Peter Jackson Talks About THE HOBBIT's Higher Frame Rate
One of the most interesting aspects of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey for me is the fact that it was shot at the higher frame rate of 48 frames per second. That's the format I am choosing to watch the film in. It's time we start to accept change because the technology behind the way movies are being made and the way we watch them is changing. The fact they are filming in higher frame rates is bigger news and a bigger change than movies being shot in 3D. I hope it works, I hope audiences will embrace it. Hell, I hope I can embrace it! I'm excited about it but I still have yet to see it for myself.
Director Peter Jackson took to his Facebook page to answer questions from fans about shooting at the higher frame rate and explains why he did it.
We live in a rapidly advancing digital age. Technology is being continually developed that can enhance and enrich the cinema-going experience. High Frame Rate shooting for a mainstream feature film has only become viable in the last year or two, and yet we live in an age of increasing home entertainment. I started shooting The Hobbit films in HFR because I wanted film audiences to experience just how remarkably immersive the theatrical cinema experience can be.
He then goes on to talk about shooting in the format saying,
I think HFR is terrific. As a filmmaker, I try to make my movies immersive. I want to draw the audience out of their seats, and pull them into the adventure. That is the experience I hope to offer moviegoers no matter which format they choose at the theater. While I personally prefer watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in HFR 3D, I can assure you that every format will provide you with an incredible and immersive experience.
HFR 3D is “different” — it won’t feel like the movies you’re used to seeing, in much the same way as the first CDs didn’t sound like vinyl records. We live in an age when cinemas are competing with iPads and home entertainment systems. I think it’s critical that filmmakers employ current technology to increase the immersive, spectacular experience that cinema should provide. It’s an exciting time to be going to the movies.
Jackson was also asked about the history of frame rates to which he replied,
Silent movies were shot at somewhere between 16 and 18 frames per second (fps) with hand-cranked cameras. In 1927, when sound came along, the industry needed to agree on a motor-driven, constant camera speed. 35mm film stock is very expensive, so it needs to be as slow as possible. However, the early optical soundtrack required a minimum speed to achieve fidelity of the sound. 24 fps was decided on, and became the industry standard for over 80 years, with cinemas all around the world installing mechanical projectors only capable of projecting at 24 fps. 24 fps was a commercial decision — the cheapest speed to provide basic quality — but it produces movement artifacts, like strobing, flicker and motion blur.
Now, in the digital age, there’s no reason whatsoever to stick to 24 fps. We didn’t get it perfect in 1927. Science tells us that the human eye stops seeing individual pictures at about 55 fps. Therefore, shooting at 48 fps gives you much more of an illusion of real life. The reduced motion blur on each frame increases sharpness and gives the movie the look of having been shot in 65mm or IMAX. One of the biggest advantages is the fact that your eye is seeing twice the number of images each second, giving the movie a wonderful immersive quality. It makes the 3D experience much more gentle and hugely reduces eyestrain. Much of what makes 3D viewing uncomfortable for some people is the fact that each eye is processing a lot of strobing, blur and flicker. This all but disappears in HFR 3D.
I'm excited to see what this movie looks like in 48fps, and I'm interested to see the reaction of everyone that sees it. Jackson is putting all his chips on the table for what he hopes becomes a new standard in filmmaking. With the immersive qualities he believes it provides and the enhanced experience it gives to 3D, I think it's a gamble worth taking. Are you more open to HFR after reading the extra info Jackson gave on this new format?