# Why We Switched to 23.98 fps and Timecode for a Recent Netflix Documentary Production

When our team recently supported a documentary production at the casino, we made a deliberate change to our standard video workflow. Instead of operating in our typical 1080p/30 workflow for live events, we configured our entire recording chain to **1080p at 23.98 frames per second** and synchronized every recording source using **Tentacle timecode**.

While this may seem like a small technical adjustment, it made a significant difference in post-production and ensured the production team received footage that seamlessly integrated into their editing workflow.

## Why 23.98 fps?

Most live productions in North America operate at **29.97 or 30 frames per second** because these formats are ideal for IMAG (Image Magnification), broadcasts, and live event presentation. Motion appears smooth, graphics perform well, and the workflow is optimized for real-time delivery.

Documentary and cinematic productions, however, typically work in **23.98 fps**.

This frame rate offers several advantages for filmmakers:

* Creates the cinematic motion audiences associate with feature films and premium streaming content.

* Matches the frame rate used by most documentary cameras and cinema cameras.

* Eliminates unnecessary frame conversions during editing.

* Preserves maximum image quality by avoiding interpolation or dropped frames.

* Simplifies color grading, visual effects, and finishing.

Rather than converting footage after the event, every recording—including our IMAG program feed—was captured natively at the production’s delivery frame rate.

## The Importance of Timecode

Frame rate alone isn’t enough for a modern documentary workflow.

Productions often have:

* Multiple cinema cameras

* Audio recorders

* Drone footage

* Specialty cameras

* IMAG recordings

* Screen captures

* Playback systems

Every device records independently.

Without synchronization, editors must manually align every clip using waveforms, visual cues, or slate claps—a process that becomes increasingly time-consuming as projects grow.

To eliminate this problem, we distributed **Tentacle timecode** throughout the production.

Each recording device shared the same continuously running time reference.

This means every recorded frame knows exactly **when** it occurred relative to every other recording.

## Why Timecode Matters in Post-Production

When footage arrives in the edit suite with matching timecode, editing software can automatically synchronize clips.

Instead of spending hours lining up recordings, editors can immediately build multicamera sequences.

The benefits include:

* Faster media organization

* Automatic multicamera synchronization

* Perfect alignment between cameras and audio

* Easier relinking of replacement footage

* Reduced opportunity for synchronization errors

* Significant savings in post-production time

For documentary productions where many hours of footage are captured over several days, these efficiencies can save entire editing sessions.

## Capturing IMAG for Editorial

In addition to supporting the live audience, we recorded the IMAG program feed as part of the production package.

Because the recording matched the production’s **1080p 23.98 fps** workflow and carried synchronized timecode, editors could use the IMAG recording as:

* An additional camera angle

* A reference for multicamera edits

* A backup source if another camera missed a moment

* A guide for reconstructing live sequences

This provides editorial teams with another valuable asset while maintaining perfect synchronization with every other recording.

## Planning for Post Starts Before the Event

One of the biggest misconceptions in live production is that everything ends when the audience leaves.

In reality, for documentary projects, post-production is often just beginning.

By adapting our workflow to the needs of the production—matching frame rate, distributing master timecode, and recording synchronized IMAG—we helped ensure the editorial team received media that was immediately usable rather than requiring hours of technical preparation.

## Technical Summary

For this production our workflow included:

* Video Format: **1080p**

* Frame Rate: **23.98 fps**

* Master Timecode Distribution: **Tentacle Sync**

* Synchronized IMAG Recording

* Timecode-locked recording across production devices

* Editorial-ready media delivered for documentary post-production

Every production has unique technical requirements. Whether we’re supporting a corporate event, concert, broadcast, or documentary, our goal is always the same: build a workflow that serves both the live experience **and** the post-production process.

The best productions aren’t just captured—they’re captured in a way that makes the next stage of the project faster, more efficient, and technically seamless.