus. Four big names are 24fps dominant now.
So, how do we consumers edit our 24fps movies on our Macs?
As I said, Final Cut Pro supports 24 fps (23.98 fps). But once you edit it at 24fps what are you going to do with it? Other than showing it on your computer, or on the web where it will get compressed even further when uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo, and smoothness playback will be limited to the bandwidth your audience has, how will you watch it? If you burn a DVD, it will be converted to SD as DVDs are SD by definition.
Most HD sets now sold are 1080P60, and will likely support a native 24 fps rate, but you will need to go to Blu Ray for that. If you want to burn a blu-ray disc at a native frame rate of 24 fps, you will need to buy a Blu-Ray Burner and encoding software.
Your 24 fps Blu-Ray will play in a supporting set top player at 24 FPS, but be aware +that as of this point,+ not all set top Blu-Ray disc player support "home made" Blu - Ray discs.
There are other deliver options like the Western Digital Media Players -
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/index.asp?cat=30
but I do not know if they support 24 fps. or not.
The successful use of 24fps as a recording standard, at this point in time, requires a great deal of planning and an adherence to a very strict workflow- from capture to delivery.
MtD
First, having a $240 camera require editing with a $999 FFCP is just apologetic nonsense.
Second, most use H.264 MPEG-4 which is a far sight better than the AVCHD of Sony and Panasonic. These are the 2 emerging standards. There are no "easy" formats. What I am talking about is the fact that iMovie 9 is not keeping up with the standards.
The simple reason for a switch to 24fps is entirely due to the dramatic increase in DSLR's as video tools at he market expense of dedicated videocams.
Third, I've done video with the 5D. The issue for editing is that iMovie won't deal with it properly. The option to buy up to FCP is silly nonsense—we're talking about the most popular lines of cameras announced for Photokina 2010. iMovie needs to be able to handle 24fps and then do with it whatever. Many will gladly trade off the 24fps for low-light shutter speed compatibility. Low light HD video is far superior with a 24fps Nikon D5000 than it is with an HG10.
Fourth, Kodak and Flip sell in the millions. The 24fps cameras from Canon, Nikon, Fuji, and Pentax will sell in the tens of millions. So Apple needs to get iMovie into a 24fps to match their consumer software with what Joe Consumer is buying. What matters is that iMovie stubbornly does not do 24fps, but the cameras importing into it do.

What color value is skin tone?

If I want to push skin tone in the Colour Board (Apple's rectangular version of the "colour wheel") in a colour adjustment, should I be pushing at 30 degrees?
The FCPX user manual says in "Vectorscope display options",
"Show/Hide Skin Tone Indicator: Shows or hides the diagonal line that represents the human skin tone chroma phase, which is between the yellow and red color bar targets."
It doesn't say if the skin tone indicator is exactly between yellow and red, i.e. pure orange, which would be 30 degrees, or just somewhere between red and yellow.
I found this in a Larry Jordan article,
"Regardless which race or ethnic group our actors are a part of, all of us have the same red blood under our skins. This line (skin tone indicator) represents the color of red blood under skin. In general, when you want to make skin tones look normal and believable, you want them within a couple of degrees of this line. Above the line leans ruddy, below the line leans sallow."
So, is the red blood under our skin pure orange, i.e. 30 degrees in the Colour Board, i.e. exactly mid way between red (zero degrees) and yellow (60 degrees), or is it some other value?

Many thanks for all your help. I suppose I am trying to arrive at really nice cinematic looking skin tones, but with my Canon 550d and very limited knowledge of setting up shots and film making, pushing skin tone and playing with the colour board alone will not get me those appealing skin tones. Attached are some interesting ones, but how to achieve them? I need to keep learning, and perhaps have a good lot of cash for gear ..

Cinematic look

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