4. Lowering The Frame Rate Made The Action Even More Intense
Discussion of frame rates used to be the sole preserve of video gamers with too much time on their hands, complaining about lag and jerky animation of characters when console processors were overworked. They've become more of a topic in films thanks to the likes of The Hobbit films being projected in 48 frames per second. That was a significant difference from the industry standard of 24 fps, with some audiences complaining it made the film look unnatural and sped up. Fury Road goes for a similar effect using the same method, although George Miller always intended for certain scenes to look unnaturally sped up, in an effect called "speed ramping". It's a trick that was used in the old films as well, and here it was achieved not through the old-fashioned method of hand-cranking the camera, but by removing key frames. Because of this, the action takes on a heightened, jerky, almost cartoony movement, which appears throughout and makes Fury Road look even more OTT.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
