Cinema is all about 24fps, we all know that. Sometimes, if something looks too natural, it loses its magic. If you ever watched a movie on your TV set with the "MotionFlow/Motion Plus" feature turned on, you probably realized that something was wrong and that the movie looked cheap. This is why it is hard to understand why Peter Jackson decided to shoot The Hobbit at 48fps (on a RED Epic in 3D). Many who had the possibility to watch a 10 minute preview that was recently shown at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, were not impressed. Here are some reports (via NoFilmSchool):

LA Times Blog:

"Indeed, the footage shown did seem hyper-realistic. An opening aerial shot of dramatic rocky mountains appeared clearer than the images in most nature documentaries. But the effect was different when applied to scenes with actors dressed in period costume, whose every move — and pore — was crystal clear. Such realism put off some trade show attendees, who complained the footage didn’t feel enough like a traditional film."

And here's another report, this time by the popular service IGN Movies:

"I didn’t go into CinemaCon expecting to write anything less than great things about The Hobbit, but the very aesthetic chosen by Peter Jackson has made me very nervous about this film. It just looked … cheap, like a videotaped or live TV version of Lord of the Rings and not the epic return to Tolkien that we have all so long been waiting for. I still have hope for The Hobbit, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say my expectations for the film have now been greatly diminished."

Let's hope that after these opinions producers will decide to release a 24fps version of this movie. If not, it might be a big disappointment. Marden Blake, a NoFilmSchool reader posted a nice comparison of 24fps @1/48 and 48fps @1/64 RED footage. You can download it here.

Source: http://nofilmschool.com