Get a second opinion?

Lets not exaggerate the difference between 30p and 24p from the start here. Many people I guarantee, even professionals wouldn't be able to tell the difference. When most people are upset about videos frame rates they really mean 60p not 30p. I'll try to upload some examples that prove my point.

So which one is a more pleasing 'Cinematic image' try to keep an open mind, the test is not in anyway scientific as its someone else footage, it is however the same sensor in the EM5 OMD, bitrates and a million other factors vary of course but this is trying to illustrate why I'm finding 30p to look more pleasing as an image than 24p. I put the footage through the same Filmconvert process.

@caveport Some debates need to you take a certain amount of assumptions, I can't have that debate right now. Plus its not an honest question cause I'm sure you are itching to share your view on it.

@caveport. I did too but there is almost no debate about 24p being the framerate of choice. And I am doing exactly what you said focusing on what image looks best, which to my eye in this particular case is 30p.

And the actual original question is will this cause any problems if say I wanted to have a theatrical release?

pretty sure you can go to theatrical release with 30p (please someone correct me if I am wrong here) - after all many documentaries have been filmed in 60i or 30p and even went to film for theatrical release. If you want to print to film, you will need to apply some sort of reverse telecine, though if staying digital, just pick your frame rate and be done.

@suresure123 There are a ton of other variables involved in the example clips you showed, but the first clip looked far more "filmic" to me than the second one. Make of that what you will.

@nomad I agree, the right frame rate is the one that syncs properly with the display. For 48fps film projectors, that was 24fps. For 60hz LCD monitors, it's 30fps. Shutter duration is what determines motion blur, not frame rate. The electronic shutters used by DSLR's cannot properly reproduce the effect of the 180-degree rotating shutters in classic film cameras. Rotating shutters produced smooth exposure ramps at the start and end of each frame. Electronic shutters produce temporal aliasing effects at the start and end of each frame, which exaggerates the inherent judder of low-frame-rate video. When the frame rate does not evenly divide into the display rate, it produces periodic beat frequencies that can be noticeable while panning across brightly-lit scenes. The effect is usually subliminal, but you can see it quite clearly in viewfinders that interleave RGB planes at non-standard frame rates.

So, the obvious solution is for a manufacturer to make a camera with a relatively large sensor and rotating shutter.

@ 4CardsMan: It already exists from Arri.

@suresure123: Yes. Or if you burn it to a Blu-Ray and play it on a projector or screen which can handle it without adding pulldown.

@suresure123 If you have distribution lined up, speak with your technical point of contact re what they want from you. If you're producing film with hopes to secure distribution, that's another story, in which case you should get advice from someone who's familiar with technical requirements for distribution.

Perhaps someone here at personal-view has experience with theatrical distribution and can chime in with advice here.

@caveport Archived discussion of 48fps two-bladed Simplex 35 cinema projectors:

http://www.film-tech.com/ubb/f1/t001577.html

Film projectors with triple-blade shutters aren't so common. The majority have two blades. Three blades reduce the flicker, but also the light output.

Digital cinema projectors don't have any shutter. Are they not cinematic?

60 Hz computer monitors display 24p just fine. They display one frame of the video twice, and the next frame three times, repeating. It's the same way TV and DVD and Blu-ray have been doing 24 fps material in NTSC countries since the earliest days of movies on TV.

What you're finding is that 30p just looks better than 24p, not more "filmic". There's not a huge difference anyway. Use 30p unless you have some particular need to shoot 24p.

60p is even better. If for some reason you prefer the look of 30p, you can always shoot 60p and throw out every other frame to get 30p. But I promise you, tastes are changing, and the association between 24p (or 30p) and something being "cinematic" will disappear over time.

Damn I never thought those old projectors were such a technical feat.