Help? Explain Sync Beeps to me in detail?

[magicm]

Hi there.
I am a protools LE user, but I figured this would be the proper forum for expert advise on this issue.
I am so confused! I just was hired to put some music to picture. They send me a Quicktime file. (29.97 fps)
Now, I understand that I am supposed to drag this QT file and the naration audio file to start at 1:00:00
I was emailed some sync beeps (a file w/two beeps) And I am to insert that at 0:58:00.
Did I understand all of this correctly?
Thanks for the help.
Peace,
M.

[tomcat]

Do you have DV Toolkit? I assume you at least have a window burn of TC, since you are talking about it, so that is your numeric reference. If so, and you are working in Time Code, put a beep at 00:59:58:00, 2 seconds before the beginning of the show. That is why it is called a 2-beep or a "2 pop". I don't know why they sent you a file with 2 beeps on it. You only need one. It should correspond to the number 2 on the screen, or some type of visual marker that is 1 frame long. If there is no visual marker, chalk it up to the modern world and don't sweat it. In the olden days, before the digital revolution, when films were made only by people who knew what they were doing, the picture editor would put a count-off leader before the show. The last number visible was the 2, and that is where the 2 pop goes. It is always exactly 2 seconds before the "first frame of action" the FFOA. There is often a tail pop as well, and that goes exactly 2 seconds after the "last frame of action" the LFOA. Having beeps at the head and the tail help determine drift between picture and sound.

These days, it seems all bets are off and people often ignore the tried and true 2 pop, or they ignore time code altogether. When in doubt, whatever the nature of the chaos, it is industry standard, studio to studio worldwide, to have a beep (1k sine wave usually), 1 frame long exactly, that is two seconds before the start of the show.

and for some anecdotal stuff regarding old-school film:
In 35mm film, there is a 12 foot long piece of leader in the beginning of a roll. This is called the Academy leader. It starts at what is called "picture start", or 0 feet, 0 frames. In Time Code land, that is put at 01:00:00:00. 12 feet of film at 24 fps takes 8 seconds to pass, so the beep goes at 01:00:06:00, that is still 2 seconds before the FFOA. Six seconds corresponds to 9 feet, where the number "2" is on the leader. The FFOA arrives at 01:00:08:00, which corresponds to 12 feet.

good luck

[dr sound]

Tom,
Very well done!

[tomcat]

thanks doc.

[Frank Kruse]

Tom,
let me add that here in europe it is common practise to have the full hour TC at FFOA. So the 2-pop is at 0X:59:58:00 (x is the reel number).
Advantage is that you don´t have to keep those 8 seconds in mind that your TC differs from the actual position in the film. We do use the academy leader on prints where the 2-pop is on the 3 feet mark.

Is there any advantage to have FFOA at 0X:00:08:00 in the US?

thanks,

frank.

[magicm]

Hi Tom.
Thanks so much! That was excactly the detail I was looking for!
Peace.
M.

[Charles D. Ballard]

In the olden days, before the digital revolution, when films were made only by people who knew what they were doing,

LOL

A question about the tail pop. Tom mentions it at being 2 seconds after the LFOA. I don’t have my handy chart around me but I remember it being more...something like 3sec/20frames followed by a second at 4sec/20frames? I guess I could pull up my “tail pop” file and count. (I made a file that puts them in the “right” place if you put the start of the region at the end of the LFOA.). I could have been doing it wrong all these years... I’ve always used tail pops for the very reason mentioned but I’ve been annoyed that people just don’t seem to care anymore. They just complain 5 steps down the line if something is out of sync.

[magicm]

I have on more question. Where can I find a good sync beep.
If you have one could you email it to me?
[email protected]
Thanks again.
M.
PS I don't have a dv toolkit.

[Noiz2]

just highlight a frame and use "signal generator" in Audiosuite to make a 1,000 Hz tone.

[bad jitter]

And more often the 2-pop is actually at 0X:59:58:02, when 24fps projects are transferred to PAL video at 25fps for editing.

here in europe it is common practise to have the full hour TC at FFOA. So the 2-pop is at 0X:59:58:00 (x is the reel number).