The Hobbit crowd complains of dizzy spells, nausea

The Hobbit is reportedly making audiences dizzy and nauseous. Photo/AP

Hobbit fans in New Zealand for early screenings of the film claim its high frame rate made them feel sick.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey screened at twice the normal number of frames per second, making it the first major Hollywood movie to be shot at such a high speed.

The move was much talked about leading up to last week's premiere, with director Peter Jackson guaranteeing "enhanced clarity and smoothness".

But not everyone was impressed with the new technology.

Some viewers told the Sunday Times that the filming technique made them nauseous and dizzy, with some even complaining of migraines.

One "avid Middle-earth fan", who had flown to New Zealand from Australia for the premiere, said their eyes couldn't take everything in, the Sunday Times reported.

Another viewer commented on Twitter that the technique worked well for the snowy mountain shots, but close-up pictures strobed.

Jackson debuted Hobbit footage at the high frame rate the the annual CinemaCon convention in the US earlier this year.

It met a mixed reaction, with some audience members complaining the footage looked too real.

However, it was reported the 48fps footage had improved significantly by the time of the film's premiere in Wellington last Wednesday.

Hollywood producer and director Bryan Singer praised the high frame rate in a tweet sent after the premiere.

"Just saw #Hobbit. Having some serious frame rate envy. Amazing and involving. Loved it! And @ianmckellen118, my friend, you are brilliant!," he wrote.

- Herald Online