Hi,
I don’t want any problems later on with have to convert my animations. Better to start with the best frame rate. I want the animations to play on youTube and in the future sell all animations on a DVD playable on a HDTV.
I’m going to use 1920x1080 but which is the best frame rate to start the animation? I understand that 24 is the standard but HD in PAL countries is 50 and in NTSC countries 60.
I’m new with Animate Pro and Final Cut Express 4 (so I don’t know all of there possibilities) but have both on my iMac.
Can someone please give me an advise?
I started out using 24 fps, but when collaborating with film makers compositing live action with animation, they used 25 fps. I now make all my animations in 25 fps.
I’ve read that DVD PAL uses 25 fps, though traditional film for broadcast (UK) is (was) 24 fps. Though as HD TV is 50i it would result in interlacing with 24 fps. I’m no expert so you might want to read this Wiki article
http://uk.ask.com/wiki/Frame_rate
from which I’ve copied the following (the last few sentences are most relevant):
"25p is a progressive format and runs 25 progressive frames per second. This frame rate derives from the PAL television standard of 50i (or 50 interlaced fields per second). Film and Television companies use this rate in 50 Hz regions for direct compatibility with television field and frame rates. Conversion for 60 Hz countries is enabled by slowing down the media to 24p then converted to 60 Hz systems using pulldown. While 25p captures half the temporal resolution or motion that normal 50i PAL registers, it yields a higher vertical spacial resolution per frame. Like 24p, 25p is often used to achieve “cine”-look, albeit with virtually the same motion artifacts. It is also better suited to progressive-scan output (e.g., on LCD displays, computer monitors and projectors) because the interlacing is absent."
Hopefully other Animate users will add comments that will help you decide
Thank you for your reaction Grenspleen. I have read the article and if I understood everything well, it’s wise to animate at 24fps because this is ‘easier’ to convert and people are used to see it like that.
I don’t know if there are any more professionals who can share some knowledge?
I use 24 fps since that’s what all the animation books I’ve studied recommend. Funny, I was just viewing Pixar’s website in the How We Do It and they said they render their work at 24 fps. It’s step 13 - http://www.pixar.com/howwedoit/index.html#
At our studio we use Opus from Toonboom and we render HD footage at 24.
Thank you all. It is obvious I should use 24 fps. Good to know.
I can only speak from what I’ve seen in most studios - and they tend to animate in 24 fps in North American studios. I can’t speak for everyone, however.
~Lilly