Basic frame mixing questions

[media kat]

Using a 24fps Sequence:

1. If I place a 30fps clip into the timeline does it automatically drop frames to make it into a 24fps clip? Is there ever a reason to simply put the 30fps clip into a 24fps sequence without doing anything to it?

2. Is the correct way of putting the 30fps clip into the timeline to interpolate the 30fps clip to 24fps?

3. Does the same also apply to placing 60fps and 120fps clips into the sequence?

Thanks

[RobShultz]

In my opinion I'd just base the sequence on the video type which is most common in your edit. Premiere does a stellar job of compensating for different frame rates in your sequence.

[media kat]

Are you saying that if I have a 24p sequence and just place 60fps or 30fps clips into without the intention of slowing them down, premiere will do it for me and do a good job at it?

Thanks

[Steve Griffiths]

As Rob says - it can be a good idea to base you project frame rate on the frame rate of 'most of your footage'.

Except of course if you have to use a particular frame rate due to delivery specifications (TV for example).

If you drop a 30fps clip directly into your sequence Premiere Pro will drop 6 frames every second so that it displays 24 frames per second. This can look fine for footage with little motion. But can be obvious, particularly with panning footage (it will look 'stuttery').

There are a couple of options to smooth footage.

The best is - drop your footage into your 24fps sequence. right click it, select Speed/Duration from the drop down menu and then in the Time Interpolation menu - choose 'optical flow'. This will (usually) give very, very good results. In some instances you may see some artifacting under specific circumstances. If that is the case instead choose 'frame blending' instead of 'optical flow'. Frame blending will blend the 30 frames together to give you 24.

Note you will need to 'render' the shot in your sequence to see exactly how it will look. 

Another option is to change the frame rate of the clip in your bin to a different frame rate. In your case change it to 24fps. 

Now when you drop it into your sequence it will play smoothly without having to do anything else to it.

Of course if you do this the clip will run slightly in slow motion ... but for some shots (without sound) this can be practical. It's what I do with any '30fps stock footage' I've purchase that needs to go into (in my case) a 25fps sequence.