Frame rates
Introduction
A 'frame' is a snapshot of an image when making a film. The 'frame rate' or frequency is the number of snapshots taken every second (Frames Per Second or FPS) by the camera equipment taking the video. To make a 'video', you have to show a series of frames, one after the other. The frame rate has an important impact on the quality of the final film when it is viewed.
Background
Historically, film producers made films in the early days of cinematography using cameras that shot at 24 FPS. When played back, the images are processed by the human brain into a video that appears as smooth motion. In fact, it is possible to use even slower frame rates than this, down to 10 FPS, and produce films that appear reasonably smooth but 24 FPS became the standard. Tied in with the frame rate is the resolution of the images. High Definition uses 1080 pixels but the latest technology is using 4K pixels and even 8K pixels.
Higher frame rates?
If you use 24 FPS you have 24 images strung together to form a video. If you use 48 FPS, you have twice as many images in a second, many more pixels being shown in a second, less of a jump between each picture but of course, a much bigger file size. This would appear to suggest that a higher frame rate leads to a better picture. 24 FPS, however, creates what everyone has come to know as a 'film look'. This frame rate generates a particular type of experience when you watch a video shot at this rate. If you alter the frame rate, the effect is different, and not everyone likes it.
Some films have been shot using 48 FPS. You can watch The Hobbit shot at 48 FPS if you want to. Some people like the effect. Some don't. Some argue that it can make the film look almost too real, which somehow just doesn't look right. Others argue that you just have to get used to 48 FPS and the smoother film and more realistic images are a much better experience. It has been argued that landscape and panoramic shots are far better at 48 FPS in particular, as are fast-moving action scenes.
Slow motion
Film makers like to use slow motion shots from time to time. You can shoot at a normal 24 FPS with a camera and then use clever software tools to slow down the motion. You can also get a far better, higher quality slow motion effect by shooting a scene at a very high frame rate, and then viewing it at a normal 24 FPS. Perhaps you have a camera or phone that can record at 60 FPS, 120 FPS or even higher, or has a software application that can create slow motion from video shot at 24 FPS. If so, you can try out the slow motion effects.