Using “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which opens this weekend in theaters, is directed by James Cameron’s bet that audiences will be open to a film shot at 48 frames per second and ready to return to Pandora after 13 years.
Films have been shot and shown at the cinematic standard of 24 frames per second for almost all of film’s history. This means that every second, 24 still images are shown on the screen, giving the impression of motion.
While Peter Jackson tried with his “Hobbit” films and director Ang Lee wanted audiences to see 2019’s “Gemini Man” at a whopping 120 frames per second, both received swift criticism from critics and audiences for the way they looked, there have been high-profile attempts to bring higher frame rates to theaters in the past.
Regarding the look at 24 frames per second, Pixelworks executive vice president of technology Richard Miller states, “It came to kind of define the genre of film.” It has become very ingrained in us. When we see a story, I think our brains know we’re watching a movie.
Your television will typically display newscasts, live sports, and even soap operas at 30 frames per second, giving them their distinctive visual feel. However, when a movie is shown at a high frame rate, the end result may appear overly realistic to some viewers, which may draw them out of the story.
According to Miller, “the old way of doing high frame rate makes it look like a sports documentary or a soap opera, and it kind of disengages that storytelling zone.” At the point when producers make a film, they attempt to impart a tension of mistrust. The look at 24 fps really is the only way to get there. The suspension of disbelief is ruined if you attempt a look with a high frame rate.
He continues, “I think everybody who has a recent television, they have seen it.” Although it might be subconscious, it just doesn’t look right. It does not resemble a movie.”
James Cameron arrives.
For “Avatar:” Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment collaborated with Pixelworks’ TrueCut Motion platform to modify the appearance of the onscreen motion in every shot of “The Way of Water” and the recently remastered original.
Miller hopes that these “motion grading” adjustments will one day be as common as color grading in post-production. They allow the movie to be shown at 48 frames per second so that the images look crisp and detailed on bigger, brighter, and better screens, but no unusual motion distracts viewers from the story.
The end result is “Avatar: The first major film to be released at a high frame rate while maintaining a “cinematic” appearance is “The Way of Water.”
The action and underwater scenes in the sequel to “Avatar” will run at a higher frame rate, making the motion look better and more realistic. Dramatic scenes, on the other hand, have been adjusted to look like the standard of 24 frames per second that audiences are accustomed to.
Miller asserts, “It’s a tool for the director to create the look he or she wants shot by shot.” It is used sparingly. The tool may not be necessary for all shots.
The ultimate objective is to produce a seamless visual experience that enhances each shot’s aesthetic and cinematic appeal.
However, Miller claims that the goal is for moviegoers to not notice anything different about the action except for the fact that it looks great.
He advises, “Sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in the movie.”
Allow yourself to lose yourself in Pandora’s world and allow yourself to suspend belief. Our job is done if you simply love the movie and the story and never notice anything distracting about the motion.”
Check more stories Here.
