Paramount is convincing cinemas to play their next hit at 120 FPS

mongeese

Posts: 643   +123
The big (and smooth) picture: Paramount has sent a letter to cinemas across the U.S. requesting that they complete a variety of tests to find the fastest frame rate their screens can support. Their goal is to bring Ang Lee’s latest movie, Gemini Man, to more than the two cinemas he managed last time he filmed a movie at 120 FPS.

Gemini Man will be a sci-fi thriller following a retired assassin who must face off against a younger clone of himself who can predict his next move with cunning accuracy. Will Smith will play the lead role of Henry Brogan, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong playing supporting characters. Paramount believes the film will be very successful when it arrives in cinemas on October 4th.

Key to that success, according to Director Ang Lee, is the full 3D 4K 120 FPS experience. Ang Lee’s undoubtedly an expert on what makes a film good, having been the mastermind behind Life of Pi and Brokeback Mountain and winning an Oscar for both. However, 120 FPS and even 60 FPS isn’t taking off, largely due to the “soap opera” effect that can make such high framerates feel cheesy and fake.

Paramount's letter claims otherwise.

This fall the Studio will be releasing director Ang Lee’s highly anticipated action thriller, Gemini Man, starring Will Smith. Ang’s unique vision for this film includes recording and projecting in the most pristine and immersive formats. We want to do everything possible to make projecting the high frame rate version of Gemini Man a turnkey experience for you and provide audiences with the latest technological advancement in cinema.

In 2016 Ang Lee released Billy Lynn’s Long Half Time Walk in 120 FPS – but only twelve cinemas worldwide played it at those speeds and only two in the U.S. The Rolling Stone said that the high framerate was distracting and that the movie “favors bleeding-edge technology over blood and guts to a fault.” It only grossed $1.7 million, though that could have been a result of its unpopular critical stance on the Iraq War.

While Billy Lynn used the high framerate to add depth (supposedly), Gemini Man is expected to use the high framerates to make fast action scenes and quick camera movements more fluid. Personally, as a casual gamer who appreciates high framerates in games and finds movies irritatingly slow, that sounds great. It’ll be interesting to how wider audiences respond.

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This article makes me want to go to YouTube and watch some 60 FPS blog videos, which I find thrilling. Anything that makes me feel like I've gone through a portal to another location in the world or universe has my approval.
 
I think there is some confusion in this article. What the author wants is, 120fps of combined rate, when shown in 3D, so you get 60fps per eye. Nobody needs or wants more than 60fps per eye in a cinema.
 
I think there is some confusion in this article. What the author wants is, 120fps of combined rate, when shown in 3D, so you get 60fps per eye. Nobody needs or wants more than 60fps per eye in a cinema.
Not quite. In the letter it specifies that the movie will be available in 120 FPS 2D, 60 FPS 3D, 60 FPS 2D and standard options.
 
I think there is some confusion in this article. What the author wants is, 120fps of combined rate, when shown in 3D, so you get 60fps per eye. Nobody needs or wants more than 60fps per eye in a cinema.

I dunno, I've had a 144Hz monitor for a few years now, and given a choice I wouldn't go back to 60fps games. The sweet spot for me where I don't notice anymore seems to be around the 80-90 fps range. Above that, I'm not sure I can tell the difference without pixel peeping.

I use SVP to upscale videos/movies to 144fps, going back to 24/25/30 fps feels like a sideshow now.

I don't know how movies filmed natively in 120fps look like, but I'm damn sure excited to find out.
 
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I don't care if it's 25fps or 144fps lower the crazy prices at the movie theater, make the ghetto teens shut the fuc* up, clean the damn floors and seats. Anyone using their phone or talking have them removed, but girlfriends giving their man a BJ I don't mine just do it quiet.
Sorry you have to live in a place with such theaters.
All I ever smell is popcorn (near Seattle )
And the people are quite nice. Not a lot of unwanted individuals that bring trouble though.
If I had to deal wit that **** you described, I d stop watching movies there long ago.
 
IMO Games =/= Video

Nobody has ever set out to game at 24 fps. That has always felt jerky and wrong.

Whereas almost everyone has watched most movies they've always watched at 24 fps, not noticed any problems with smoothness, but probably making some sub-conscious associations between filmed entertainment and the subtly different characteristics that frame rate brings.

I'm one of those who has tried high frame rate video before, found it completely un-magical and cheap feeling, and am not sure why I'd want to travel to a theater to experience it again.
 
