We are in Northern California. The head of special effects, John Gaeta, is preparing to shoot the Matrix, and in particular, the first so-called. The “bullet time” scene, the moment the film slows down to the passage of the bullet, shows how the character manages. I dodged.
In consultation with his team and the Wachowskis (the film’s directing duo), Gaeta begins shooting action sequence photos to know where to place the camera that will follow the ball’s path.
The cameras are mounted side by side on a special device equipped with a motion detector laser that can determine the most suitable focal length and angle.
120 cameras are required to shoot the most impressive scene of the film, in which Neo (Keanu Reeves) dodges bullets on the roof in slow motion!
Each of them can only take one photo, so they will operate at very short intervals from each other. These individual frames are then stitched together to reveal a slow-motion, orbital action sequence.
As for the actors, they are suspended from cables, allowing them to perform unrealistic movements of their characters at will.
Obviously, with 122 cameras very close together, this scene was shot – like many others in the film – on green screen, to then digitally erase the cameras and cameras from the image. Very realistic decorations and the famous “bullets” of the “bullet” era were inserted into the green screen, and that was it.
Bullet Time has since become an important figure in action cinema, parodied/used to overdose in the early post-Matrix years of that name. And yet it is very difficult to achieve! But what a result on the screen!
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
