The film Avatar The Way of Water, which is currently showing in theaters, uses the HFR format. That said, this format makes the appearance of the planet Pandora in the film too amazing that several cinema screens crash due to being overwhelmed.
HFR stands for High Frame Rate. The frame rate itself is how many frames are displayed in one second from a movie, TV show, or video game.
Quoted from Mashable, for about the last century, cinema films have been projected at 24 frames per second. However, in recent years, some films have decided to experiment a bit with more sophisticated formats.
James Cameron, director of Avatar, in a number of interviews explained how Avatar The Way of Water adopted HFR. Certain parts of the film will be projected at the usual 24fps and other parts at 48fps. However, this effect will not be felt in 2D format.
"It's really about delivering the best experience in 3D," he said.
Cameron said, underwater scenery will be projected at 48fps. The same goes for flying scenery and other outdoor shots. However, he emphasized that all underwater action is the most frequent place for spectators to see HFR.
A report in Japan stated that several theaters failed to show the film Avatar The Way of Water because they were unable to serve the HFR format.
Quoted from Hypebeast, one theater in Japan was forced to reduce the frame rate from 48 FPS to 24 FPS in the middle of the film so that the audience could enjoy it without interruption.
Cinema chains in Japan have also reported this problem, including United Cinemas Co., Toho Col, and Tokyu Corp. However, the network representative refused to explain the problems they were facing.
What is clear, cinemas in Japan reported a technical problem when showing the sequel to the film Avatar. Many prospective viewers failed to see the film, and in the end, the ticket purchase money was returned.
It is possible that all of these cinemas are facing a similar problem, namely HFR 48 fps support. This feature requires a newer projector or modification of an older projector.
Usually cinemas have been informed about the format of the films being distributed and can play them smoothly. The problem is, HFR is rarely used so it has a greater potential for misunderstanding.
In the first week of screening, the film Avatar The Way of Water failed to top the best-selling list in Japan. High school basketball-themed anime film The First Slam Dunk managed to surpass the number of viewers of Avatar 2.
