An Argument for 48 Frames Per Second

While The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has been very sucessful at the box office, it has not been without its lumps as it seems most critics and not a small amount of the audience disliked the movie when they say it in 48 frames per second (aka High Frame Rate). I have yet to see the movie in the new format so don't have a personal experience to go back on. Having said that, this whole thing really reminds me of how critics treated HDTV when it first started.

It is also an almost verbatim retread of the anti-HDTV argument complete with discussion of a soap opera look, bad makeup, bad sets and more. And the critics were right. Until Hollywood masters in makeup, sets and more figured it out. I think that is the case here. Its new technology with a new way to display a movie that has never been done before at this kind of scale. That means refining and developing new techniques to go with the display format. Like learning anything new there will be stumbles but that doesn't mean it isn't worth doing. Time will tell if 48 frames becomes a new standard but I think its worth giving it a shot.

Any case that is my argument for patience. Over at Collider they have written a long essay on why they feel that 40FPS is the future of filmmaking. Worth reading if care about these kinds of details.

Why 48FPS Fails

A new article from a photography breaks down why so many critics (and movie goers) disliked the 48 frames-per-second (aka high frame rate) format of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The writer decided to watch the HFR and the regular 24fps version of the movie on the same day. From that experience he realized he not only didn't enjoy the 48FPS version but it gave him no connection to the story. The however completely enjoyed the 24FPS version.

The article is an attempt to explain this conflicting reaction to what is essentially the same movie. What it comes down to is the increased clarity of image cause all details to come into focus. The increase is visual details essentially causes a sensory overload preventing you becoming immersed into the film as unable to track both the events of the story, take in all the details and know what to focus on all at the same time. In addition, the increase in details also means every little mistake pops out more then would otherwise. Click here to read the whole thing to get more detail about why his experience indicates that 48FPS might be dead on arrival.

Philippa Boyens Talks Writing the Hobbit

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies co-writer Philippa Boyens sat down to discuss the films with Bleeding Cool.

Jackson Comments on 48FPS Reviews

In a press conference Wednesday to promote The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, director Peter Jackson commented on reviews that nearly universally slammed the 48FPS format of the movie as essentially not quite being ready. Almost all thought that some moments were amazing while others looked pathetically fake. The result are reviews that were more negative then might have been otherwise.

"I'm fascinated by reactions," he told the room full of journalists from across the country. "I'm tending to see that anyone under the age of 20 or so doesn't really care and thinks it looks cool, not that they understand it but they often just say that 3D looks really cool. I think 3D at 24 frames is interesting, but it's the 48 that actually allows 3D to almost achieve the potential that it can achieve because it's less eye strain and you have a sharper picture which creates more of the 3-dimensional world."

Peter Jackson's Q&A on 48FPS

In a post on his official Facebook page, Peter Jackson answered a few questions about HFR 3D, aka high frame rate in 3D, aka 3D at 48 frames-per-second. Since 1927, all films have been shown at 24 frames per second, with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey being the first to show it at 48FPS in history. Because of the tech upgrade costs, it will be only shown on around 500 screens in North America (list here) so most will not be able to view it in the format that Jackson would prefer all see it in. Still if you in an area that will be showing The Hobbit in HFR 3D but on the fence about that extra 3D cost (the 48fps is a bonus), his Q&A may be useful in making a decision.

QUESTION: Why did you shoot The Hobbit Trilogy using the High Frame Rate (HFR) format?
PETER JACKSON: 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.

Why So Few Screens for the 48FPS Hobbit

Warner Bros recently explained its decision to limit its rollout of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at 48 frames-per-second to Deadline. The 3D at 48FPS tech, which WB calls "HFR" for High Frame Rate, is being rolled out slowly because there are glitches that need to be corrected and "This is a technology that is going to change the way people see movies…You have to do it right."

New tech has glitches, that is to be expected. Another issue is cost. It seems that the cost of turning a screen into HFR ready can cost $5000 per projector and as high as $20,000 for IMAX. If the projector was recently purchased, there is still a $1,500 cost for the software upgrade. This does not include the faster bulb burn out rate and the high cost of replacing them.

