Bullet Time (The Matrix)

Bullet time is a special and visual effects that is a digitally enhanced simulation of variable speed, for example slow motion. The characteristics of bullet time are it's extreme transformation of time (slow enough to see a bullet going through the air, hence the name bullet time) and space (the way that the camera can move around the scene at normal speed whilst the action being filmed is extremely slowed down).

Bullet time is very different to normal slow motion because to achieve this effect just regular slow motion, the camera would have to be moved extremely fast to achieve the normal looking camera movement effect seen in bullet time. 

Notable films that have used this effect include The Matrix and a video game called Max Payne.

The bullet time effect was originally achieved photographically by a set of still cameras surrounding the subject. The cameras we either fired in a sequence or all at the same time, depending on the effect being filmed. 

Then, single frames from each camera were arranged and displayed consecutively to produce the movement desired of an action frozen in time or in extreme slow motion. 

In The Matrix, the camera path was pre-designed using computer-generated visualizations as a guide. Then, cameras were arranged behind green screen, on a track and dolly and then aligned through a laser targeting system, forming the complex curve seen in the effect. The cameras were then triggered at very close intervals, so the when taken into the interpolation software, the action could unfold in extreme slow motion. Extra frames could then be inserted to slow down the action if it needed to be slowed down further and to improve the fluidity of the movement, and also frames could be taken out to increase the speed of the action.