TIMECODES IN MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION… (In the Entertainment industry. Timecoding in Motion Picture Production)

Timecodes LTC Reader / Photo Credit: YouTube - Apple - IPod

TIMECODES IN MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION… (In the Entertainment industry. Timecoding in Motion Picture Production)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.

Timecodes in Motion Picture Production

Is Timecode still important?

The answer is yes. Timecode is still important. It’s a vital and fundamental skill that still has impact when shooting or editing in virtually every kind of video.

What Is Timecode?

A timecode (alternatively, time code) is a sequence of numeric codes generated at regular intervals by a timing synchronization system. Timecode is used in video production, show control and other application which require temporal coordination or logging of recording or actions. Timecode is a signal recorded with your video that uniquely identifies every frame of your tape using a time stamp in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. Timecode uses the following format:

Figure. Diagram showing the hours, minutes, seconds, and frames elements of SMPTE timecode.

Timecode was invented in the late 1960s so that computer video editing systems could automatically find specific frames on tape and record editing decisions that could then be performed over and over again. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standardized several electronic timecode formats for video in 1967.

Note: Other types of address code, such as keycode and ink numbers, are used for editing film. For more information, see the documentation that came with Cinema Tools.

Although there are a lot of applications or features that you encounter when editing a video, the term timecode always seems to appear. Timecode is a time or code assigned to a specific frame or a specific point in a video. Essentially, a timecode is like a time stamp in video editing.

However, nowadays, timecode is no longer used only for video editing. Timecodes are also now used in audio and music file editing.

Types of Timecode

There are several types of timecodes you can use when editing your video. There are two major types of timecodes: DV Timecode and SMPTE Timecode.

DV timecode is often used on digital media. DV timecode is stored on its own track and is then transferred over fire wire. SMPTE is the standard timecode format used on all non-digital media. It is often stored on an audio track or integrated into the video track.

There are also two other familiar types of timecode still being used: the Drop Frame and the Non-Drop Frame.

Drop Frame Timecode throws out the numbers at :00 and :01 frames every few minutes, except at the 10 minute mark. This means that a video with a drop frame timecode will make adjustments by skipping frame numbers periodically. This is to keep the timecode synced with real time.

With a Non-Drop Frame Timecode, a number to 30 frames per second is assigned. This will result to an error of .03 frames per second. In a nutshell, if you use a Non-Drop Frame Timecode, your video will run approximately at 30 frames per second.

Video and film timecode

In video production and filmmaking, SMPTE timecode is used extensively for synchronization, and for logging and identifying material in recorded media. During filmmaking or video production shoot, the camera assistant will typically log the start and end timecodes of shots, and the data generated will be sent on to the editorial department for use in referencing those shots. This shot-logging process was traditionally done by hand using pen and paper, but is now typically done using shot-logging software running on a laptop computer that is connected to the time code generator or the camera itself.

The SMPTE family of timecodes are almost universally used in film, video and audio production, and can be encoded in many different formats, including: 

• Linear timecode (LTC), in a separate audio track…
• Vertical interval timecode (VITC), in the vertical blanking interval of a video track…
• AES-EBU embedded timecode used with digital audio…
• Burnt-in timecode, in human-readable form in the video itself…
• CTL timecode (control track)…
• MIDI timecode… 

Keykode, while not a timecode, is used to identify specific film frames in film post-production that uses physical film stock. Keykode data is normally used in conjunction with SMPTE time code.

Rewritable consumer timecode is a proprietary consumer video timecode system that is not frame-accurate, and is therefore not used in professional post-production.

Other time code formats

Time codes for purposes other than video and audio production include: 

• Inter-range instrumentation group time codes (IRIG) is used for military, government and commercial purposes…
• DTS time code is used to synchronize the optical DTS timecode track from a projector to the CD-based DTS audio tracks… 

Timecode generators

Depending on the environment, timecode generators can take various forms.

Uses of Timecode

Timecode is an essential part of video editing. The timecode assigns a specific time to each frame of video. By doing this, you can access any specific frame of the video and any edits you make to a frame will still be accurate.

You can also use a timecode to make the video in conjunction with real time. By dropping or skipping a frame, you are able to align the time of the video in real time.

Giving each frame a timecode is like stamping a frame with a special code so that each one is unique and easily searchable. You can manipulate each frame of the video, pick a scene, cut a scene and adjust the beginning or end of the frame to define it.

Creating a Timecode

A timecode is an 8-digit code and each code has a different meaning. The first number signifies the hour, then the minutes, the seconds and the last number signifies the frame number. Since a timecode moves from right to left, the number should be encoded the same way beginning with the hour.

You should also note that the hour is based on military time, which means that numbering is from 1 until 24. However, encoding the minutes and seconds is just like that of a regular clock - 0 to 59.

If you will be using a Drop Frame Timecode, use a semi-colon or period to separate the seconds and frames. On the other hand, use a colon all throughout for a Non-Drop Frame Timecode.

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Production Hub, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Variety, Final Cut Pro, Apple, John Ratcliff (1999). Timecode: A user's guide, Charles Poynton (1996). A Technical Introduction to Digital Video, Steves Digicams, Edit Video Faster, 

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Timecodes LTC Reader / Photo Credit: YouTube - Apple - IPod