It seems the plan is basically to use The Hobbit as a proof of concept to encourage studios to start paying out for the upgrade. The more that upgrade, the more the tech can be perfected and the faster the cost will drop. This means that The Hobbit has to get it right the first time as unlikely to be any second chances if audiences do not like the experience.

The Hobbit, LOTR Marathon Tickets on Sale Wednesday

Starting at noon on Wednesday, November 7th, advance tickets for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will go on sale in the United States. In addition some theaters will have The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy marathon on Saturday, December 8th and Sunday, December 9th.

On the format front, things remain confusing but Regal Theaters provided some clarity by saying that their 48 frames per second will be in 3D only or what they label as "HFR 3D". Still this leaves 2D at 24fps, 3D at 24fps and 48fps, IMAX at unknown fps, IMAX 3D at unknown fps and that is before you Dolby Atmos to the equation.

To simplify, if you goal is to watch it the way Peter Jackson wants you too then you want 3D IMAX at 48fps in Dolby Atmos. If you want to remain consistent to the Lord of the Rings trilogy (my preference if only to avoid the format headaches) then stick with traditional 2D at 24fps that most theaters will have and how have been watching movies your entire life.

The Hobbit Tickets Go on Sale November 7th

The One Ring spotted on a Warner Bros Facebook page a poster that sets the start date for advanced ticket sales for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey for Wednesday, November 7th at Noon EST. More of an FYI since that is a while off. Also I would hold off on buying any advance tickets. The reason is the variety of format choices the film will be released in with regular format, 3D, IMAX, and IMAX 3D along with 24FPS and 48 FPS varieties. Depending on your location, you might have 8 different format choices to choose from. For most it will be the typical 3 of regular, 3D, and IMAX 3D at 24fps. Regardless, until those details are worked out, no point in locking yourself in until can make the informed decision. Personally I plan on sticking with good old fashion regular 24fps format simply to keep my experience consistent with The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

No Extra Charge for The Hobbit At 48FPS Screening

While Peter Jackson would probably prefer as many theaters as possible screen The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at 48 frames per second (FPS), Warner Bros indicated a few weeks ago only a few locations would actually screen the movie at the frame speed. Most of the likely 3000 screens in the US will have it in traditional 24fps speed. However, if you are in that rare (unannounced) location that gives you a chance to watch it at 48FPS, you now have an extra incentive to give it a try as theaters have agreed to not charge extra for the format. At least for this movie. I am sure they reserve the right to add a surcharge to the sequel if the new format proves popular.

The Hobbit at 48FPS Get Limited Release

Variety is reporting that a cut of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey running at 48 frames per second (or HFR for high frame rate) may only get a limited release when the movie comes out this December. It was assumed it would get as wide a release as possible, at least for the theatres that were upgraded to handle the frame rate.

For the last 90 or so years movies have played at 24fps but Peter Jackson believes that doubling the frame rate will add a new level of immersion and detail to movies. However, a screening of footage at CinemaCon this April was completely trashed by movie blogs and critics as being too realistic by making everything look like a movie set. It seems WB was scared off by the criticism and decided that a gradually release of the format was needed with each Hobbit movie enjoying a more widespread release of the 48fps format then the movie before it.

SDCC 2012: Jackson On Return to Middle-Earth

In a new interview with Deadline as part of his trip to the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con to promote The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Director Peter Jackson looked back at the events that lead to him directing the films including the technological choices he made. The interview turned out to be pretty long because Jackson provided some pretty detail answers to the questions. Below is a summary but worth reading the entire interview here.

