Bullet Time

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-02-17 04:25pm

What is the deal with everything haven't bullet time now? Ever since the Matrix, it seems like buckets of movies are doing bullet time effects. For instance, SWAT had a bullet time sniper shot. House of the Dead has bullet time shotgun shells. Everyone is kung fu fighting... except that now it's doing kung fu fighting completely in slow motion while panning around the characters. The original Matrix had an excuse, it was to show that Neo was moving as fast as the bullets when he dodged it. Then in Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, it just made the fight shitty. Now everything seems to have it, and it's making them look cheap and fake. It also breaks up the fight, grinding it to a halt, ruining it's pacing.

ARGH! It just seems like a cheap way to pack in special effects and CGI objects to me. Am I wrong here or does it actually have any useful purpose cinematically?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-17 04:27pm

Bullet time existed long before The Matrix since it was used by a guy working in the BBC. The Wachoskis saw it then took it to EXTREMES and so has Joel Silver.

Now it's used in everything and isn't unique anymore.

Hamel · Post by **Hamel** » 2004-02-17 04:34pm

Kinda like cel shading in console games

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-17 04:40pm

Hamel wrote:Kinda like cel shading in console games

Fads, they soon die out and are used properly. Though games like XIII and the Macross sim benefit from that style.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-02-17 04:44pm

various sporting events also used bullettime to slow down the motion in the games. which was well before the wachowskis came along. they simply made it famous.

lance · Post by **lance** » 2004-02-17 08:27pm

it was also used in gap comercials.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-02-17 08:42pm

Plenty of Hong Kong kung-fu movies used bullet time (also known as "slow motion") well before the Matrix.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-02-17 10:27pm

Please be aware that when I saw "bullet time" I'm not talking about simple slow motion. I'm talking about the hyper extreme super slowmotion that was in first Matrix, which, while not invented there, was certainly popularized there.

God, you guys are nitpickers.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-02-17 10:36pm

I remember it was in the first Blade movie as well.

SylasGaunt · Post by **SylasGaunt** » 2004-02-17 10:37pm

Gil Hamilton wrote:Please be aware that when I saw "bullet time" I'm not talking about simple slow motion. I'm talking about the hyper extreme super slowmotion that was in first Matrix, which, while not invented there, was certainly popularized there.

God, you guys are nitpickers.

IIRC isn't bullet time more specifically the whole slow-motion rotate thing?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-17 10:42pm

Gandalf wrote:I remember it was in the first Blade movie as well.

I don't recall that. Which part?

As Gil mentioned, bullet time is where multiple cameras (usually over 140 worth) set up in a desired pattern to take a snapshot of a scene at once thus giving a 3D image effect. It is NOT slow motion.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-02-17 10:44pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Gandalf wrote:I remember it was in the first Blade movie as well.
I don't recall that. Which part?

As Gil mentioned, bullet time is where multiple cameras (usually over 140 worth) set up in a desired pattern to take a snapshot of a scene at once thus giving a 3D image effect. It is NOT slow motion.

Ah, my bad, I emant the scene in the park where you see the bullets in the air and Deacon sidesteps them.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-17 10:57pm

Gandalf wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Gandalf wrote:I remember it was in the first Blade movie as well.
I don't recall that. Which part?

As Gil mentioned, bullet time is where multiple cameras (usually over 140 worth) set up in a desired pattern to take a snapshot of a scene at once thus giving a 3D image effect. It is NOT slow motion.
Ah, my bad, I emant the scene in the park where you see the bullets in the air and Deacon sidesteps them.

That's simple slow-mo with added CGI. You can always tell bullet time because it will revolve around the subject and give it a 3D look that no computer could create now and for a fraction of the price.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-02-17 10:58pm

Mind you that they do often use computers to blend the still images together while moving.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-17 11:01pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Mind you that they do use computers to blend the still images together.

True, but the original raw footage still works for things like TV ads and so on. A David Attenborough documentary was one of the first series to use the technique on certain parts of the programme, especially the end. One had a flock of geese paused in mid-air flying low level captured by a ring of cameras before the original motion returned and a MiG-29 flew over at speed and disrupted the flock. Was amazing when I first saw it.

Damaramu · Post by **Damaramu** » 2004-02-18 02:33am

The intro for Howard Stone on E! also featured bullet time.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-02-18 02:58am

The original Matrix use of bullet time was one of the best ever. In the sequels bullet time seemed more like a cliche.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2004-02-18 03:31am

Freezeframe with Wraparound? You mean like the effects in the atrocious 'Lost In Space' when they hit the 'Anywhere but here' button?

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-02-18 06:30am

*Inserts Sam Pechinpah Western*
*watches bad kung fu movies*
*watches six million dollar man re-run*
*watches Micheal Mann action flicks*
*watches John Woo Action Flicks*

What is this new "Bullet Time" effect, I thought it had been around for a while....

still it's been done far better then when the W. bros took it over....

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-02-18 06:31am

Not slow motion. Bullet-time is with all the damn synchronised still cameras.

And they're called "HK martial arts films", not "bad kung fu movies," by the way.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-02-18 07:12am

Then your talking early micheal mann/luc beason work (La Femme Nikita, Manhunter) work...

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2004-02-18 10:25am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:And they're called "HK martial arts films", not "bad kung fu movies," by the way.

I don't know, they look like "bad kung fu movies" to me.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2004-02-18 10:44am

Admiral Valdemar wrote: That's simple slow-mo with added CGI. You can always tell bullet time because it will revolve around the subject and give it a 3D look that no computer could create now and for a fraction of the price.

actually creating the bullet time effect with a computer is incredibly easy.

here´s a tutorial for max:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl5/jcmiller/Bullet.htm

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2004-02-18 10:50am

most of the things in Matrix II were clearly CGI, and not bullet time. I mean come on, in the Smiths fight scene they hadn't bothered even giving Neo a face.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2004-02-18 11:04am

i remember seeing bullet time on a centre parcs advert years ago, long before the matrix.