Reel Facts: Concerning High Frame Rate Hobbits

 

 

Director Peter Jackson finally makes his long-awaited return to JRR Tolkien’s Middle-Earth this week with the first part of his adaptation of THE HOBBIT; the prelude to Jackson’s Oscar-winning THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Aside from legions of fans eagerly awaiting the curtain to rise on Bilbo Baggins and his friendly company of dwarves, THE HOBBIT’s historical impact lies in its technical presentation; it is the first film to be released in seven different formats.

Aside from the standard 2D and 3D formats, THE HOBBIT is the very first feature to be filmed and presented in a High Frame Rate (HFR). Frame Rate refers to the number of images (or frames) which flash before your eyes in one second. The standard for filmmakers (for the past 200 years) has been 24 frames-per-second (24fps). Jackson, along with innovative filmmakers James Cameron and Douglas Trumbull, have been pushing for the industry to make films at a higher frame rate. THE HOBBIT has been filmed at 48fps, and will be available at theatres in 2D and 3D formats.

Why the change? The bottom line is more images per second means greater detail, and that greater detail means a more immersive experience which puts you right into the movie. Also, the more detail counters the murkiness which today’s 3D films tend to suffer from.

Shooting at a higher frame rate is nothing new, but its uses have always been limited, and for specific purposes. Higher frame rates are typically used to film something extremely fast-moving for an extreme slow-motion playback, because more frames means no motion-blur in slow-motion. Things like shattering  glass or water splashing are crystal clear; the scene in INCEPTION (2010) when Leonardo DiCaprio gets dunked in a tub was shot at 1600fps, and then slowed down:

Notice the clarity of the water, and how the higher frame rate captured the water around his face. Exactly how that level of detail and lack of motion blur will look at regular speed will determine if 48fps will stick, or just become another gimmick like 3D has in the past decade. The first concern is that so much visual information on the screen may be difficult, or impossible for some people’s eyes and brains to process; imagine seeing a bicycle wheel spin at a high speed, only you can see every spoke turning at all times. It’s a possible case of sensory overload; just like our ears unable to withstand extremely loud noises, our eyes may not be able to process the overflow of images.

The good news is, despite the seemingly overwhelming list of choices... 2D at 24 and 48fps, 3D at 24 and 48fps, IMAX and IMAX 3D (the seventh is a new audio format), is that Jackson is presenting us with options. If you want no parts of 3D or a flashy new presentation, no one is holding a Ring of Power to your head and making you deal with it.

For a list of theatres and their formats, click HERE (this is updated often)

For a rough example of how a higher frame rate will look, click HERE