{"id":385273,"date":"2021-12-23T15:16:10","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T12:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-they-shot-the-matrix-bullet-time-effect\/"},"modified":"2021-12-23T15:16:10","modified_gmt":"2021-12-23T12:16:10","slug":"how-they-shot-the-matrix-bullet-time-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-they-shot-the-matrix-bullet-time-effect\/","title":{"rendered":"#How They Shot the Matrix Bullet Time Effect"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35848b5fff7\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a35848b5fff7\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-they-shot-the-matrix-bullet-time-effect\/#Bullet-time_in_The_Matrix\" >Bullet-time in The Matrix<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-they-shot-the-matrix-bullet-time-effect\/#Howd_they_do_that\" >How\u2019d they do that?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-they-shot-the-matrix-bullet-time-effect\/#Long_story_short\" >Long story short:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-they-shot-the-matrix-bullet-time-effect\/#Long_story_long\" >Long story long:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-they-shot-the-matrix-bullet-time-effect\/#Whats_the_precedent_for_bullet-time_in_The_Matrix\" >What\u2019s the precedent for bullet-time in The Matrix?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#How They Shot the Matrix Bullet Time Effect<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<pre><code>     &lt;span class=\"mx-1\"&gt;Turns out to \u201cdodge this\u201d you need roughly 120 cameras.&lt;\/span&gt;\n&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=\"\"&gt;\n\n\n\n                &lt;figure class=\"sf-entry-featured-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> \"&gt;\n            &lt;img width=\"800\" height=\"447\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bullet_Time_matrix.jpeg\" class=\"articlethumb wp-post-image\" alt=\"Bullet Time Matrix\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bullet_Time_matrix.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bullet_Time_matrix-768x429.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/&gt;                                    &lt;p&gt;\n                    &lt;span class=\"sf-entry-flag sf-entry-flag-creditline\"&gt;Warner Bros.&lt;\/span&gt;\n\n                        &lt;\/figure&gt;\n\n    &lt;!-- START BYLINE --&gt;\n    &lt;div class=\"row align-items-center justify-content-center my-4 text-center medium dark-gray\"&gt;\n        By\u00a0Meg Shields\u00a0\u00b7 Published on December 23rd, 2021 \n        &lt;\/div&gt;\n    &lt;!-- END BYLINE --&gt;\n\n    &lt;em&gt;Welcome to How\u2019d They Do That? \u2014 a monthly column that unpacks moments of movie magic and celebrates the technical wizards who pulled them off. This entry explains how they shot the bullet time stunts in The Matrix.&lt;\/em&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<hr\/>\n<p>In 1999,\u00a0<em><strong>The Matrix<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>kicked Hollywood\u2019s door down in a torrent of leather kit, tiny shades, and philosophy-riddled sci-fi bullet storms. Here was a sci-fi action movie with two key ingredients in spades: kung-fu and a techno-apocalypse, together at last.<\/p>\n<p>Directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski,\u00a0<em>The Matrix\u00a0<\/em>tells the story of a bored computer hacker named Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) who discovers the world as he knows it is nothing more than a simulation. A computer-generated daydream, known as \u201cThe Matrix,\u201d orchestrated by machines harvesting the energy in our warm, goopy human juices like Duracell batteries.<\/p>\n<p>Joining up with a group of underground insurgents, Thomas, who adopts the name Neo, learns that he may be \u201cThe One,\u201d a messiah prophesized to break the machine\u2019s vice grip on humanity. Armed with the knowledge that the \u201creal\u201d world is a barren wasteland full of humans waiting to be harvested, Neo must recognize his full potential if he is to liberate humanity from their mechanical overlords.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-369477 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/The-Matrix-rootfop-bullet-dodge.gif\" alt=\"The Matrix Rootfop\" width=\"800\" height=\"442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/The-Matrix-rootfop-bullet-dodge.gif 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/The-Matrix-rootfop-bullet-dodge-768x424.gif 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bullet-time_in_The_Matrix\"><\/span>Bullet-time in The Matrix<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the third act of the movie, Neo and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) enter the Matrix to rescue Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). Their fearless leader is being tortured by the nefarious Agents for information about Zion, humanity\u2019s underground city in the \u201creal world.\u201d During the mission, Neo and Trinity find themselves on a rooftop, duking it out with Agents and their minions.<\/p>\n<p>Staring down the barrel of an Agent\u2019s pistol, with no weapon of his own, Neo finally gains the confidence to lean into his abilities. The Agent releases a volley of bullets, and as the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a> puts it, \u201cwe enter the liquid space of \u2014 bullet-time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Neo defies gravity in a backbend, the air hisses as angry lead rips through the air, each flight path leaving a wake like a skipping stone. Neo\u2019s coat kisses the concrete as he twists and bends, narrowly escaping each shot until two stubborn grey balls shear his thigh and shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>This kind of feat can only happen in a virtual reality where time and space can be manipulated by those in the know. It\u2019s visual proof of Neo\u2019s superhuman reflexes and his prophesized mastery of this virtually constructed space. Warping time and space, blending the digital and material worlds, \u201cbullet time\u201d is one of the most iconic effects shots in action cinema and is intrinsically tied to <em>The Matrix<\/em> and its themes.