The Movie Minute with Madeline, Episode #2
Hey everyone,
Madeline from Poor Bear here, back again with another entry in The Movie Minute!
Frame rates, frame rates, frame rates! Everything we see on a screen from movies to video games and sports, is shown as a series of frames, or still images, that are displayed rapidly in succession to give the illusion of movement. This occurs in anything that can display moving images, whether it be a projector screen at a movie theater, a large television in your home, watching YouTube on a computer, or even browsing social media on your phone. Every form of video, GIF, or equivalent has a frame rate of some sort. Frame rates are typically measured in frames per second (fps). You’ve probably heard of 30 fps, 60 fps, 120 fps, etc. But what do those mean, and does a higher framerate always mean better?
Well, for video games and other content with fast motion such as sports, that may be true, but not for movies or filmmaking! In fact, the ideal frame rate for cinematic viewing is 24 fps. Now, why is that so? According to Kyle Deguzman of StudioBinder, it dates back to the history of cinema, as it was determined after numerous experiments that it was the minimum frame rate to be efficient with both sound synchronization and use of film stock. This frame rate, as Deguzman pointed out, has remained the standard to this day that us as moviegoers have become accustomed to over the decades of cinema.
But now that many of us stream movies and TV shows at home instead of going to the theatre, some content may not display at the filmmaker’s intended frame rate, and a lot of people might not even notice! Many modern HD and 4K TVs contain a feature that’s commonly known as “motion enhancement” or “motion interpolation”, among other things, which is typically enabled by default. As Michael Bizzaco and Derek Malcolm of DigitalTrends pointed out.
This produces what’s often known as the “soap opera effect”, taken from the higher frame rates that typical soap operas are displayed at. It also has been said to make the viewer feel like they’re watching a behind-the-scenes featurette instead of a finished film. However, Bizzaco and Malcolm noted that even some films have portions that are intentionally shot at higher frame rates, such as The Hobbit trilogy.
When it comes to how we at Poor Bear handle frame rates when shooting content, we typically shoot the vast majority of our content (including interviews/main content and most b-roll) at around 24 (or 23.97 to be precise) fps at 4K resolution. However, we may use other frame rates for various purposes, such as shooting some clips at 60 (59.97 to be precise) fps, which can be useful for slow-motion shots.
That being said, frame rates do matter, and it’s vital to consider that a standard and consistent frame rate is used during production. In addition, different frame rates are more suited for different situations. But ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what frame rate works best for you when it comes to what you’ll shoot your content at and for what purpose. If you’re working with a team of different directors, DPs, etc, it’s vital that you and your team members coordinate with a plan so that disconnection won’t plague the production process.
I hope you all find this new info about cinematic framerates interesting, and please stay tuned for more upcoming stories about cinema and filmmaking!
-Madeline
Sources:
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/why-are-movies-24-frames-per-second
For a deeper look into frame rates – https://www.wowza.com/blog/frame-rate-beginners-guide-live-streaming