Movies are usually recorded and played back at 24 full frames per second - but the almost 100-year-old standard format "24p" seems to be wobbling. In order to prevent the unpleasant side effects (e.g. the strong jerking during medium-fast camera panning) of the 24fps projection, work has been underway for a long time on doubling the frame rate to 48 frames per second and more.
A distinction must be made between two cases:
- Films recorded at 24 frames per second are displayed on televisions at 60 Hz. This is achieved through a process called frame interpolation, which uses mathematical algorithms to calculate an interpolated image between each pair of original frames. This process can be deactivated on all televisions.
- Films that are recorded and played back directly at double the frame rate (48 frames per second) include, for example, Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit". James Cameron, a pioneer not only in 3D cinema technology, is working on an even higher frame rate of 60 frames per second: Avatar 2 is intended to be presented in this hyper-realistic style.
In both cases, a peculiar effect occurs, the so-called soap opera effect: Even the most expensive blockbuster feels (at least to me) like a cheap soap opera à la "Good Times, Bad Times." I simply cannot get used to the strange rhythm: It seems as if the images are searching for some kind of connection. The seemingly achieved realism becomes a disaster for the viewing experience.
Of course, this is all in the eye of the beholder - some people won't even notice the effect or may even prefer it. It remains to be seen whether the new technology will prevail in cinemas and on the sofa at home. I'm excited to see how the majority of film fans accept the new developments (also in 3D) and what the future holds.