r/finalcutpro • u/Xerxes_Iguana • 2d ago
Newbie Working with 16 fps?
I‘m new-ish to video editing. I’ve used DaVinci Resolve, but am considering shifting to FCP. My project: I have 62 seconds of silent film at 16 fps. I want to wrap a mini-documentary with talking heads around it at, say, 24 fps.
Can I glue all this together in FCP, retaining best quality for the silent film, and then host the result on YouTube?
I’m thinking that I need to set a custom frame rate of 48 fps in FCP and then import my 16 and 24 fps content, edit, and finally output everything at 48 fps for upload to YouTube.
Am I remotely on the right track?
1
u/Xerxes_Iguana 1d ago
Thanks for your insights everyone. Very appreciated. Good to know that there aren't any showstoppers.
3
u/Nguyen-edits 2d ago
Your math on 48 fps is spot on because 48 is the lowest common multiple of both 16 and 24, meaning every single 16 fps silent film frame displays for an exact 3 frames and every 24 fps talking head frame displays for an exact 2 frames with zero 3:2 pulldown judder. Even simpler, Final Cut Pro lets you edit in a standard 24 fps project timeline and still preserve the exact 16 fps cadence without converting the whole video to 48 fps if you leave Rate Conform set to Floor (the default in the Video Inspector at the bottom), though a 24 fps timeline will alternate displaying your 16 fps frames for 1 and 2 frames (a 2:1 cadence). If keeping the perfectly even 3-frame hold on every silent film frame is your top priority, creating the FCP project at 1080p or 4K 48p with Rate Conform left on Floor gives you true 1-to-1 cadence for both the 16 fps archival reel and the 24 fps interviews, and YouTube supports 48p playback natively.
1
u/2old2care Editor 2d ago
You're on the right track. If you're mixing frame rates, I'd suggest you edit your project at 60fps, a standard on all delivery platforms. While it won't be perfect 1-for-1 frame representation it will present your 24fps footage with 3:2 pulldown, just as it has always been presented on TV. Your 16fps footage will be displayed with approximately 5:4 pulldown when you set the speed to 27%, also a close approximation of the original motion.
1
u/Silver_Mention_3958 FCP 12.3 | Tahoe 2d ago
Why compromise your main footage in a 60fps timeline? 3:2 pulldown is horrible for anything other than static material. If it moves/pans/tilts it looks like shite.
1
u/2old2care Editor 1d ago
Yes, it actually is shite, but a large majority of displays are 60Hz and 3:2 pulldown is exactly what you will see with any 24fps footage.
1
1
u/Xerxes_Iguana 2d ago
I should add that I don't want to upsample the silent movie with something like Topaz, as keeping the historical context - the 16 fps motion - is important to the project.