Time code slate and frame rate questions. . .

[Stephen Pruitt]

Hi all. . .

We just got our second RED for our shoot (hooray!), but this brings new complications.

Here's what we'll be using: Two RED cameras and one Sound Devices 788T.

What would you folks use to set the time codes for the various devices? Jam off the 788T? Or jam off of a Demecke time code slate or something else?

A related question, equally important, is what frame rate to shoot at. We anticipate a film-out, but that, of course, might not happen. It seems from reading all the posts here on REDUser that 23.976 is the way to go for an easy post experience, but I really want to be sure. We will be editing using FCP with a Mac Pro using the AJA Kona 3 card and Black Magic.

We have never done a two camera shoot and therefore have really not done much time code work at all in the past. This will be a first.

Any thoughts?

Thanks very, very much.

Stephen

[Kenn Michael]

Definitely shoot at 23.976.

I use the 722T and the small Denecke slate. You can either run the slate and the recorder at 29.97 non-drop (which is standard even for shooting 23.976) or 23.976 (as long as your audio post facility is cool with running at 23.976).

Personally, I run the recorder and the slate at 23.976. I'll jam the slate to the recorder and then jam the cameras to the slate. Works well. I usually handle all my own audio post so 23.976 is better for me than 29.97 - I like one to one frame relationships from picture to sound.

The great thing about having the cameras jammed to the slate/recorder is that you can dump all the sound files and picture files into FCP, then tell FCP to make a 'Multi-Clip Sequence' based on Timecode. One click later, you'll have a timeline with all your dailies synced together.