Is high-frame-rate projection the future of filmmaking or an
assault on the human brain? Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An
Unexpected Journey — shot and projected at 48 frames per second,
twice the traditional number — has drawn a lot of irritated
muttering and heavy thoughts about the limits of perception and
“the way our brains see things.” (Not to mention the way we
emotionally experience things — the author of a fascinating
piece posted today at Gizmodo cops to having had radically
different reactions to the film after seeing it in both 48 and
24 FPS.) Some viewers have described the ultraclear picture as
looking like an HD TV version of the film and others have noted
that some scenes look like sped-up Benny Hill–esque outtakes.
But why does it all appear so odd, so abnormal? And is it
actually? To find out, Vulture asked two experts: Marty Banks, a
professor of optometry and vision science at Berkeley, who was
sought out by Jackson before The Hobbit’s release to weigh in on
a 48 FPS trailer for the film, an