Output 23.98fps sequence to 1080i (using upconverter hardware)

Question

Here's a puzzler that reaches a bit outside of FCP...
I've edited a feature film that was shot and edited at 23.98fps DV resolution (from the Panasonic 24p cameras.)
My final master will be HD, 1080i/59.94. I'm accomplishing the upconvert by outputting my DV sequence out to DV tape, then running the tape through an Terranix (not sure spelling) upconverter box that's doing a nice job of squeezing every last drop of image quality.
This is important: for upconversion, I have two kinds of footage. 4x3 aspect scenes shot with a Panasonic DVX-100A. And anamorphic squeezed footage shot by the HVX-200. To attain maximum quality, I have divided them into two submasters. This way, the anamorphic footage can be blown up less than the 4x3 footage and prosper as a result.
My plan is to cut back together the master from the scenes on the two submasters - kind of like A & B rolls, if you want to wax nostalgic.
The problem is that when I start editing the material, I get ghost frames - most noticeable when one field is black. So some scenes run a frame short when I must excise the ghost frames.
This reminds me of cutting 24fps film transferred to 29.97fps videotape - so I'm convinced it's a 24/30 frame issue. I'm not sure what the best solution is - whether to put handles on my scenes and spend a lot of labor re-combining them, or output to 1080p/23.98 or some other solution.

Answer 1

If I were you I'd try to make this simpler. I'd upconvert the 4:3 stuff to anamorphic DV in FCP. Then use the Terranex to blow up the anamorphic sequence as one long sequence. Or if you output your sections to 1080p/23.98 then you can have an HD 24p master. Just add the pulldown during final output to your 1080i/59.94 tape.
You're adding 2:3 pulldown to the 23.98 footage, so at the end of some sequences you'll get a frame that's one field black and one field picture if they fall at that point in the pulldown cadence. This has nothing to do with shooting 24pa. Assuming you removed the advanced pulldown correctly, there's no difference between footage shot with regular pulldown vs. advanced pulldown.