Summary:
- After Guillermo del Toro left due to other projects and lack of a green light after 18 months of development, Jackson felt "...as producer that I had to do the smart thing here and step up."
- His initial feel at directing was he would be competing against himself, that "I’ve got to shoot this scene better than the one I did 10 or 12 years ago" but turned out that never happened.
- Tonally the Hobbit is lighter due to initially being a children's book but by incorporating The Appendices (from LOTR novels), it was moderated so it does more closely match the trilogy then the books do.
- "It's still a question mark" on whether Lord of the Rings trilogy will be converted to 3D. It has been discussed but the commercial failure of Star Wars: Episode I 3D release put a damper on things.
- By December, there should be many theaters that can show the film in Jackson's preferred 48fps 3D format.
- He said "I think frame rate is a really important issue for the future of the industry" but to take it seriousily have to see 48fps as a full feature film, not just a clip.
- "Why, as an industry where we have dwindling audiences especially among the kids, should we be content to sit back and say that we got it right in 1927? [when 24fps became the standard]. ...It’s an experiment, but I personally think it looks fantastic."

SDCC 2012: Peter Jackson's Post on Con

Peter Jackson is on his way to the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con. Before he hopped on the plane, he added a surprising long post to his Facebook page (below) about his visit. He starts by letting us know that a new trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey can be expected sometime in September and that a new production diary is being prepped. The diary may include footage from the reel that he is showing at Saturday's The Hobbit Panel indicating the reel will not be released online afterwards. The main topic of the post was to address his decision to show The Hobbit reel at the 'Con, citing how bad press undermined his attempt to show off the movie, not the new filming technology.

Just about to jump on the plane to Comic Con

Looking forward to giving fans a glimpse of the Hobbit, answer questions and share a few stories about our return to Middle-earth.

For those of you who won't be attending Comic Con, we have several things in the pipeline to share with you over the next few weeks. Our new video will be ready very soon - in fact our video blog crew has already left for Comic Con, and we'll be capturing a behind the scenes look at our experiences there. We're talking about possibly including a few clips from our Hobbit reel in the blog.

Peter Jackson Confirms Hobbit Reel for SDCC 2012

The San Diego Comic-Con 2012 official began yesterday with Preview Night that gives a chance to tour the various booths and dealer tables being set up at SDCC to promote upcoming products and the like. One of the movies that will be on hand is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The Hobbit panel is scheduled for 2:30-5:00pm PST on Saturday July 14th. While it was assumed something would be shown from the movie, Peter Jackson has now confirmed to Hero Complex that he will screen a reel during the panel. Of note is the decision to run the film in 2D at 24 frames per second after the huge amount of negative press he received when a 3D at 48 fps clip was show at CinemaCon. His reasoning on this decision is hard to argue with. Hopefully the video will be put online shortly after the panel ends for those of us that could not go the convention.

HC: How would you frame the Hall H appearance as far as the stakes?
PJ: I think it’s more about protecting the downside, rather than helping the film in any significant way. There is a huge audience waiting to see “The Hobbit,” and any positive press from Comic-Con will truthfully have little impact on that. However, as we saw at CinemaCon earlier this year, with our 48 frames per second presentation, negative bloggers are the ones the mainstream press runs with and quotes from. I decided to screen the “Hobbit” reel at Comic-Con in 2-D and 24 frames per second, so the focus stays firmly with the content and not the technical stuff. If people want 3-D and 48fps, that choice will be there for them in December.

HC: If you had one sentence — a take-away message — for the Middle-earth fans who don’t get a seat in Hall H, what would it be?
PJ: We’ve all loved returning to Middle-earth and now look forward to fans stepping back into this world with us.

CinemaCon's The Hobbit Footage Detailed Description

The One Ring has posted a detailed description of the 10 minutes of The Hobbit shown at CinemaCon to show off the first time a film will be released at 48 frames per second. Most of the coverage focused on how most critics thought the frame rate made the film look fake, like a "soap opera", with few getting into what it actually shown. Now we have a detailed description which you can find here with a few highlights below.

It should be noted that many scenes were still green screened with incomplete special effects and the like. In other words for all the talk about how bad the 48fps might have made the film look, that was without completed special effects, color correction and other tweaks that are likely to improve the realistic look of the film. In short, ignore the critics for now as it is way too early to draw proper conclusions. That most of them failed to mention these kinds of details shows that most were aiming for manufactured controversy for eyeballs to read their incomplete take on the footage.

