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So what is frame rate in video, and why are there so many options?
Hey everyone, Camber here back with you tonight in South Korea, and I am outside
on my balcony because my room is hideous. I mean look at this... Not the nicest place
I've ever been in. So, yeah, that's why we're outside tonight. So today we're
talking about frame rates; why there are so many, and how these different frame
rates are gonna affect the way your video looks. So first off, when we're
watching a film, we're not actually watching true motion. What we're seeing
is a series of still images that are called frames. Now the human eye can
register about 10 to 12 frames per second as individual images, but once you
start getting above those 12 frames per second, your mind starts to fill in the
gaps and then perceives it as being true motion. So let's talk a little bit about
the history of where these various frame rates came from. So starting off with the
silent film era, cameras and projectors had to be hand-cranked to advance the
film through them, and this led to varying frame rates between 14 to 26
frames per second, which was enough to give that sense of motion, however it was
often jerky and uneven because the film had to be hand cranked during the
recording process, and then cranked again by hand during the projection. And these
variations in speed during the recording and the playback made it nearly
impossible to get a consistent true-to-life feel of motion in the films,
but things began to change in the late 20s when it became possible to sync
sound using various sound recording devices with a projector. Film could now
be cranked mechanically during the recording and playback process giving a
consistent speed, and eventually sound was able to be synced to the film by
adding an optical track to the film strip alongside the image. And it was
this practice of linking the audio to the film strip that limited the frame
rate to the limitations of the audio technology of the time. Since film was
expensive, it was important for production companies to use as little
film as possible to keep costs down, and although 16 frames per second was enough
to give motion and was used during the silent era, it wasn't enough to produce a
quality soundtrack at that frame rate. So eventually the production companies
settled on 24 frames per second because it was the
slowest frame rate they could use that gave good audio quality. So the 24 frames
per second that we're used to seeing in films wasn't a decision based on the way
it looked, but more of an economical decision to keep costs down. So my camera
has 24 frames per second, but I also see 25 frames per second and 30 frames per
second. So where did these come from? For about 50 years TVs were made using CRT
monitors, cathode ray tube, and the limitations of the vacuum tube
technology at the time required that the displays be refreshed at an AC line
frequency. Now that's the flow of electric power running through the lines
in your walls, and this has an AC line frequency of 60 Hertz in the US and 50
Hertz in Europe. And that AC line frequency limited TV refresh rates to a
multiple of 60 in the US and 50 in Europe. So now 24 frames per second, which
is what was used for film at the time, was no longer applicable for television
because it wasn't a multiple of one of those AC line frequencies. So the U.S.
adopted the NTSC format, National Television System Committee, which is 30
frames per second. And Europe adopted the PAL format, Phase Alternating Line, which
is 25 frames per second. So because of technology limitations, 30 frames per
second has been the standard for broadcast production, whereas 24 frames
per second has been the standard for film production. However, now cameras,
projectors, and televisions all support varying frame rates and formats leaving
filmmakers and videographers able to break free from the limitations that
technology had previously on them and shoot in whatever frame rate is
appropriate for their audience and their content. So what frame rate are movies
shot on now? 24 frames per second is still the standard because that's what
we've been conditioned to see and film for over half a century, however, there
has been a move towards using higher frame rates in film. Like in "The Hobbit,"
where director Peter Jackson filmed it at 48 frames per second because he argued
that it made a clearer film, especially for 3D. If the camera is capturing twice as
many frames per second, it removes motion blur and gives a much clearer picture of
what's happening. However, it's met with criticism because people aren't used to
seeing film like this. Now, research has suggested that our brains perceive the
world at a 40 conscious moments, or frames per second.
So the problem for some with The Hobbit was that it was providing almost
too much reality for a film at 48 frames per second when movie goers have been so
conditioned to seeing film at 24 frames per second. So for some people, because
these higher frame rates are so much different from what they've been
conditioned to see in film for decades, they reject it. Using higher frame rates
can also cause issues when it comes to post-production work. Using higher frame
rates will increase the cost of color grading, motion graphics, key framing, CGI,
and other post-production manipulation of your footage because there're more
frames that have to be manipulated. And more frames per second also requires
greater processing power, more storage, and labor costs. Simply put, higher frame
rates cost more money so there will always be an economic benefit to using
fewer frames per second. But the great thing is now you have the option of so
many different frame rates without the limitations that were previously there.
So whether it's a high or low frame rate, use what's best for your project based
on your budget, your audience, and your method of distribution. Even though we've
been conditioned to a certain frame rate for so many years, you can always
experiment and see how you like different frame rates, see what works for
your projects, and make your own style. So if you made it this far go ahead and hit
that thumbs up, and let me know down below about what your favorite frame
rate is. Go ahead and subscribe if you haven't, and remember that the only way
to get better at something is to practice. So get out there and film something.
See you soon.