Shooting for cinema

[Sebastian Cepeda]

Hi guys,

Im the DoP of the upcoming scifi Film Aurora, we got funded through Kickstarter (aurorafilm.org/kickstarter), we are going to start production around end of July till mid August.
The film will get distributed in USA (theaters) that's why I wanted to ask you guys if for the US theaters you still shoot in 23.98fps. Shall we shoot in that FPS? Cose here in Switzerland the theaters show in 25fps.

Dont want to start shooting and then realise we need to change the frame rate...

IF you guys could give me your opinion would be great.
Btw. we are shooting on EPIC.

Thanks
seb

 

[Mark Toia]

24fps is the standard for theatrical.
23.97 for TV
25fps for a lot of other countries...
You will find during mastering and deliveralbes, you will make many different version to suite the worlds markets.

it's ugly.

 

[Sebastian Cepeda]

Thats what I thought. So youll say to shoot on 24fps? I mean to change afterwards to 25fps it isnt a big of a deal...

thanks btw!

 

[Sam Goldwater]

Going up in frame rate after the fact is a bigger deal than going down, surely?

 

[Sebastian Cepeda]

sry, my mistake my head isnt on its place today... I meant preferable to shot in 25fps (europe) and go down to 24fps for US.

sry again ^^

 

[Mikael Lubtchansky]

Cinema (35mm film in movie theatre) is always shot at 24 fps, both in Europe and USA

Shooting 23.976 makes it easier to convert to US TV standard (NTSC 29.97 / 59.94).
Shooting 25 fps is mostly for PAL TV / Video projects in Europe and many other places (except Japan and USA mostly).

 

[Sebastian Cepeda]

I know the different frame rates, etc. but the thing is with the new projectors in the cinemas, many (in Switzerland) show it in 25fps instead of 24fps. Thats why I wanted to know if in the US is also 24 or not. but than its ok!

Thanks again!

 

[M Most]

23.98 is the shooting standard in the US because it's the post production standard in the US. DCP's are distributed as 24fps worldwide. Going from 23.98 to 24 is trivial, with the audio pull up usually done by the sound facility after the mix is complete. Since formats like Prores were designed for the video world, they are usually shot at 23.98. Raw formats are sometimes shot at 24.

 

[Eric M Hurt]

Is kick starter the distributor? That's amazing that you have theatrical distribution lined up for a kickstarter project before you even shoot.
Getting distribution is tough even for regular well funded films just for DVD or VOD, theatrical is another ball of wax all together.

 

[SUNILPREM]

Cinema (35mm film in movie theatre) is always shot at 24 fps, both in Europe and USA

Shooting 23.976 makes it easier to convert to US TV standard (NTSC 29.97 / 59.94).
Shooting 25 fps is mostly for PAL TV / Video projects in Europe and many other places (except Japan and USA mostly).

+1...........Yes 35mm film in movie theater is always 24 fps.in whole world.others all are tv based work flow.

Sunil Prem

 

[Marc Wielage]

I agree with Mr. Most above. Given that small indies are probably going to make the bulk of their money in home video, Pay TV, and syndication, I think it's best to go with an all-23.98 workflow, and then convert to whatever the distributor needs as part of the final delivery. Going from 23.98 to 25fps or 24fps is trivial. Just make sure everybody on the team (camera department, sound mixer, picture editor, sound editorial, VFX, etc.) knows that you're going with 23.98 all the way through.

I've only worked on one major studio film that was 24.00 digital, and that was Grownups ​-- which did extremely well. So it can be done, provided everybody has agreed this is the workflow. I think 23.98 is far less trouble, especially for a modest-budget indie.

 

[Sebastian Cepeda]

Kickstarter isnt the distributor, that was a crowdfunding plattform, we got different offers for distribution in the US and Japan as well...

 

[Kristin Stewart]

Go for 25 fps, even for a theater distribution in the USA. All recent cinema servers handle now SMPTE DCP's at 25 fps, it's just plain standard.

Kristin

 

[Sebastian Cepeda]

Thats what I did on my last feature, but it was only show in Switzerland so it worked out, I wasnt sure in the US is exactly the same thing...

 

[Kristin Stewart]

That's the interest of a norm ;-) SMPTE is a worldwide norm ;-)

25 fps will give you far more lattitude afterwards than 24 fps.

Kristin

 

[Sebastian Cepeda]

Good, than I stick to what Im used to! Thanks Kristin

 

[Kristin Stewart]

You're welcome ;-)

We're doing quite a bunch of DCP mastering, and most are done at 25 fps and are projected in worldwide film festivals without any troubles. Feel reassured, the world is now just a small place which can entirely fit in a nutshell if you get rid of all the space between the particles ;-)

Kristin

 

[Sebastian Cepeda]

I like that, keep everything as simple as possible! thx again!

 

[Kristin Stewart]

Yes, and the film music composer and the sound guys will love you for that too, if their work isn't converted in post. Expect some marriage proposals ;-)

Recent Blu-Ray players can play 25 fps Blu-Ray too in America, there were some troubles in the early days but that's over now. The only worries are for on-air broadcast in the NTSC world.

Kristin