Tell that to audiophiles who listen exclusively to music in .flac format. That is as perfect as any media format currently is and its going through a major surge in popularity. What isn't fascinating about hearing every single note perfectly, feeling every single hum and vibration as though you were there? Likewise, why isn't it fascinating and intriguing and valuable to see a film as though you were there, on set? Movies are supposed to test our suspension of disbelief against how well the director can make us believe it. The Hobbit is the first of big, mass release films using HFR so it won't be perfect, but it won't be long now before it IS perfected, at least to a degree that audiences will appreciate. Pretty soon, we will have films where everything will be visible, every subtle tic, every feature on an actor's face, every sharp point on the scenery will be visible in its realistic glory. We'll be able to see things directly from the creators' vision in a new way. Perfect is not boring, my friend. If a director wants to use film grain, then they still can, but what's right for one movie isn't the solution for all of them. And I can see the motivation for Jackson with The Hobbit - he wants to create something that feels like you're on the adventure, feels like you're there seeing everything up close and personal. And I think that's a noble goal, and I hope that 2 and 3 take some of the critiques of the first to heart while putting on the production and post-production details so that we can see more and better HFR being released. But wanting to create a specific feel for your movie isn't boring.But about the rest, I completely disagree that people do not like flaws. Who likes perfect? In theory, yes, perfect is fascinating, but in real life - perfect is boring.
I just have to wonder though if the cart wasn't put before the horse this time around. Would be interesting to know about the order of filming decisions made for the Hobbit. Was investing in a handful of RED epic cameras done before screen tests? What if PJ was unhappy with the look of the film in the early stages, could he have switched gears or was the momentum of such a huge film already too big? Like trying to turn an ocean liner 180 degrees. I have to say that I know squat about making movies any way so this is all just a thought. Considering perfection. I tend to prefer the lossless kind of media as well because I think the purity of production is a worthwhile effort, but what I was trying to get at (in not so many words) is that perfection is impossible. Music will never be perfect when transferred to another media. But playing records might be more about other things than audio quality. I was just at a friends for NYE and his record player has a staging mechanism that will drop one record on top of the other to play when the first is finished. It was such a cool machine. And it made me more aware of the space and time of a collection of songs that can fit onto one side of a vinyl record. Of course, this could be considered super annoying to some people. For me, there is a huge difference between hearing music and listening to music.
I don't know the order the film was produced in, and I know nothing about the filmmaking process. But I'm glad it was done. We can be aware of the medium now, and keep working with it. A few years ago there were no 3D movies, now, it seems, every big film gets a 3D version, even if it's ill-advised. We're getting the the point where it's no longer a novelty and is just a fact of the matter. HFR might soon get there, too, and I welcome adding another tool to the creative toolbox. Won't be right for everything, but used well, it could be a big, positive change. As for the kind of media you listen to something on, I agree that there is some value in appreciating how things were done and novel ways of observing it. But that's just it - as new, higher-fidelity, lower-loss mediums are perfected, the old ones will become novelties. Record players are one thing, but would anyone really choose to listen to music on a gramophone, except to listen to the sound of the gramophone? What I mean is, I don't think enjoying lossy, dated mediums is about enjoying the music or the movie. I think it's about enjoying the medium. You're listening to that vinyl record not because you want the music but because you want the framing for the music which produces a novel experience. At least, that's my perspective. Perhaps to some people it really doesn't sound right without the grain. But I really do have think that is a kind of nostalgia or novelty.
from the dictionary: Novel: adj. 1 : new and not resembling something formerly known or used
2 : original or striking especially in conception or style from this, I would say that that term might not describe what you're trying to say.
New and not resembling something formerly known or used -- the the one who would know or use it. Black and white may not have been a novelty when the first few color films came out. But if someone made a black and white movie now, it would be novel, because it is not something known or used in the age of color, with few exceptions. Currently, 24 fps movies are not novel. But when HFR catches on - and I believe it will - a movie that opts for a 24 fps style may be novel. Perhaps our children, or grandchildren, will grow up in a world where they never saw a 24 fps film come out. That will be when what we considered the norm will be novel.
Thanks for clarifying. You know - with the recent influx of new users on here lately, a lot of shit has come through the door. But a whole lot of awesome has come through the door as well - yourself included. I think Hubski is a much stronger place because of it and am excited about it's future. This conversation got me to thinking about record sales and searching for stats. I was also reading about the 25-35 year old demo primarily responsible for the uptick. Funny because it's totally me. 33. In fact, 90% of the people that I spend 90% of my time with is totally this. Sometimes I forget, even when living in a city with 2 million, what kind of a bubble I'm in. Cheers!
I appreciate the kind words - I actually came here because of StephenBuckley and not reddit, my arrival was merely coincidence. But many of those posters, too, have been interesting and added new texture. And the ones who aren't are easily blocked :) And yeah, it's a curious thing that people in that age range are embracing vinyl records again. I wonder why? Nostalgia can only account for so much, and if it was merely a novelty I don't know if so many people would flock to it or be intrigued. Perhaps there is something to the way it sounds that some people simply find more attractive? I don't fully understand it myself but I also can't claim to know other peoples' tastes, and there's no accounting for that. But I am glad that we have a choice. The majority will be using MP3 and other digital recordings of middling quality, and I suppose the audiophiles will be split between ultra-high-quality digital FLAC files, or the sound of vinyl records. Certainly an interesting range, though. I would bet vinyl users are centered in cities primarily, due to having easy access to record shops that sell that kind of stuff. Small town stores are a lot less likely to have records available in that format, and in fact finding a record store at all in a small town these days is... well good luck. Downloading is kind of the only choice for probably a major segment of the population, and certainly the most convenient. I wonder what the statistics would be if vinyl records were more readily available so people had more of a distinct choice?
Novelty. That word. You're onto something there. I'll have to digest that one. Really good point! :)