A Beginners Guide to Frame Rate

Video editing can be a little intimidating, especially when you pass through terms like fps or frame rate. It is very difficult to know which is the best choice for you to create a successful video. Down below, we have provided you with a beginners guide to frame rate that you can apply to the videos for the best content.

What Does Frame Rate Mean?

Whether it is an old-school or digital film, you should be aware that videos are still images, viewed at some speed gives motion appearance. These images are called frames. The frame rate can then be defined as the speed at which the clips or images are displayed. It is generally expressed in frames per second (FPS).

For example, if your video is played at 24fps, this means that for every second, there are 24 distinct images being displayed. The images are displayed at a speed of which tricks the brain to perceive smooth motion. Down below we have provided you with a beginners guide to frame rate settings applicable for your video. If you are looking for information for enhancing or recovering the sound from your videos, then check out our Media Medic forensic audio service.

How to Choose Better Frame Rate Settings for Your Video

Before choosing the best frame settings for your video, you should be aware that different frame rate settings tend to bring different results, therefore it is mandatory that you select the best settings that fit your video settings.

People tend to differ on the best frame settings for certain videos, although it majorly depends on your video settings. Down below are the factors you should consider before choosing the most applicable frame rate setting for your video.

Realism/style

Your video’s frame rate settings majorly impact the video’s feel and look of which determines the realistic aspect of your video. For example, when someone throws a ball, you tend to observe some motion blur.

This is the same case, as the frame settings you have chosen mimics the motion blur thus improving the realistic concept in your videos. In case you opt to go for a higher frame rate for your video, this can give your video an unnatural look and your video will look unrealistic.

To assist you in knowing which the most applicable frame rate is for you, here are some of the options:

24fps – for TV shows and movies, this frame rate is most applicable. It is generally the lowest speed for videos. Even though the video is filmed using a higher rate, it is usually displayed and produced at 24fps.
30fps- this is usually the basic frame rate used for televisions. Despite most of the producers changing to better frame rates, 30fps is still in use. Videos that incorporate fast motion that include sports will benefit a lot.
60fps- this frame rate is usually meant for videos that incorporate slow motions or rather recording game footage. As technology grows, most smartphones nowadays are able to record at 60fps.

Motion

A key variable in a beginners guide to frame rate in motion. In case your video incorporates plenty of movement, we recommend that you use a frame rate that is higher. Capturing your video using a higher rate ensures that your video is well-detailed. Down below are some of the best options for you to choose from.

24fps- as we have already mentioned above, this is the lowest speed at which you can successfully capture your video whilst maintaining the realistic aspect. Motion blur can be observed in case you decide to use this frame rate for very busy scenes
30fps- using this frame rate ensures that your video has more detailed scenes with slightly high motion. The motion however might look unnatural at times.
60fps- this frame rate is mostly used in recording very busy scenes that incorporate plenty of motion that include athletics, video games, or any video you want in slow motion.

Delivery

This is also another key aspect of a beginner’s guide frame rate. The method of delivering your video that includes broadcast television or YouTube and the gadget used in viewing your video, greatly impacts the various frame rate options.

Not all delivery methods and devices support all the frame rates. Down below are some of the places most of us go to watch videos and share them.

Internet streaming

This has become among the best and common methods to share videos online and most of the streaming platforms allow a wide range of frame rates. You should be aware that computer monitors and older TVs tend not to handle high frame rates.

Television

We recommend that you use frame rates between 24fps and 30fps when producing television videos. This makes sure that the videos have a realistic approach and fits people’s descriptions of what to expect from broadcast television. Sports and news live broadcasts are usually recorded at 30fps as opposed to movies and shows which are usually recorded at 24fps.

Film projectors

Projectors and movie theatres are generally a good method for video consumption. Similar to the TV broadcasts, we recommend that you keep the frame rate at 24fps. This ensures that the video has a cinematic approach and with most of the projectors, the movie will be properly displayed.

Export times and file size

When choosing the best frame rate to use, you should consider export times and file size. If the frame rate is high, more images will be packed per second. More images ensure more information of which means longer export durations and bigger files.

When you are uploading videos online, the file size and the export times must be considered. File sizes that are larger tend to require good computer hardware and internet connections to stream using the highest quality. If you do not have fast equipment and services, you might experience videos with poor quality.