For many, The Lord of the Rings was the Star Wars for a generation: a three-film epic that deserved the Academy Award given to the final film.
But with the trilogy's prequel, The Hobbit, a sense of foreboding has crept into the audience who saw 10 minutes of footage at CinemaCon this week: its new 48 frame-per-second format may be too lifelike.
Traditionally, films have been shot and projected in 24 frames per second. With The Hobbit, director Peter Jackson moved to 48 frames per second, which apparently looks more like the digital video shot for ESPN and daytime television, than film.
"It reminds me of when I first saw Blu-Ray, in that it takes away that warm feeling of film," one source told Variety.
"48fps feature films will likely divide moviegoers - I expect to see stronger hate, more so than 3D," Peter Sciretta of Slashfilm tweeted after the screening.
On April 11, director Peter Jackson confirmed the use of 48 frames per second in a Facebook post. Jackson appears to be basing his argument on the fact that 3D looks better using the enhanced 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)," Jackson wrote. "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," Jackson added. "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 eye strain 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!"
It's unclear, however, as to how many theaters will actually own the 48-fps equipment to project the film, The Daily Telegraph noted.
The Hobbit is due in theaters this Dec. 14.
Image credit: Warner Bros.
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