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Filmmaking
Frame rates, finally explained
Most people shoot on whatever the camera defaults to. Here is how to pick a frame rate for the feeling you want, and the one rule that keeps your footage clean.
Pick the feeling first
Frame rate is not a technical box to tick. It decides how your video feels. 24fps is the cinematic look, it has that slight motion blur we associate with film. 30fps feels like the internet: talking heads, YouTube, anything that should feel live and direct. 50 or 60fps gives you smooth slow motion for B-roll, and 120 or 240fps is for the hero moments, the hair flick, the pour, the slam dunk.
The Australian rule nobody tells you
We run on 50Hz power here, same as the UK and Europe. Shoot at 24 or 30fps under indoor lights and you will often get a flicker you can't fix in the edit. Shoot at 25 or 50fps indoors and it disappears. It is the single most common mistake I see from people filming in offices, gyms and open homes.
Shutter at double your frame rate
This is the rule that ties everything together. Shooting 25fps, set your shutter to 1/50. Shooting 50fps, 1/100. It gives you natural motion blur. Too bright outside? Don't crank the shutter, that makes footage look jittery and cheap. Add an ND filter instead. It is sunglasses for your lens, and it is the difference between video that looks expensive and video that looks like a phone on autopilot.
