I thought I would continue my food for thought series and this time its not even something that costs money. In case you missed it, I posted why I never use CPL filters and why I never use ND filters with drone cameras. There are so many things that YouTubers and social media content producers do to try to mimic Hollywood without understanding why and simply doing it because they were told to do so in someone else's YouTube video. Framerates are a hotly discussed topic in cinema camera forums and I have seen a few posts here where people have stated they only shoot at 24FPS.
BACKGROUND
Way back in the day, when Hollywood still used film stock they did a lot of testing to see what was the slowest framerate they could use while still making the motion believable. At the time, filmstock was expensive and the higher the framerate the more filmstock it took to create the movie which translated into higher production costs. Somewhere along the way they settled on 24FPS as the perfect balance between smooth motion and film stock costs. Fast forward to 2021 and most people still film at 24FPS because they think it will make their video more "cinematic" since that's the framerate that Hollywood uses.
29.97 / 30 FPS
At 30FPS motion becomes smooth enough that it looks more like what you would see if you were there in person. Soap operas, live action sports, and most cell phone video apps record in 29.97FPS. Video games tend to go even higher to 60FPS or 120FPS to add hyperrealism to the game play.
MY TEST RESULTS
Years ago I did a lot of testing with 24FPS and 29.97FPS and decided I would never use 24FPS unless a client specified it. I typically shoot events, music videos, corporate promo videos, etc; not exactly the next Hollywood blockbuster. What my own personal testing revealed was that 24FPS is just a pain to work with so it adds to the setup and editing time, and to my particular client; they can't tell the difference. For everything I do, I always consider if the client is willing to pay extra for the amount of extra time it would take to complete their project and if the answer is no, then I don't do it.
24FPS PROBLEMS
As I alluded to, 24FPS can introduce a lot of problems into your footage if you are not careful or do not take the extra time necessary to properly process the footage or shoot it properly. The biggest problem with 24FPS is noticeable when you pan too fast; the motion looks very jittery if you are not careful. Hollywood of course knows this and accounts for it, but many people don't. The other problem with 24FPS is that it needs to be conformed properly within the NLE when editing a project with mixed framerates. Most cameras can shoot at 24FPS, 29.97FPS, and 59.94FPS. The problems arise when you shoot 59.94FPS then try to slow down the footage in post to match the 24FPS footage. Or you shot parts of the video at 29.97FPS and then try to get it to match up with 24FPS. This is more common when you purchase stock footage for a project or someone else shot some of the footage in the project with different framerate settings.
Most of the jittery/stuttering footage that you see on YouTube and even in some Hollywood movies is due to mixed framerate conformance issues. I've seen many great videos completely ruined by jitter. It always surprises me though when I see it even in a Hollywood movie. I still remember a helicopter scene where the buildings were stuttering so bad that it was hard to watch.
29.97FPS BENEFITS
So with all of that being said, shooting at 29.97FPS eliminates all of these problems. You can pan so fast your head spins and it will still look perfectly smooth to the human eyes. You can also shoot at 59.94FPS and drop it onto a 29.97FPS timeline and since 29.97FPS is exactly 1/2 the framerate of 59.94FPS there are no framerate conformance issues.
Of course 29.97FPS isn't perfect; if you really are shooting the most cinematic video ever, and you really want to mimic the "look" that people say they see when shooting at 24FPS, then the only way you will achieve that look is with 24FPS.
WHAT I DO
Personally I simply always shoot at 29.97FPS and I've never had a single customer complain. The exception is when I am shooting for International clients who need 25FPS (PAL) but I've never had a US client mandate 24FPS. I do always ask at the start of the project especially if I am just shooting B roll for a larger project and so far every one of them has been fine with 29.97FPS.
What I have found over the years is that as long as you have interesting subject matter, good camera movement, good audio, and good lighting the client really won't care what framerate you use. For me, when I want the "cinematic" look and feel, I plan my shoot with lenses, lighting, and camera angles that will support the look and feel I am going for; in post I apply a color grade that also matches the look I want. Frame rate isn't a part of the consideration except when I need slow motion.