Considering the LACK OF good stories coming out of Hollyweird (reboots, remakes), I'll just wait for it to show up online.
 
IMO Games =/= Video
...
Nobody has ever set out to game at 24 fps. That has always felt jerky and wrong.

Whereas almost everyone has watched most movies they've always watched at 24 fps, not noticed any problems with smoothness, but probably making some sub-conscious associations between filmed entertainment and the subtly different characteristics that frame rate brings.
...

Watching action scenes or scenes where camera rotates around a lot gives me a headache at 24fps. The amount of blur required to make it look even remotely smooth would make it impossible to see whats going on. I really hope new standard becomes at least 60 fps.
 
I've been advocating for 60fps to become the standard for a very long time now. The difference for me is very noticeable and when done right it just looks and feels better. With digital cameras becoming the norm it should be viable now to film them like that.

As for cinema that don't support it they can just get the 24fps version just like they do with 3D movies.
 
Let's see how it goes. Something new.

I find the smooth motion techs used in current 4K TVs quite interesting and more realistic. I know many hate it, but I like it.
 
I'm not sure about live-action fictional movies and TV shows yet, but I would like to see high framerates for everything else (sports, animation, news, reality TV, documentaries, etc.)
 
I don't care if it's 25fps or 144fps lower the crazy prices at the movie theater, make the ghetto teens shut the fuc* up, clean the damn floors and seats. Anyone using their phone or talking have them removed, but girlfriends giving their man a BJ I don't mine just do it quiet.

Hell yeah, sick of the idi0ts in the cinemas the disgusting popcorn in every nook and cranny that is never cleaned. Ticket prices in Australia are an effing joke.

Also sick of the pathetic level of censorhip on this site.
 
I swear some TV shows and movies intentionally lowered the framerates on some of their action scenes to make them appear more jarring. I too would be curious to see how they look at very high framerates. Probably fake, as some are suspecting. With motion that smooth you will see all the flaws. With low framerates they can make minor corrections much easier.
 
Sorry you have to live in a place with such theaters.
All I ever smell is popcorn (near Seattle )
And the people are quite nice. Not a lot of unwanted individuals that bring trouble though.
If I had to deal wit that **** you described, I d stop watching movies there long ago.

Where I live doesn't matter. I live in CT and my area has homes worth around $1-$5 Million.
 
I think there is some confusion in this article. What the author wants is, 120fps of combined rate, when shown in 3D, so you get 60fps per eye. Nobody needs or wants more than 60fps per eye in a cinema.

I dunno, I've had a 144Hz monitor for a few years now, and given a choice I wouldn't go back to 60fps games. The sweet spot for me where I don't notice anymore seems to be around the 80-90 fps range. Above that, I'm not sure I can tell the difference without pixel peeping.

I use SVP to upscale videos/movies to 144fps, going back to 24/25/30 fps feels like a sideshow now.

I don't know how movies filmed natively in 120fps look like, but I'm damn sure excited to find out.
Upscaled movie/video looks like garbage, dude. 60fps for video is absolutely stunning, you aren't playing it so it doesn't matter how it "feels".
 
I don't care if it's 25fps or 144fps lower the crazy prices at the movie theater, make the ghetto teens shut the fuc* up, clean the damn floors and seats. Anyone using their phone or talking have them removed, but girlfriends giving their man a BJ I don't mine just do it quiet.
Some people will thank you for this. You've driven me away from here with the hip hop imagery and the sexual innuendo.

I'm off to listen to some symphonic metal and surf for porn on another machine. Here's the music:


You'll have to use your imagination for the smut:
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Didn't high frame rate fail hard with The Hobbit?

The Soap Opera effect is very real, and it's hideous. High frame rate being a genuinely great thing for games doesn't necessarily make it a great thing for video. It will also create a divide between new and old content, making the media experience as a whole very jarring.
 
Try watching the simpsons at 240hz, you can literally see each frame of the cartoon.

I welcome this for animated and heavy CGI movies.
 
I use SVP to upscale videos/movies to 144fps, going back to 24/25/30 fps feels like a sideshow now.

I don't know how movies filmed natively in 120fps look like, but I'm damn sure excited to find out.
Just installed SVP. Man it's changing everything, even shitty videos look like HD. If 'soap opera effect' is a concern just add a little bit of motion and spatial blur with VLC voilà.
 
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