Removing flicker from time-compressed video

[Gerry]

I'm using PE2 (but I'm sure this applies to all versions)

I've got some video of the sun rising (sun rising up above the clouds, shot from the top of the volcano on Maui!) that runs 45 minutes, and I've time-compressed it down to about 30 seconds.

The compression is fine, but when played back on a TV, I get an obnoxious flicker from the horizon line. I tried right clicking and selecting "remove flicker" but it doesn't do anything. I didn't fool with "reverse field dominance" because I assumed that was just for still photos.

Anyone know what I can do to remove the flicker? Or am I stuck with it?

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Gerry,
Any chance you could post a few seconds so we could see exactly what it looks like? What sometimes looks like a flicker is really something else, easier to figure out if there is something to look at.

It could be that deinterlacing will work, sometimes does. Is the original footage captured with Premiere Elements from MiniDV Tape? If it is DVD footage then you probably do need to use the Reverse Field Dominance, it is mostly for mpeg footage, not still photos.

[Wheat King]

You can try applying a slight gaussian blur to the footage which should relieve the problem somewhat.

[Gerry]

Any chance you could post a few seconds

Oh god... I'll have to figure out how to do this now...

Is the original footage captured with Premiere Elements from MiniDV Tape? If it is DVD footage then you probably do need to use the Reverse Field Dominance, it is mostly for mpeg footage, not still photos.

Yup... mini-DV tape captured directly into PE2.

While I'm trying to figure out how to post video, maybe I'll try the Reverse Field Dominance thing on just the "sunrise" portion and see what happens.

Thanks so far!

[Gerry]

Ok, I know this has probably been answered a million times already, but I'm still figuring out this forum.

What format do I save stuff in in order to post it? I saved a 19-second section of video in Quicktime format, and it came out to 1/2 a meg, which, I'm sure, is too big.

Also, how are you guys gonna see the flicker? The only time I can see it is on a finished DVD played on a TV; it doesn't show up on a computer monitor.

[Chuck Engels]

Ok, if it only shows up on the DVD then maybe you dont need to post a clip, but then again it might help. File/Export/Windows Media and save as the default DSL/Cable setting, should be a 1mb maybe. You can upload any format to the gallery here I think.

Do not try reversing fields, not with your source files, it will make it worse. You can try Always Deinterlace though, that sometimes works for this problem.

And Jamal's idea will possibly work also, but that is pretty much with the Flicker Remover does.

[Gerry]

Ok! I successfully uploaded the file to my folder ("Gerry"). But again, the flicker isn't visible on a computer monitor, only on a TV.

Because there's no flicker in the original footage, the flicker has to be caused by the severe time compression.

(As an aside on the footage, my stupid camera kept shutting itself off -- battery saver -- and I wouldn't notice. So rather than one georgeous piece of film, I wound up having to splice this together with quick dissolves. Then, I decided I had to take some footage of the cloud cover, and as a result, moved the camera. D'oh!)

(But if you can see 'em, watch the clouds just roll by...)

[Chuck Engels]

Gerry, try the Always Deinterlace on the problems clips and let us know what happens.

On another note you can turn off Scene Detection whenever you want and just get one big clip while capturing :wink:

[Gerry]

Gerry, try the Always Deinterlace on the problems clips and let us know what happens.

On another note you can turn off Scene Detection whenever you want and just get one big clip while capturing

Actually I didn't explain myself well. Scene detection on, scene detection off, it wouldn't have mattered because I still would have needed to add dissolves between the clips because of the passage of time and movement of my camera.

I'll give "Always Deinterlace" a shot and report back.

Thanks again!

[Gerry]

"Always deinterlace" produced the same results.

It's just gotta be a factor of time compressing a clip THAT much that's doing it. Probably unavoidable.

[Chuck Engels]

You can try adding a slight Gaussian blur like Jamal suggested, that will get rid of some flicker for sure.

[Chuck Engels]

Just thought of something else, in the motion properties of each clip you can set the 'Anti Flicker Filter' try setting it all the way to 1.00 to start then you can make adjustments as necessary.

Sorry, that is a v3 feature, not v2

[Gerry]

... and you'll love the Corinthian leather seats and the wetbar... oh wait, that's the Maserati. You're renting the Chevy Aveo...

[Chuck Engels]

By the time I finished writing the thought I checked version 2 and saw it wasn't there. Thought it would be good to post just in case someone with v3 is looking for it someday.

Didn't mean to lead you astray

[Gerry]

Just kidding, Chuck.

I'd rather have a Chevy Aveo that runs, rather than a Maserati with problems...