- The White Council
Saurman (Christopher Lee), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), and Elrond (Hugo Weaving) discuss the Witch-King of Angmar and a how the Dunedain could imprison the Nazgul (something not part of Tolkien stories).
- Gandalf and Radagast
The writer was impressed McCoy's protrayal of the character and his costume.
- Gollum and Bilbo share riddles
A scene from the book as Bilbo tries to out riddle Gollum so he will not be eaten.
- The Trolls
Scene of the Trolls discussing what to do with the captured Dwarves as Bilbo attempts to steal the key to rescue them.
- Gandalf and Thrain
Gandalf in Don Guldur trying to avoid Thrain who is crazy due to torture.
- Mirkwood Elves
Legolas and his elves capturing the Dwarves when they entered Mirkwood forest with a quick shot of Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) sporting a brown hair and brown elf outfit.

The Hobbit Debuts 48 Frames Per Second Footage (Updated)

Yesterday Warner Bros showed off about 10 minutes of footage from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at a packed house for CinemaCon that is being held in Las Vegas. The footage was the first to show a film running at 48 frames per second instead of the typical 24 frames per second for the last 80 years of film history. According to Hobbit director Peter Jackson in a pre-recorded intro, the doubling of frame rate "gives you much more of an illusion of real life; in 3D it also offers much less eye-strain." According to Deadline, the 10 minutes of footage at 48 fps brought a variety with one comparing it to IMAX while another thought it had "the look of a soap opera." Dark Horizon compiled a cross section of critic reviews over the clarity of the filming at 48fps here. It seems fine tuning is needed but I suspect the average move goer will be pleased with the clarity and not notice some of the critic complaints.

Oddly, chances are most people that go to see The Hobbit are not likely to experience the 48fps version of the movie or even know if they are as many theatres are not set up for it. The Hollywood Reporter says that most theatres are taking a "for more conservative wait-and-see approach" on upgrading. However, there are 13,000 screens worldwide that use Sony 4K digital cinema projectors which can easily handle the 48 fps change. As of now it seems that only new theatres or those that have upgraded in the last year or two will be able to play the film as Peter Jackson intends. Still the film is 8 months away from debuting and a lot can change in that time.

Update: IGN posted an article about the 48fps second footage, providing a decent description of what was shown (below). They too also found the more "realistic" look to be a problem as it made everything look as fake as it really is.

The best sequence shown was one between Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and Gollum (once again played by Andy Serkis). The latter is his old, split personality self as he debates between killing Bilbo or helping him out. Bilbo finally agrees to play a game of riddles with Gollum. If he wins, Gollum will show Bilbo the way to Bilbo's destination. If Gollum wins? Well, it makes you wonder if Hobbit tastes like chicken. One reason why the 48fps wasn't as distracting here was that it was an extended sequence, the longest by far of the clips shown from An Unexpected Journey today. The CG-ness of Gollum was more evident in this digital format than it was on film back in the LOTR trilogy, but you'd be hard-pressed not to feel goosebumps seeing Serkis back in deceitful action as Gollum.

Also back in action in the footage screened today? Orlando Bloom's archer Legolas and Elijah Wood's Frodo Baggins, although we only got a few glimpses of those two characters. There were also scenes shown between Gandalf the Grey and Radagast the Brown, as well as an action-oriented one seeing Bilbo imperiled by three giant troll-like monsters before Thorin Oakenshield and the dwarves come to his rescue. There were some moments of Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo, life in the Shire, and the heroes' journeys across the snow-capped mountaintops of New Zealand, er, Middle-earth. Jackson stressed in his intro that the footage was unfinished, and this was evident in many of the green screen backdrop scenes we saw, such as the Rivendell one between Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel.