<\/p>\n<p>So, how\u2019d they do it? How is bullet-time different from slow-motion? And why does Keanu Reeves move at a different speed than the camera?<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Howd_they_do_that\"><\/span>How\u2019d they do that?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Long_story_short\"><\/span>Long story short:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In <em>The Matrix<\/em>, bullet time is achieved on a green screen set with a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> of still cameras surrounding the subject. The cameras are activated in rapid succession, and the resulting frames are displayed consecutively with additional CGI interpolated frames, creating the effect of the camera moving faster than the subject.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Long_story_long\"><\/span>Long story long:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Before we dig any deeper, let\u2019s make sure we\u2019re all on the same page about what bullet-time means. In the most basic terms, bullet-time describes a slow-motion effect with dynamic camera movement, usually a pan that allows viewers to see 360 degrees of an action.<\/p>\n<p>While \u201cbullet time\u201d is probably the term Warner Bros. would like you to use \u2014 considering they trademarked it and all \u2014 there are a lot of other ways to describe the effect. These include, but are not limited to: frozen moment, <em>temps mort<\/em>, time slicing, and my personal favorite, flow-mo.<\/p>\n<p>Bullet time is characterized by an extreme transformation of both time (e.g. being able to see a fired bullet) and space (e.g. the camera moving at a \u201cnormal\u201d speed while the subject\u2019s movement is slowed).<\/p>\n<p>This visual impression of detaching the time\/space affecting the viewer\u2019s point of view from that of the visible subject is not possible with conventional slow-motion. If the effect were attempted with regular slow-motion techniques, the camera would have to move implausibly \u2014 or at least impractically \u2014 fast.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-369478 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/The-matrix-rooftop-bullet-dodge-stunt.jpg\" alt=\"The Matrix Rooftop Bullet Dodge Stunt\" width=\"800\" height=\"447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/The-matrix-rooftop-bullet-dodge-stunt.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/The-matrix-rooftop-bullet-dodge-stunt-768x429.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>So the problem to solve is this: how do you create the illusion of a continuous shot moving at a <em>different<\/em> speed than that of the subject?<\/p>\n<p>Proof of concept tests were first conducted by Mass.Illusions in Lennox Massachusetts. \u201cWe did the bullet time tests to help producer Joel Silver raise money for the movie,\u201d explained <strong>Pierre Jasmin<\/strong> to the VFX magazine <em>before &amp; afters<\/em> in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/beforesandafters.com\/2019\/04\/01\/bullet-time-before-bullet-time\/\">a 2019 interview<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to Jasmin, the Wachowskis presented the team at Mass.Illusions with evocative storyboards for what bullet time would look like.<strong> John Gaeta<\/strong>, who directed the test shots at Mass.Illusions, would go on to supervise the visual effects for <em>The Matrix<\/em> via Manex, a VFX facility in Northern California.<\/p>\n<p>The first step to realizing bullet time is blocking. Because in order to set up the all-important camera rig (well, cameras rig), you need to know how your subject is going to move. So, first things first, Gaeta and co. blocked out the action using a series of still image cameras. They then scanned the images into a computer so that the filmmakers could map and strategize the position of characters and the path the \u201cvirtual camera\u201d would take.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-369479 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/The-matrix-rooftop-bullet-dodge-stunt-2.jpg\" alt=\"The Matrix Rooftop Bullet Dodge Stunt\" width=\"800\" height=\"447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/The-matrix-rooftop-bullet-dodge-stunt-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/The-matrix-rooftop-bullet-dodge-stunt-2-768x429.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Using these simulations as a guideline, cameras were placed side-by-side on a specialized rig that was set up using a motion-controlled laser-pointing system that could judge the correct angle and focal distance.<\/p>\n<p>For the most famous iteration of bullet-time in <em>The Matrix<\/em>, where Neo dodges bullets on a rooftop, the set-up involved 120 still cameras and two film cameras. Placing the cameras close together was imperative to create the illusion of motion, as each camera only captured a single still photo. These cameras were triggered at extremely close intervals, so the action would appear to unfold slowly as the viewpoint moved at a \u201cnormal\u201d pace.