James Cameron Still Pushing For 60fps Projection


James Cameron loves 3D a whole lot, and he’s still passionately pushing for cinemas to adopt 60 frame per second projection, arguing it’ll make for better 3D.

I’m still rather solidly in the “too much 3D makes me nauseous” camp, and that’s all too often “any”, but Cameron’s still a keen proponent of 3D. But not at today’s poky 24fps film projection rates, or even the 48fps that Peter Jackson’s shooting The Hobbit in. He’s been on this crusade for a while now, but recently told The Hollywood Reporter that he’s ‘favouring’ shooting the Avatar sequels at 60fps. He’s a little hamstrung, however, by what frame rate cinemas will actually display his movies in. Cameron is quoted in regards to his push for 60fps as saying that

The reason I went down that path is because I believe it makes for better 3D. There were lots of arguments for why 48 and why 60. My feeling is if it is a software upgrade (for digital cinema projectors), do both. It doesn’t change anything at the projector; you don’t have to change the lamp house or the lenses. If you are uploading software you can upload it for 48 and 60 and let the filmmakers decide.”

It seems inevitable that he’ll shoot the Avatar sequels at some kind of higher frame rate, but he’s not yet quite certain.

If the exhibitors will adopt the idea of a dual standard, than I’ll probably want to shoot 60. If they don’t, then I will have to look very carefully at the pros and cons of 60 and 48.”

[THR via slashfilm]