New Hobbit Clips from the TV Show Circuit - MAJOR SPOILERS

[sauronsfinger]

Have tickets for Saturday the 15th at the Henry Ford I MAX. My grandson and myself after an early dinner at anywhere but Dennys'.

I wonder if some of the early reaction is based on the 'shock of the new' ?

[Elentári]

Regarding the HFR response, I think you are probably right - like PJ said when he compared it to the CD vs vinyl issue. Also the optical medium is pretty much open to personal response...after all, everyone's visual perception is different, and it seems to be a matter of personal adjustment: those who adjust most easily to the format seem to love it. The ones who don't love it are saying things like "I never got used to it and I couldn't concentrate on the story". I don't think anyone can know for sure which category they will fall into until they see it themselves.

Although one thing is for sure: I know you guys will have a ball!

[Dave_LF]

There is certainly a newness factor and I discount reviews that complain that it looks too real (in so many words). The people who succeeded in putting me off seeing in the 48 the first time are the ones who say it makes the sets looks like sets and the costumes look like costumes.

[Elentári]

Maybe repeat viewings make a difference?

The link given for this quote no longer works, but a reviewer for The Chicago Tribune wrote:

"SECOND THOUGHTS: At the time this story was originally published on Monday night, I was seeing "The Hobbit" for the second time, again at 48fps. And I have to admit that not only did the movie strike me as better - faster and more entertaining, though still padded and at times silly - but the format wasn't as bothersome.

I still think the high frame rate takes you out of the movie at times, particularly in scenes that feature well-lit actors prominently in the frame. But about half the time, the format came closer to justifying Jackson's experiment than it had seemed on first viewing.

So maybe I'm just one of those viewers who needs more time to adjust."

[Stranger Wings]

There is certainly a newness factor and I discount reviews that complain that it looks too real (in so many words). The people who succeeded in putting me off seeing in the 48 the first time are the ones who say it makes the sets looks like sets and the costumes look like costumes.

Right. I find it astounding that reviewers have difficulty explaining it.

The essence of it is that the combination of 5K resolution digital and 48fps creates an image, and movement, of such extreme clarity, that fake things (such as sets and makeup) look as they do in real life without a filmic filter. They look like fake lights, fake sets, fake beards and fake noses because they are, in reality, fake lights, fake sets, fake beards and fake noses. The only stuff that looks great are the landscapes.

So, it "looks too real" simply means that the artifice of film look more like the actual artifice that it is. Simple, really.

And its confounding to me that anyone would prefer this look, IMO.

[Alatar]

I shall wait until I see it for myself before I judge, but I suspect you're extrapolating. The thing that came across incredibly clearly from the behind the scenes footage from 10 years ago was that the sets and props all looked real to the naked eye. Having been on film and TV sets a few times in the last couple of years I can attest to the fact that in most cases you don't know until you touch something whether its real or fake. While filming Braveheart a few years back they expanded Trim Castle to 4 times its actual size and only by tapping the walls could you tell which parts were real and which were fake. It was seamless. Now, look at the added levels of detail the actors on set of LotR reported. These guys are used to being on film sets and they couldn't get over the attention to detail and how "real" everything was. So, if the actors on set think the sets look real, what makes you think that those of us sitting in a theatre thousands of miles away will be seeing fakery?

I just don't get this.

[Pearly Di]

What Al said.

When I heard people saying that 48fps looks like 'soap opera', I had visions of The Hobbit looking like Home and Away.

What a dreadful thought!

I'm now very keen to see the format, to see whether I love it or hate it at first sight.

[Elentári]

None of you will want to watch this until after December 14th (or whatever date you are going), of course, but just so you know it is available for whatever brief period WB allow:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - 13 Minute Television Special


Posted by WarnerBros Belgium, apparently...

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I watched about 30 seconds and then said "what am doing?" and turned it off.

Definitely too much.

[Stranger Wings]

I watched about 30 seconds and then said "what am doing?" and turned it off.

Definitely too much.

Wow. I couldn't resist, unfortunately. There is some great looking stuff in there. I have to say that Dale and Erebor are my favorite designs from PJ's team yet, right next to Meduseld. Somehow more satisfying than Minas Tirith.

And I quite like the look of what seems to be Azog.

[Elentári]

I have to say I don't have a problem watching stuff like this...any clips remain just that, until you see the actual movie, and you find how they all fit together within the whole...so seeing tasters like this simply whets my appetite even more for the feast proper.

Definitely loving Dale and Erebor too. It's always wonderful to see and hear Lee and Howe talk about their designs.

[Alatar]

Ah, but I remember very clearly watching all the clips before Fellowship and when it came to watching the movie there was a weird sort of deja-vu at those points and it pulled me out of the movie. I want to avoid that this time. For some reason I never get that feeling with trailers.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Well, it turned out, I couldn't resist either. It wasn't as spoilerific as I feared. The only thing I regretted seeing was that last, very wonderful shot.

I'm officially excited now.

[Dave_LF]

Ha! I have a will of iron, evidently.

I've actually lost most of my urge to seek this stuff out, suddenly. Too much is known now. Why would I want to expend effort analyzing and figuring out stuff that anyone can just look up?

[kzer_za]

I've been pretty good about avoiding spoilers - only seen/heard a small handful of TV spots and music tracks. I was almost entirely spoiler-free for LotR. I'll enjoy it more with some surprise, and it helps keep my expectations in check.

[Stranger Wings]

Well, it turned out, I couldn't resist either. It wasn't as spoilerific as I feared. The only thing I regretted seeing was that last, very wonderful shot.

I'm officially excited now.

One disappointing thing about it, though, was how almost every single dwarf design I saw from the Erebor flashback seemed much more satisfying than most of the dwarves in the company. And they aren't all carbon copies of Gimli, either. There are some fascinating and very distinctive dwarf designs in there.

The only ones I really like from the company are Thorin, Balin, and perhaps, Dori.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Yeah, I must admit that I thought the same.

By the way, Carne at TORN has made dozens of screencaps from the video:

http://imgur.com/a/WAhuU

Some great stuff in there, but also I think well demonstrates exactly the point that you just made. Oh well, I can live the choices that they made, even if I would have made different ones.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Do not watch this!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvwX_ng28Q8

[Dave_LF]

No kidding. The reviewers are right, this is the most boringist thing ever!!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Seriously. Terrible. I'm thinking about skipping the movie altogether after that.