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Peter Jackson debuted ten minutes of new Hobbit footage earlier this week, and a new presentation technique the director is using caused some to compare the look of the new material to a made-for-TV movie.
The new footage aired at CinemaCon, a convention for theatre owners, earlier this week and the feedback wasn't what Jackson expected. Jackson is shooting his two new Hobbit movies at 48 frames-per-second. They would be the first major releases to be delivered at such a high frame rate. The current industry standard is 24 frames--per-second. Viewers complained the faster frame rate made Middle Earth look too glossy, and they preferred the dirtier look of the first Lord of the Rings movies. The picture wasn't "cinematic" enough. Some theatre owners grumbled about the money it would cost to upgrade their equipment to comply with the faster picture delivery. We were suspect of the new Hobbit trailer when it first debuted for its lack of grand adventure set pieces, when they opted for a bunch of dwarves sitting around smoking instead.
Jackson isn't budging, though. He's urging people to at least give the new technology a chance. “Just like I can’t say anything to someone who doesn’t like fish. You can’t explain why fish tastes great and why they should enjoy it," he said. “There can only ever be a real reaction, a truthful reaction, when people actually have a chance to see a complete narrative on a particular film."