THE EVO II 6K PRO
The EVO II 6K PRO is the first camera I've ever owned that shoots 30FPS vs every other camera that I own that shoots 29.97FPS. I still find it pretty odd and have been closely monitoring the footage for conformance issues on a 29.97FPS timeline; so far it doesn't seem visible. I do still conform it in my NLE to 29.97FPS but I need to do more testing to see if it matters.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Why I Never Use CPL Filters With Drone Cameras
Autel EVO II Pro - User Experience from a DJI User
EXPLORE YOUR WORLD: An Autel EVO II Pro 6K Cinematic Story
Why I ALWAYS use Daylight WB with Drone Cameras
Why I Never Use LUTS When Primaries Grading EVO II 6K Footage
BACKGROUND
Way back in the day, when Hollywood still used film stock they did a lot of testing to see what was the slowest framerate they could use while still making the motion believable. At the time, filmstock was expensive and the higher the framerate the more filmstock it took to create the movie which translated into higher production costs. Somewhere along the way they settled on 24FPS as the perfect balance between smooth motion and film stock costs. Fast forward to 2021 and most people still film at 24FPS because they think it will make their video more "cinematic" since that's the framerate that Hollywood uses.
29.97 / 30 FPS
At 30FPS motion becomes smooth enough that it looks more like what you would see if you were there in person. Soap operas, live action sports, and most cell phone video apps record in 29.97FPS. Video games tend to go even higher to 60FPS or 120FPS to add hyperrealism to the game play.
MY TEST RESULTS
Years ago I did a lot of testing with 24FPS and 29.97FPS and decided I would never use 24FPS unless a client specified it. I typically shoot events, music videos, corporate promo videos, etc; not exactly the next Hollywood blockbuster. What my own personal testing revealed was that 24FPS is just a pain to work with so it adds to the setup and editing time, and to my particular client; they can't tell the difference. For everything I do, I always consider if the client is willing to pay extra for the amount of extra time it would take to complete their project and if the answer is no, then I don't do it.
24FPS PROBLEMS
As I alluded to, 24FPS can introduce a lot of problems into your footage if you are not careful or do not take the extra time necessary to properly process the footage or shoot it properly. The biggest problem with 24FPS is noticeable when you pan too fast; the motion looks very jittery if you are not careful. Hollywood of course knows this and accounts for it, but many people don't. The other problem with 24FPS is that it needs to be conformed properly within the NLE when editing a project with mixed framerates. Most cameras can shoot at 24FPS, 29.97FPS, and 59.94FPS. The problems arise when you shoot 59.94FPS then try to slow down the footage in post to match the 24FPS footage. Or you shot parts of the video at 29.97FPS and then try to get it to match up with 24FPS. This is more common when you purchase stock footage for a project or someone else shot some of the footage in the project with different framerate settings.
Most of the jittery/stuttering footage that you see on YouTube and even in some Hollywood movies is due to mixed framerate conformance issues. I've seen many great videos completely ruined by jitter. It always surprises me though when I see it even in a Hollywood movie. I still remember a helicopter scene where the buildings were stuttering so bad that it was hard to watch.
29.97FPS BENEFITS
So with all of that being said, shooting at 29.97FPS eliminates all of these problems. You can pan so fast your head spins and it will still look perfectly smooth to the human eyes. You can also shoot at 59.94FPS and drop it onto a 29.97FPS timeline and since 29.97FPS is exactly 1/2 the framerate of 59.94FPS there are no framerate conformance issues.
Of course 29.97FPS isn't perfect; if you really are shooting the most cinematic video ever, and you really want to mimic the "look" that people say they see when shooting at 24FPS, then the only way you will achieve that look is with 24FPS.
WHAT I DO
Personally I simply always shoot at 29.97FPS and I've never had a single customer complain. The exception is when I am shooting for International clients who need 25FPS (PAL) but I've never had a US client mandate 24FPS. I do always ask at the start of the project especially if I am just shooting B roll for a larger project and so far every one of them has been fine with 29.97FPS.
What I have found over the years is that as long as you have interesting subject matter, good camera movement, good audio, and good lighting the client really won't care what framerate you use. For me, when I want the "cinematic" look and feel, I plan my shoot with lenses, lighting, and camera angles that will support the look and feel I am going for; in post I apply a color grade that also matches the look I want. Frame rate isn't a part of the consideration except when I need slow motion.
THE EVO II 6K PRO
The EVO II 6K PRO is the first camera I've ever owned that shoots 30FPS vs every other camera that I own that shoots 29.97FPS. I still find it pretty odd and have been closely monitoring the footage for conformance issues on a 29.97FPS timeline; so far it doesn't seem visible. I do still conform it in my NLE to 29.97FPS but I need to do more testing to see if it matters.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Why I Never Use CPL Filters With Drone Cameras
Autel EVO II Pro - User Experience from a DJI User
EXPLORE YOUR WORLD: An Autel EVO II Pro 6K Cinematic Story
Why I ALWAYS use Daylight WB with Drone Cameras
Why I Never Use LUTS When Primaries Grading EVO II 6K Footage
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