The Hobbit is shooting at 48fps and in 3D

So what's the big deal?

By Tel Benjamin

Apr 13, 2011

After a hugely problematic pre-production phase with a vast array of setbacks including but not restricted to medical ailments, natural disasters and financial woes, part one of The Hobbit — the much anticipated prequel to the multibillion dollar Lord of the Rings franchise — begun lensing just a few weeks ago to the sounds of a million sighs of relief from fans around the world.

Well, it seems cinephiles around the globe have much more to look forward to than seeing our favourite scenes from the book brought to life by the magical Mr Jackson. According to his Facebook, the Academy Award-winning director is not only shooting the entire film in 3D (as has been rumoured) but at the lightning-quick speed of 48 frames per second. This means the great Smaug is going to be even more glorious than could have previously been predicted.

I, for one, am an avid film purist, when DVD died and Blu ray was born I immediately set about updating my collection, to hear that The Hobbit is being filmed in a way which will allow the clearest of pictures has me believing the film industry from at least a technical perspective is headed in the right direction. As for 3D? Meh. I can take it or leave it but that said no one is yet to see a 3D film at frame rate as of yet and if Jackson’s post is anything to go by we are in for a treat. Here are some of the more important excerpts from Jackson’s Facebook blog post:

“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 3D. 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 eyestrain from the 3D. 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!”

This information came with an adorable picture of Jackson and his brand new set of toys.

peter jackson the hobbit set image1 700x525 The Hobbit is shooting at 48fps and in 3D