48fps The Hobbit - First Review

[Mark Pugh]

For millennia, the strongest and most immersive, and enduring works of art are probably the ones that created a glimpse of something beautiful, whilst keeping the viewer's imagination active.
24fps is a kind of Impressionism - a sketch.
Soap opera- filmed stage play... I can relate to the reactions.
I'm not convinced teenagers will embrace the aesthetic any more eagerly than older generations.
The imagery of high-frame rate video game animations still leaves a lot to the imagination.
I'm not sure shots of The Hobbit actors will.
I suppose there will be much public test screening at both 24 and 48... And results will be interesting, and affect what exhibitors want.

[Andrew Rieger]

@Andrew, Did you even see the clip that the articles were written about?

Nope. Have you?

[Meryem Ersoz]

Bordwell is actually quite tech savvy when it comes to filmmaking technology.

I wasn't referring to Bordwell's knowledge about film technology - he is one of the great historians of film technology. But he's an historian and a theoretician, not a filmmaker. He doesn't have a hand in the actual business of filmmaking, like Jackson or Cameron - he can afford the luxury of nostalgia in the face of the deflationary facts of the industry. He has no personal motives to condone or to experiment with innovations in film, unlike people such as James Cameraon or Peter Jackson. He looks backward--that is his job-- in an an industry which is being pushed forward by a swelling tsunami of change, like it or not.

In any case, since none of us has seen the actual film or even the trailer, the entire discussion is somewhat pointless and based on assumptions.

[Andrew Rieger]

I wasn't referring to Bordwell's knowledge about film technology - he is one of the great historians of film technology. But he's an historian and a theoretician, not a filmmaker. He doesn't have a hand in the actual business of filmmaking, like Jackson or Cameron - he can afford the luxury of nostalgia in the face of the deflationary facts of the industry. He has no personal motives to condone or to experiment with innovations in film, unlike people such as James Cameraon or Peter Jackson. He looks backward--that is his job-- in an an industry which is being pushed forward by a swelling tsunami of change, like it or not.

In any case, since none of us has seen the actual film or even the trailer, the entire discussion is somewhat pointless and based on assumptions.

Well in any case, the day I'm told that I need to shoot in 3D at 48 fps is the day I take up film criticism instead of filmmaking. I'm sure everyone thinks I'm just an old man who hates change and this is probably true. I get way more excited when I hear that a filmmaker is using miniatures, practical effects, sets and prosthetics. That is why I like Del Toro and Nolan so much. They combine the old school with the new. Jackson was that way with the original trilogy but I think he is drifting away from that. Does anyone know if he used any forced perspective in The Hobbit?

[Craig W. Bickerstaff]

I believe there are forced perspective shots in the hobbit, I remember it being mentioned in a production diary.

[Tom Lowe]

Hey let's watch the insults here, as Lucas mentioned. Saying that some is "not a filmmaker anymore" and trying to degrade them as a "salesman" is not something that should be done here, especially not when that person is, by almost any measure, one of the most successful filmmakers in the history of the world, with a fireplace mantel full of Oscars to boot. Not to mention that Cameron is one of Red's top customers! Why do people need to be so contentious on a thread about technical display issues? Let's keep the attitude and tone more productive here. You're entitled to say you don't like someone's movies, but please don't engage in trying to personally degrade people here.

[Julian Fort]

Even film shot at 48fps looks like video. Terrible terrible terrible idea for narrative motion pictures!!!!!

[Tom_Gaudet]

I am sure that I am the least one here to have anything constructive to contribute, but personally, I think I will wait to see this before making a judgment on it. I cannot imagine P.J. and co. not fully testing this before making the decision to spend millions on it. Surely there have been epic fails before, but I will wait till it is finished. No offense to anyone intended.

[Daniel Stilling]

It's funny how the "grass is greener effect" works.
For so long motion picture has been in 24fps, and now some aspire to high frame rates.
I used to live for many years in Brazil, long time ago, where all the soap operas where shot it the regular broadcast format, high frame rates. I just heard recently about some of the soaps going to 24fps and being commended for the higher production value look and cinematic look.

[Scott Crawley]

To be fair, only a relative few factions are pushing for high frame rates. The rest seem to be bucking it.

Say what you like about the mavericks most of us still admire those who fly in the face of the norm. I do.

It's funny how the "grass is greener effect" works.
For so long motion picture has been in 24fps, and now some aspire to high frame rates.
I used to live for many years in Brazil, long time ago, where all the soap operas where shot it the regular broadcast format, high frame rates. I just heard recently about some of the soaps going to 24fps and being commended for the higher production value look and cinematic look.