<\/p>\n<p>The cameras were either fired sequentially or all at the same time depending on the desired effect. Single frames from each camera were then arranged and displayed consecutively to produce an orbiting viewpoint of a frozen or slowed action.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Matrix Behind The Scenes - Rooftop (1999)  - Keanu Reeves Movie HD\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kjcv-JtUOgA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Once scanned into the computer, the resulting s<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> of still images is not dissimilar to animation cels. And speaking of animation, now is as good a time as any to talk about interpolation, the first of several techniques that give the final effect a fluid appearance. Bluntly put, \u201cmotion interpolation\u201d is a process that uses an AI-powered algorithm to \u201canimate\u201d more frames in a sequence of stills.<\/p>\n<p>Also known as motion interpolation, the technique effectively creates a perceived increase in frame rate by creating new intermediate frames. This makes the motion feel less jittery and allows parts of the image (e.g. Neo\u2019s cape) to flow more smoothly.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Matrix<\/em>\u2019s bullet-time sequences could not be shot on location, since most of the cameras could \u201csee each other.\u201d Scenes were shot on a green screen and the backgrounds were replicated using photos of the real locations as textures for the 3D modeled environment.<\/p>\n<p>Actors were held in position by wires to both prevent them from falling over and to prolong their actions so that the final filmed movement looked effortless. Digital elements (bullets, light, etc.) were then added in post-production.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, all of these elements (digital compositing, optical flow, frame interpolation, etc) work together to improve the fluidity of the apparent camera motion, creating the bullet time you know and love.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_precedent_for_bullet-time_in_The_Matrix\"><\/span>What\u2019s the precedent for bullet-time in The Matrix?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For all its modern bells and whistles, the core idea of using a group of still cameras to freeze motion predates the invention of the moving image. French physiologist <strong>\u00c9tienne-Jules Marey<\/strong> first began experimenting with chronophotography in the 1880s as a means of better understanding animal movement, particularly flying birds.<\/p>\n<p>Marey\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Marey_-_birds.jpg\">revolutionary idea<\/a> (action photography) was to record several phases of movement on one photographic surface. In 1992, he commissioned a \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:Chronophotographic_gun-CnAM_16955-IMG_5275-gradient.jpg\">chronophotographic gun<\/a>\u201d capable of exposing 12 consecutive images on the same medium. Tell me there isn\u2019t something a <em>little\u00a0<\/em>poetic about the origins of bullet time going back to a\u00a0<em>literal\u00a0<\/em>camera gun.<\/p>\n<p>Marey\u2019s contemporary, Englishman <strong>Eadweard Muybridge<\/strong>, famously created a sequential series of photographs of one of former governor Leland Standford\u2019s race-horses (<em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org\/humanities\/becoming-modern\/early-photo\/early-photo-france\/a\/eadweard-muybridge-the-horse-in-motion\">The Horse in Motion. \u201cSallie Gardner\u201d running at a 1:40 pace over the Palo Alto track, 19 June 1878<\/a>)<\/em>. Muybridge stationed 12 cameras along a race track. And each camera\u2019s shutter triggered automatically as the horse tripped wires connected to an electromagnetic circuit.<\/p>\n<p>In 1880, Muybridge commissioned a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/wNU7sXkZmSw\">zoopraxiscope<\/a>, an early projector, to display his images at public lectures. It\u2019s wildly accepted that Muybridge\u2019s zoopraxiscope served as a primary inspiration for the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/2014\/05\/kinetoscope\/\">Kinetoscope<\/a>, the first commercial film exhibition system.<\/p>\n<p>With that history lesson out of the way, let\u2019s take a look at the direct inspirations behind <em>The Matrix<\/em>\u2019s bullet-time effect. Conceptually, bullet time\u2019s roots can likely be traced back to Japanese cel animation. An early example occurs in the 1966 <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/anime-manga\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"6\" title=\"Anime || Manga\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anime<\/a> <strong><em>Speed Racer<\/em><\/strong> (which the Wachowskis would later adapt in 2008). In the scene, a character leaps from a car and freezes mid-jump while the camera arcs from the front to the side.<\/p>\n<p>As John Gaeta relayed to <em>Empire<\/em> magazine in 2006, the artistic inspiration for bullet time fell to <strong>Otomo Katsuhiro<\/strong> (the co-writer of 1988\u2019s <em>Akira<\/em>) and French director <strong>Michel Gondry<\/strong>. \u201c[Gondry\u2019s] music videos experimented with a different type of technique called <strong>view-morphing<\/strong>,\u201d Gaeta said, \u201cand it was just part of the beginning of uncovering the creative approaches towards using still cameras for special effects.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gondry\u2019s music video for the 1995 re-release of The Rolling Stones\u2019 \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/aRYokc3VBC4\">Like a Rolling Stone<\/a>\u201d has precedents itself, including <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/VXZQA1Wcxo0\">Midnight Mover\u2019s 1985 music video for \u201cAccept\u201d<\/a> which was created with multiple cameras \u2014 around 17, if you count the frames. While far from fluid, \u201cAccept\u201d is an early example of a camera moving at a faster speed around a stationary-ish subject.