Final Frame of VFX clips is a black frame

Report · Feb 06, 2023

Hey Folks,

We have a feature film that we are trying ot deliver to the distributor.

It keeps getting bounced back by the QC department because of single black frames through the film.

When I go back into the project I can see that the final frame on a bunch of the VFX shots is gone. It's black.

I fixed it the first go round, but then sent the next export thorugh and we were flagged again for more black frames in diferent places. Again on VFX shots.

What is happening and why is this happened? It seems to me that the VFX shots are the exact length as their space in the timeline. I'm not sure how to fix this.

Any help would be apreciated.

Currently I am working on a MacPro - Late 2013

64 GB 1866 MHz DDR3

AMD FirePro D700 6 GB

Monterey 12.6.2

Running Premier: 23.1.0 Build 86

Report · Feb 06, 2023

The CTI or playhead is actually "attached" to the frame just past it on the sequence. Not in-between frames as we all tend to think about it.

If you say use the go to the end shortcut, it puts the CTI after the last frame. If you then set that as an Out point, you include that frame ... which is black.

So there's a couple ways around this ... go to the end, tap the arrow key to move back one frame, set Out.

Or ... there's an available but not set keyboard short to go to the last frame of a clip.

I think these might help.

Neil

Report · Feb 06, 2023

Hey Neil,

You are absolutely correct.

If you don't back the playhead off one frame you will get a single black frame at the end of your export.

This is not what is happening here.

I am opening the project and finding this:

I am finding this black frame peppered through the project. It never used to be there. These are new.

BUT only and specifically on VFX shots.

Why is this important? Because the VFX shots are, for example 26 frames long and inside the project they are on the timeline for 26 frames - we did not create handles for the VFX shots.

I think the issue may have to do with the 23.976 frame rate and how premier is interpreting the VFX shots, but I was hoping for more clarity and if there is a way to fix it without re-editing.

Thanks

Report · Feb 06, 2023

Interesting ... a potential frame-rate issue, that could be ...

Neil

Report · Feb 06, 2023

Yes.

The strange thing is that at one time this was not an issue.

The VFX shots are all 23.976 exports and the fit into the sequence without any black frames.

Tis is an issue that has cropped up later in the post production processs.