How to get proper 23.976 footage from PF24

Question

Hello,
I have a Canon HF M300 which uses AVCHD. In the preferences of Log and Transfer there is a box checked off that says "remove advanced pulldown and duplicate frames". Do I need to do anything else to this PF24 footage if that is checked? Do I need to uncheck this with my 60i footage?
I read about pulldown removal everywhere and I used Cinetools to do it and then put that on a 23.976 timeline, I also put the same clip in the timeline without doing anything after log and transfer and I cannot see a difference. The only difference I see is that the new clip actually says 23.98 in the clip info while the other still says 29.97.
Also, when I change my sequence settings to what I think matches the clip, it always says sequence settings don't match clip settings when I import the clip. I cannot see any difference in the sequence settings and clip settings though. When I say yes and change it, I see weird artifacts once in a while, and when I don't change it, it seems fine. Does this mean anything is wrong?
Thanks,
D

Answer 1

Okay, so strike my wondering about having 24 fps footage on the memory card.
Looking back at your original post, it sounds like you're seeing exactly what you should be seeing.
In PF24 mode, your camera is seeing 24 frames per second, but doing an internal 3:2 pulldown conversion from 24 to 60i (a.k.a. 29.97) as it writes the video file to the memory card. As such, all files recorded in this mode would show a frame rate of 29.97 (however, it could be noted as 29.97, 59.94, 30i, or 60i depending on which application you're in). Since your footage that's running at 29.97 has been pulled down from 24 fps, you can remove the 3:2 pulldown (however, this can be referred to as "pull it back up" or "inverse telecine"). Think of "pulldown" as pulling progressive frames down to interlaced fields. And, if your interlaced fields contain pulldown, you can think of "pull up" as pulling interlaced fields with 3:2 pulldown up to progressive frames. While this might sound like the craziest thing on earth, it's served the film industry well for decades ever since the introduction of video.
Simply put, your camera original clips should show a frame rate of 29.97.
If you remove the 3:2 pulldown, your converted files should show 23.98 (23.976 rounded up).
As far as the message from Final Cut Pro about the source clip not matching the Sequence settings, the easiest way to modify your Sequence settings is to click "Yes" when this dialog box appears. Most likely, you're just dealing with a frame rate difference in this case (i.e. your footage is running at 23.98 while your Sequence is running at 29.97).
If you're going to remove the 3:2 pulldown, you need to do it before you start editing. An edited 60i master based on 60i 3:2 pulldown source will not pull up cleanly due to the the mixed cadence that's inherently a result of having been editing this type of video (phew, say that five times fast). Cadence refers to the 3:2 pulldown pattern that was used. It's consistent from the head to tail of any clip that was recorded continuously. If you create an edit, then you shift that cadence pattern temporally.
-Warren