[Frameworks] Theory and practice of frame rates in digital cinema?

Francisco Torres fjtorrespr at gmail.com
Mon Aug 8 17:36:24 UTC 2016


I have given it some thought and so far what I have noticed is that digital
projection is very different from film projection, so even ''24 fps'' mean
very different things in each. You discussed the reasons why in your OP so
I will not go over them again, what I think is that there is nothing in
digital projection like the effect those film makers achieved with film
projection. Plus there are issues regarding how film was exposed in the
camera itself...  So to achieve those kind of effects will require a whole
new and different practice in digital media.

2016-08-08 10:48 GMT-04:00 Robert Withers <withersr at earthlink.net>:

> Looking for information . . . writings . . . practices . . . thoughts . .
> .
> In film practice, certain artists such as Frampton, Sharits, Conrad,
> Lawder and others (even myself) sometimes built film rhythms based on the
> 24 fps rate, choosing shots or images of specific frame lengths (1, 2, 4,
> 8, 24, etc) for specific effects. The effect in projection was also
> modulated by the projection technology, which would typically project each
> film frame more that one time, with a black interval in between. We had
> different kinds of flicker effects interacting with the
> psychological/perceptual phenomenon of persistence of vision, with the odd
> result that audiences in a movie theater would be sitting in total darkness
> for a portion of any film screening, watching the images that persisted in
> their brains.
>
> Now in digital cinema there is a choice of "standard" frame rates,
> especially 24 fps and 30 fps, modulated to a more unpredictable effect by
> use of displays and digital projection systems, which have been
> standardized in commercial cinema theaters but not in all systems. So 8
> frame sequences in 24 fps digital could conceivably have a different flavor
> than in 30 fps sequences. In digital display there is no more effect from
> closed film projection shutters: digital frames are projected in sequence
> with no significant interval between. (*Pace* the blanking interval.)
> Hence digital cinema is typically always "on" with no intrinsic (even if
> unperceived) flicker. Further, there are automatic background manipulations
> done by some display technologies that convert between 24 fps, 30 fps, 60
> interlaced fps, etc., without the viewer being aware of this or tipped off
> in any way.
>
> I'd be very interesting in hearing about anyone who is writing,
> practicing, or thinking about these issues, and any references.
>
> Many thanks,
> Robert Withers
>
> cinesouvenir.com
>
>
>
>
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