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Best aspect ratio /frame rate for stock footage?

Ed Watkins

Ed Watkins

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Hi all,

Here's a quick one for all you stock shooters out there:

What is the best aspect ratio and frame rate to shoot RED stock footage at for the best flexibility of conversions, and the widest appeal?

Any thoughts appreciated.
 
Since HD is 16:9 by definition, I don't see a reason to shoot stock footage in any other ratio. If a client needs something "wider," they can always crop to taste.

Also, since the sensor is natively 16:9, shooting that way will give you the most resolution possible for your clips.
 
Future Proofing in 4K? Isn't that potentially the most attractive issue for stock shooters and RED? Frame rate to make it more internationally friendly would be the main issue IMHO.

Thoughts?

Cheers,
Mark.
 
Phil Bates said:
We prefer 1080 at 29.97 progressive.
Click to expand...

Hey Phil:

Should they not be shooting at 1080 23.98 or 24p? This allows for a universal aquisition format......which allows you to add a 3/2 pull down for an NTSC master, and a speed change to 1080 25p for a native Pal master.

Unless you are shooting music, no one will notice the pitch change with the sped up 24 p footage.

You can still submit a 1080 29.97p deliverable, but just shoot in 23.98.
 
30p is a pain to convert well to PAL or film speed. Either 23.98fps, or 24.00fps or 25fps are either directly playable or easily and cheaply convertable to whatever end format is needed.

Graeme
 
Thanks for the feedback guys!

I think I'll acquire on 4K 16:9 24.00fps for most everything.

And 2K 16:9 24.00 fps for Telephoto stuff (stretch those lenses out a bit!) and variable frame rates.
 
We see that shooting 4K/16x9 at either 23.98 or 29.97 covers most client needs/requirements - this allows scaling to HD and handle film's aspect ratios with cropping. It also allows for cropping and pan/scan within the frame (see http://www.mammothhd.com/MHD_compformat2.html - for format size comparison). The speed issues can for the most part be handled in post quite well now. Since the majority of stock will be going to broadcast and/or electronic delivery projects the 23.98/29.97 is the better delivery.

For the over cranked - then again the large frame is better.. so 3K would be better but slower, so if you need the 75fp of 2K then that would be best. But all should be shot in 16x9 for the widest of delivery options for broadcast and film.
 
Frame rate conversions

Frame rate conversions

At America by Air Stock Library we are faced with frame size and frame rate issues daily. Not to mention tape formats.

Shooting 29.97 and going to 23.98 is really problematic. Yes you can do it but it's not really the best option and when the footage has originated on tape its a nightmare. At least the digital files can run through some software to make that happen but at best its not the way to go. I agree that a 24 frame world makes Pal more accessible. However in overcrank at 60p the conversion to 24 fps is very easily accomplished in software and in hardware and has the benefit of also converting to 30fps easily as well. So in my opinion shooting 60 p gives the most and best options with the least pain except for the extra data that has to be stored.

Douglas Kahan
www.hdfootage.com
America By Air Stock Footage Library
 
DouglasKahan said:
So in my opinion shooting 60 p gives the most and best options with the least pain except for the extra data that has to be stored.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I was under the impression that 24P offered minor conversion and playback for any TV system (PAL or NTSC) and no conversion required for film. Am I way off base here?
 
Would people really recommend shooting 24.0 as opposed to 23.98? Doesn't that create monitoring issues? NTSC pulldown, yadda yadda...I've only ever shot film or 23.98 HD, so I don't know. It's just superstition to me to avoid true 24 on digital acquisition.
 
But if you convert 60p to 30p, it will look like you've altered your shutter speed (if you drop frames) and if you convert to 25p or 24p which frames do you drop, or do you blend them or....?

On the other hand, 24p or 25p go between film, NTSC and PAL with quick, simple, good looking, minor adjustments involving either altering the fps up or down by 4%, or adding a pulldown pattern. None of these substantially alter the feel of the footage in terms of it's shutter speed, and are a very quick render, if that!

Graeme
 
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