Logic Pro 9 Movie Start / SMPTE Offset Problem

Has anyone have had issues with the SMPTE Offset and Movie Start settings?

According to the manual, Movie Start in the Project Settings/Video lets you specify a different start time for the movie. This is supposed to be so that bar 1 1 1 1 can be set to whatever SMPTE offset is needed.

The problem I am running into is that this resets the movie start every time I load the project, or if I switch between screensets. At that point the movie in the Video track is repositioned to the beginning of the movie.

Anyone run into this problem? Is this a bug or has the functionality changed in LP 9?

Thanks,

JB
 
Don't confuse Movie Start with SMPTE Offset.
Movie start sets where the picture actually begins, while the offset allows you to change the SMPTE time which is displayed (eg if you need your SMPTE view to correspond with a burnt-in timecode).

Have you perhaps set your movie to start way before bar 1 so that your music cue lines up with bar 1? I find it's better to start the movie on or around bar 1 and start your music cue later, if that's what it demands.

I'm using a movie in Logic 9.0.2 at present and it behaves perfectly, without the problems you mention above.

Regards - Colin
 
Upvote 0
Thanks, Colin. All that was clear and makes sense, of course. The clarification definitely helped, as I thought I was going nuts.

Here is what (it seems) it turned out to be:

Logic is using a time base that starts at SMPTE 01:00:00:00.00
I just recently needed to sync a different workstation running Cubase and Digital Performer, which both were 'confused' at the 01:00:00:00.00 SMPTE start and I needed to reset it in Logic to start at 00:00:00:00.00

That then threw Logic into a mode whereby, let's say 00:00:03:42.00, would cause the movie to start at the beginning no matter what the SMPTE offset or Movie Start settings were.

Once I put the time base back to (in the above example) 01:00:03:42.00, everything is back to normal.

I thought I understood the SMPTE format, but apparently I am lacking the explanation of what the '01:' does at the beginning of Logic's time base.

Anyone care to provide an explanation?

Thanks,

JB
 
Upvote 0
The timecode 00:00:00:00.00 is well-known (or rather notorious) as the "dreaded midnight hour" to all who work with movies.

Think about it: if you had to slip back one second, what the numbers would look like......

It is common practice therefore to rather start at 01:00:00:00.00 as moving backwards wouldn't go into "the previous day", which is what causes the drama.
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top