Peter Jackson Explains "48 Frames Per Second"

Sir Peter Jackson uses his inaugural post on his official Facebook page on The Hobbit to explain why 48 frames per second rather than the decades long tradition of 24 frames. In addition he posted an image (right) of him near is director setup that shows of a bit of Gollum's gave. I think the dual monitor setup is specifically for the 3D cameras (left eye/right eye). Below is half the post, the rest can be found here.

Time for an update. Actually, we've been intending to kick off with a video, which is almost done, so look out for that in the next day or two. In the meantime, I thought I'd address the news that has been reported about us shooting THE HOBBIT at 48 frames per second, and explain to you what my thoughts are about this.

We are indeed shooting at the higher frame rate. The key thing to understand is that this process requires both shooting and projecting at 48 fps, rather than the usual 24 fps (films have been shot at 24 frames per second since the late 1920's). So the result looks like normal speed, but the image has hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness. Looking at 24 frames every second may seem ok--and we've all seen thousands of films like this over the last 90 years--but there is often quite a lot of blur in each frame, during fast movements, and if the camera is moving around quickly, the image can judder or "strobe."

Shooting and projecting at 48 fps does a lot to get rid of these issues. It looks much more lifelike, and it is much easier to watch, especially in 3-D. We've been watching HOBBIT tests and dailies at 48 fps now for several months, and we often sit through two hours worth of footage without getting any eye strain from the 3-D. It looks great, and we've actually become used to it now, to the point that other film experiences look a little primitive. I saw a new movie in the cinema on Sunday and I kept getting distracted by the juddery panning and blurring. We're getting spoilt!

Originally, 24 fps was chosen based on the technical requirements of the early sound era. I suspect it was the minimum speed required to get some audio fidelity out of the first optical sound tracks. They would have settled on the minimum speed because of the cost of the film stock. 35mm film is expensive, and the cost per foot (to buy the negative stock, develop it and print it), has been a fairly significant part of any film budget.

So we have lived with 24 fps for 9 decades--not because it's the best film speed (it's not by any stretch), but because it was the cheapest speed to achieve basic acceptable results back in 1927 or whenever it was adopted.

The Hobbit At 48FPS

In an article from /Film, it seems Peter Jackson is taking advantage of the studio mandate to make the film in 3D by going ahead and using the latest tech and techniques recommended by James Cameron, especially using 48fps second of filming which is currently not that common.

The basic gist is this: Cameron proposes that future movies should be shot and projected at either 48 or 60 frames per second. All of the digital film cameras are able to shoot at that speed, and all of the second generation digital cinema projectors (2010 on) should be able to project at that speed with a software upgrade. The result is a lot smoother movement, less of the strobing effect, which gives the impression of an enhanced resolution. And of course, the higher frame rate will help with the discomfort some experience with 3D. The footage I screened during Cameron’s presentation, shot/screened at 48 frames a second in 3D, looked incredible. The best way to describe it, is to quote Cameron: “If watching a 3D movie is like looking through a window, then [with this] we’ve taken the glass out of the window and we’re staring at reality.”

Our friends at Marketsaw have learned that Jackson is shooting The Hobbit in 47.96 frames per second with the previously reported 30 RED Epic cameras.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the film will be distributed in 48fps.Who knows if New Line/Warner Bros is going to pay to have the visual effects rendered at 48 frames per second (While some claim it would double the price of rendering, Cameron argued during the presentation that smart pipeline software could choose which motion heavy footage would require the extra rendered frames, resulting in only a 10% increase in price). And if the studio is on board, then movie theaters would need to make sure their equipment is upgraded for 48fps presentation.

As the article points out, many theatres are not equipped to handle 48fps film. It is possible that more will be up to speed by the time the first movie comes but I doubt it as theatre chains loathe to re-invest in their older theatres until they absolutely have too. Basically if you go to a theatre built in the last year or so then this is good news and if you don't then mostly meaningless. The main advantage as I see it is it will help "future-proof" the movie for whatever future distribution and home video means that may come available as all the data they need to present the best possible picture will be present and not have to extrapolated and cleaned up as is often the case for older films. (via OneRing)