Hobbit at 48FPS

[Matt]

I like your take on this, Chinaski. I have always disliked 24 FPS in movies on the big screen, and wanted more. I hope I feel the same way after seeing the movie

Matt

[Kadri]

I hope this list is incomplete because no 48 FPS for me for a while it seems ...
http://www.48fpsmovies.com/48-fps-theater-list/

[Oshyan]

I very much want to see it in 48fps, having always disliked the strobyness of 24fps, yet I don't think I'm immune from the perceptual bias, despite that. Fortunately I have several 48fps theaters near me. I'll report back. :-D

- Oshyan

[TheBadger]

Thanks Kadri! I had not even thought of it. I just figured that if a movie house was showing it, then they must be showing it in the correct format. I'm so spoiled!

But thankfully I see from your link that there is ONE theater that has the right equipment. I will call ahead to make sure I get tickets to the correct showing!

[Chinaski]

I just saw (again) "Lawrence of Arabia", after lunch, on a big TV screen.

The first part of the movie, with mesas and canyons and dark rocks in the desert, and dust in atmosphere, and lights, and crazy point of views and image composition, and the carracters scale, is absolutely fantastic. And could be even better with 100 frames per second, and an insane resolution. It's a classic movie, good old fashion, perfect on all aspects... Strangely it's also very close in the spirit of what filmmakers try to visualy do with modern video formats and computers (see Prometeus tread). They just forgot to have a good story.

I'm thinking that nothing is preventing (technologically speaking) a "Lawrence of Arabia" modern equivalent... It could even have TG2 backgrounds. But is there still an audience for big intelligent movies?

@Oshyan: Point taken. I just didn't think to that. I now must be immune from this perceptual bias. Too much good tv series, too much bad movies... My brain is corrupted.

[efflux]

I've seen the Hobbit trailer at 48 fps. It looks good and I think it's good that Peter Jackson has done that. For this movie it's definitely better. This movie will probably be better than most. However, a major problem is that there are virtually no really good big budget movies. I often watch low budget non English language movies that are superior and more intelligent than anything Hollywood puts out. Movies have rarely reached the quality of high art forms from the past such as paintings, music and books. Most likely because there is so much difficult expensive tech used, so many people involved and so many compromises made. In this sense, tech that makes it easier to make better looking movies should in theory be a huge benefit. I say in theory because we have yet to really see this happen with music because people have got caught up in the tech rather than the content. I believe it eventually will happen though.

[otakar]

It's insane. There are 6 versions of this movie.

-24fps 2D

-24fps RealD 3D

- 24fps IMAX

- 48fps 2D

- 48fps RealD 3D

- 48fps IMAX

I guess therefore the reviews will be hard to compare unless you know what version is reviewed. I plan on seeing it in 48fps RealD 3D with XD (basically bigger screen and better sound), but the number of theaters with 48 fps capability is shockingly small, compared to the total out there.

_{Tip for US fans: Target is selling extended edition Blu-ray LOTR sets for $10 each episode, each box comes with a $5 Hobbit coupon. Total is $30, with $15 worth of coupons. Coupons can be combined, which means you pretty much pay for your premium theater ticket by getting this (in-store only, in rack by the check outs).}

[TheBadger]

...I believe it eventually will happen though.

Me too, efflux. Once the tech is all on the desktop, as it nearly is now, then the auteurs will return. One man/woman/other, one vision, one film.
Another big problem is that actors get to much say in the process. Acting is the least creative of all the big parts of movie making. Even Plato said they where at the bottom of the artistic ladder. Alfred Hitchcock called them all cattle. And he was not being nice about it.
But having said that, I really like Daniel day lewis . He did a great line in "Lincoln" everyone in england should enjoy.

[efflux]

The problem with new tech is that it's usually got a wow factor but then you begin to see what it's really good at and what it's not good at. Then there is all the effort to use it to begin with. You have to be able to quickly use the tools as a means to an end. It's only when you get to this stage that decent content comes out because that's what you are now concentrating on. TG2 is a major pain in this department. It takes ages to collect all the different methods together into some kind of library of uses. I'm also hesitant of new tech because it can become defunct. I go through stages of thinking I'm just going to junk this angle of graphics because you lose track of the end result. This is why people get frustrated with TG2. I'm sure lots of talented people have tried TG2 and ditched it in frustration. Artists just want to create work not spend all their time dealing with the tools. I've gained a bit more enthusiasm recently with TG2 but it's very slow and frustrating progress.

[masonspappy]

Well, I've seen several reviews of the new Hobbit movie now, and the reviewers consistantly paint the movie as a mediocre, overly-long mishmash. And they've not been thrilled with the 3D/48 FPS thingee either.

[efflux]

I've read the Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings. It was a long time ago but I can't see how they can pad The Hobbit out to several movies. Are they dong three?! The Lord Of The Rings was the opposite. That could have been six movies. They had to make incoherent jumps in time. I don't think they follow the books accurately at all. I understand this though. A movie is different. They also added a token female character in Lord Of The Rings just to be PC which is crazy.

[TheBadger]

Anyone of you here see this yet?!? Hope to this coming weekend... At some frame rate or another

It's insane. There are 6 versions of this movie.

-24fps 2D

-24fps RealD 3D

- 24fps IMAX

- 48fps 2D

- 48fps RealD 3D

- 48fps IMAX

[otakar]

Anyone of you here see this yet?!? Hope to this coming weekend... At some frame rate or another

Saturday is the day.... Will report back.

[Bjur]

For me it is the next thursday, in 48fps i hope.
And yes, from what i have read they split up "The Hobbit" into 3 parts (and i´m not amused about that "just for the $!" strategy).

Just for your info: The German dubbing actor of Gandalf died a short while ago. His voice was a rly great one and gave Gandalf lots of emotion and believable soul.
We Germans have to face the old Gandalf now with a different voice, so i´m curious till anxious about the outcome.. 

[Tangled-Universe]

For me it is the next thursday, in 48fps i hope.
And yes, from what i have read they split up "The Hobbit" into 3 parts (and i´m not amused about that "just for the $!" strategy).

My gf wants to see it too, but she doesn't want to spend extra money on the 48fps. In a way she's right.
How on earth can you charge for 2x more frames being shown in the same time?
Cinemas and retailers who claim the software updates are costly are effing liars if you ask me. These 100's thousands dollars/euros costing projectors can do this natively.

On the other hand. From a tech side and because of this discussion I'm curious to see it in 48fps/3d.
Actually, for best comparison I'd need to see it in 2D as well. With my gf then probably.
Not sure whether I'll be able to go through 3 hours of extended/dragging story twice.

I agree the splitting of the story in 3 parts is a shame. To quote something I can't remember where I've seen it "The Hobbit, the only case where it takes more time to watch the movies than to read the book".
All for dollars, yuk.

Just for your info: The German dubbing actor of Gandalf died a short while ago. His voice was a rly great one and gave Gandalf lots of emotion and believable soul.
We Germans have to face the old Gandalf now with a different voice, so i´m curious till anxious about the outcome.. 

Well, without meaning to sound like a dick, this seems to be a perfect opportunity for Germany to stop dubbing movies
Use subtitles and enjoy the original sound of the voices
Dubbed voices miss the original depth created by the original location of shooting and audio mastering and although I admit that the voice actors aren't as crap as over a decade ago (they're actually quite good at transferring the characters emotion), it still isn't what it's supposed to be.