Filmmaker Peter Jackson has revealed more about his decision to shoot The Hobbit at twice the normal frame rate in an effort to enhance picture clarity and smoothness.
The decision to shoot at 48 frames per second, rather than the traditional 24 fps, was first revealed by cinematographer Andrew Lesnie in an email to IF magazine earlier this month.
Jackson, writing on his Facebook page, said the film is also being shot in a slightly different way to further enhance the picture quality of the 3D film.
"Normally you shoot a movie with a 180-degree shutter angle," he wrote. "Changing the shutter angle affects the amount of motion blur captured during movement. Reducing the shutter angle gives you the stroby (or jerky) Saving Private Ryan look.
"However, we're going the other way, shooting at 48 fps with a 270-degree shutter angle. This gives the 48 fps a lovely silky look, and creates a very pleasing look at 24 fps as well. In fact, our DP, Andrew Lesnie, and I prefer the look of 24 fps when it comes from a 48 fps master."
The film will still be converted back to 24 fps (in both digital and 35mm prints) so it can be shown in cinemas everywhere.
The 3D adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien’s classic fantasy book, which will be released as two films, is currently being shot at Wellington's Stone Street Studios and on location in New Zealand.
A behind-the-scenes video of the early stages of production can be found here.