Peter Jackson has confirmed that 'The Hobbit' will be heading there and back again at twice the normal speed. In a Facebook post to mark the beginning of production, Jackson confirmed that he'll be shooting the two Hobbit films in 3D at 48fps.

"The key thing to understand is that this process requires both shooting and projecting at 48 fps, rather than the usual 24 fps," Jackson explained. "So the result looks like normal speed, but the image has hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness. Looking at 24 frames every second may seem ok - and we've all seen thousands of films like this over the last 90 years - but there is often quite a lot of blur in each frame, during fast movements, and if the camera is moving around quickly, the image can judder or 'strobe.'"

Like fellow 48fps advocate James Cameron, who plans to ratchet up the frame rate on Avatar 2, Jackson has been impressed by the realism and watchability of 48fps footage. "It looks much more lifelike, and it is much easier to watch, especially in 3D," he told his Facebook fans. "We've been watching Hobbit tests and dailies at 48fps now for several months, and we often sit through two hours worth of footage without getting any eye strain from the 3D.  It looks great, and we've actually become used to it now, to the point that other film experiences look a little primitive. I saw a new movie in the cinema on Sunday and I kept getting distracted by the juddery panning and blurring."

Jackson is no stranger to higher frame rates - his King Kong attraction at Universal Studios uses 60fps for added realism - and he did consider that higher rate for 'The Hobbit'. "We tested both 48 fps and 60 fps. The difference between those speeds is almost impossible to detect, but the increase in quality over 24 fps is significant. Film purists will criticize the lack of blur and strobing artifacts, but all of our crew - many of whom are film purists - are now converts."

Read Sir Pete's original Facebook post or take a look at his behind-the-scenes preview of 'The Hobbit' courtesy of SciFi Mania.

Can't wait for 48fps? Already missing that Greengrass-esque judder? Let us know in the comments below. For more information on shooting in S3D, get in touch on 03332 409 306, email stereo@Jigsaw24.com or head over to Jigsaw24.com to see our full product range.