<\/p>\n<p>We also must acknowledge one of the earliest works of cinema to capitalize on the cool factor of dodging or out-maneuvering slow-mo bullets: the 1981 South African martial arts movie <strong><em>Kill and Kill Again<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-369472 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Kill-and-Kill-Again-bullet-time.gif\" alt=\"Kill And Kill Again\" width=\"800\" height=\"442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Kill-and-Kill-Again-bullet-time.gif 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Kill-and-Kill-Again-bullet-time-768x424.gif 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>And, while we\u2019re here, it\u2019s impossible to over-emphasize <strong>John Woo<\/strong>\u2019s influence on <em>The Matrix<\/em>\u2019s kinetic approach to gunfights. His work, particularly 1992\u2019s <strong><em>Hard-Boiled<\/em><\/strong>, is largely credited with pioneering \u201cgun-fu,\u201d the action genre that combines the stylish swordplay of wuxia with, well, guns.<\/p>\n<p>There was something in the air in the late \u201990s that was inevitably driving towards bullet time as we know it. Commercials (like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/2IIymJ9Pcg8\">this 1996 Smirnoff ad<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/XJ735krOiPo\">this 1998 Gap campaign<\/a>) were doing it. And both <strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/E4eb_ozkvXo\"><em>Blade<\/em><\/a> <\/strong>and <strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/0zZVptL5awI\"><em>Lost in Space<\/em><\/a><\/strong> feature bullet time-ish effects, seen a full year before <em>The Matrix<\/em> hit theaters.<\/p>\n<p>However, despite its many precedents and peers, <em>The Matrix<\/em>\u2019s take on bullet-time is unique because it combines three distinct elements: gunfighting, superhuman bullet-dodging, and time-slice effects.<\/p>\n<p>As Gaeta puts it in the aforementioned <em>Empire<\/em> interview: the technique in <em>The Matrix<\/em> differed significantly \u201cbecause we built it to move around objects that were themselves in motion. And we were also able to create slow-motion events that virtual cameras\u2019 could move around \u2013 rather than static action.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All to say: plenty of well-established aesthetic and photographic techniques went into making <em>The Matrix<\/em>\u2019s bullet-time effects a reality. But in terms of execution, no one at that point had done bullet-time like <em>The Matrix<\/em>.<\/p>\n<pre><code>    Related Topics: How'd They Do That?\n    &lt;!-- AUTHOR BOX --&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<div class=\"gray-bg p-4 border small mb-5\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center text-md-center\">\n<div class=\"col-md-2\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/meg.jpg\" class=\"circle img-fluid\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\"\/>\n        <\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\">\n            Meg Shields is the humble farm boy of your dreams and a senior contributor at Film School Rejects. She currently runs three columns at FSR: The Queue, How&#8217;d They Do That?, and Horrorscope. She is also a curator for One Perfect Shot and a freelance writer for hire. Meg can be found screaming about John Boorman&#8217;s &#8216;Excalibur&#8217; on Twitter here: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWorstNun\">@TheWorstNun<\/a>. (She\/Her).        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<pre><code>    &lt;!-- START RECOMMENDED READING 1 --&gt;\n                                &lt;section class=\"recommended py-5\"&gt;\n            &lt;h3&gt;Recommended Reading&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\n\n        &lt;\/section&gt;\n            &lt;!-- END RECOMMENDED READING --&gt;\n\n\n\n\n&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"&gt;&lt;\/script&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/the-matrix-bullet-time\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-matrix-bullet-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How They Shot the Matrix Bullet Time Effect&#8221; &lt;span class=&#8221;mx-1&#8243;&gt;Turns out to \u201cdodge this\u201d you need roughly 120 cameras.&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=&#8221;&#8221;&gt; &lt;figure class=&#8221;sf-entry-featured-media &#8220;&gt; &lt;img width=&#8221;800&#8243; height=&#8221;447&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bullet_Time_matrix.jpeg&#8221; class=&#8221;articlethumb wp-post-image&#8221; alt=&#8221;Bullet Time Matrix&#8221; loading=&#8221;lazy&#8221; srcset=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bullet_Time_matrix.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bullet_Time_matrix-768&#215;429.jpeg 768w&#8221; sizes=&#8221;(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px&#8221;\/&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class=&#8221;sf-entry-flag sf-entry-flag-creditline&#8221;&gt;Warner Bros.&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;\/figure&gt; &lt;!&#8211; START BYLINE &#8211;&gt; &lt;div class=&#8221;row align-items-center&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":385274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Bullet_Time_matrix.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-385273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385273\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}