We have a winner.... fridays are for celebrating...

here's a tune to hum as you read this....

Walk Away by Joe Walsh

Looks like we have a winning solution, and the basis of a good workflow in place....

The missing piece was a third party program called Remaster, part of Neo Scene HD, put out by Cineform.   

Here's a step by step description of what we did.  

We need to test more clips and examine the frame blending very carefully, but for now the basics seem to be in place.  Now we need to test and refine to be sure it's really all working.  But it is certainly a relief compared to where we were before... thanks to everyone who has helped and offered help.  Each one of you has contributed, even if it was just psychic good vibes..  most did a lot more than that, patiently explaining terms and theories.  

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workflow to take 30p files from camera into 24p and maintain audio sync and good color (no crushed blacks)

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import clips to Hard Drive (make backups!)

open the desired .mov file with Remaster (from Neo HD, by Cineform) 

select the clip in Remaster

go to parameters, the little triangle at the bottom (before you convert it) 

select tab for output > choose Pro Res HQ

there you can choose the quality, including Film 1 and Film 2 (what are these?  likely you need 4:4:2 material for these to be active, canon d5 is 4:2:2) 

create a new file, don't overwrite the old file

convert one item or the batch of files you load up

select convert, choose where to put the file

name the file filename-prores30.mov (so that you know that this is the 30fps file) - then make a duplicate of that file, and call it filename-prores24.mov, open THAT ONE in cinema tools

(this is where you set the naming convention)

then you open cinema tools, it comes up with a dialog box, "Create new data base"  - continue 

next dialog box, just cancel

went to file> open clip

chose your filename-prores24.mov clip (this is the one we're converting to 24 fps), and it opens the clip

click the bottom button to conform

opens a dialog box that gives you option of changing the frame rate to 23.98

hit conform, and it is done instantly

close cinema tools

then open compressor, and bring in the prores24clip

apply Pro res Apple 4:2:2 setting to the clip

this is where it gets tricky

select that setting, look in the inspector window  - (read Denver's method and go from there) 

you have open

create a new time line in FC change it to 23,98

drag the 30 frame clip into the timeline

say NO when it asks you to change it to 30fps, 

go to the last frame of audio and get that TC value

now go back to compressor

click on the settings that you have applied to the clip

select the settings that you have applied to the clip and go to the inspector window

select the frame controls tab

click the star next to frame controls and turn frame controls on

set rate conversion to "best" 

"set duration" to the length of the clip you got in final frame of your audio - the duration of the clip you put into the 24p time line

the hour setting should be 00 not 01

look for a value something like 79.13%  - it wont be the same each time

hit submit and wait to render

aprox one hour per minute