Every business has its own unique style and brand values. When commissioning a video project, it's important to work with your producer to create a product that harmonizes with your brand. One important component of a video's look is it's frame rate. Choosing a frame rate is an important decision to make when conceptualizing the style of your video. The frame rate will effect how your audience perceives your video in relation to other video mediums. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The most common frame rates are 24 frames per second (fps) and 30fps.
Video is the illusion of motion created by quickly playing a sequence of images, which we refer to as frames. Frame rate simply refers to how fast the frames are being shown, measured by how many are shown each second. So 24fps means in one second, 24 frames are shown, each for 1/24th of a second.
The different frame rates effect subtle details in the video, such as fluidness of motion and motion blur. Most viewers might not be able to pick out the specific differences, but can usually tell the difference between the overall looks. So which should you use?
Well, generally speaking, 24fps is considered a better "look." Movies are shot in 24fps, so it is a look that has a cinematic feeling to it, and can generally be associated with higher quality video products. Unfortunately, it has one major drawback— Most devices including, TVs, computers, and phones use screens that have a refresh rate of 60 frames per second, meaning that they will drop frames from 24fps video, since 24 doesn't divide evenly into 60. This will cause a slight "stutter" to the video, which can mainly be seen in shots that move fast or include fast-moving elements.
On the other hand, 30fps is still a widely used frame rate. Broadcast TV uses 30fps, as well as many professional applications. Since it fits evenly into a 60fps refresh rate, there is no visual stutter. However, the look can sometimes have a cheaper or more mundane feel to it. You can see how the different frame rates look different in the videos below.
Here's a list of different project types, and what we recommend as most fitting for the project type.
24fps can be good for:
-product videos
-staged, cinematic commercials
-promos
30fps can be good for:
-instructional videos
-industrial videos
-videos with a lot of moving elements
So which frame rate is right for your project? While your video producer can give his or her best advice, ultimately, that is a question that can only be answered by you! Your business should be the one to determine its own style.
Higher Frame Rates
While 24 and 30fps are widely held to be the norm, 60fps has been growing in popularity as well. 60fps creates a hyper-realistic look, with motion even more fluid than 30fps. This frame rate is often used for sports, streaming, and occasionally for YouTube videos. We generally recommend that you consult with your producer if you think 60fps might be a good choice for your video.
Interested in producing a video for your company? We can help! Reach out here for a free consultation: https://www.silverglassky.com/quote
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