Bullet time

Bullet time, also known as frozen moment, dead time, flow motion, or time slice, is a visual effect that creates the illusion of time either slowing down or stopping, while the camera appears to move through the scene at normal speed. Unlike traditional slow motion where the movement of the camera necessarily will also slow in synchrony with the footage, bullet time separates the viewer's perception of time from the camera's movement, allowing the camera position to continue moving even if the action in the scene is temporarily frozen. This allows for dramatic shots—such as a bullet frozen mid-air or an explosion suspended in time—while the camera rotates or travels around the action. The effect is typically achieved by placing multiple cameras around a subject in a carefully arranged arc or circle. Each camera captures the same moment from a slightly different angle, and the images are sequenced to simulate continuous camera motion through a static or slowed environment. More recently, computer-generated imagery (CGI) is often used to replicate or enhance this technique. The effect also enhances spatial depth, simulating variable-speed action from multiple perspectives. Bullet time is widely used in film, television advertisements, video games, and other media to visualize action in a way that would be impossible using conventional cinematography. Because real cameras cannot move fast enough to record such scenes in real time, the effect often implies the use of a "virtual camera" within a virtual world or digitally simulated environment. Related techniques include view morphing and virtual cinematography. The term "bullet time" was popularized by the 1999 film The Matrix, and later became associated with the slow-motion gameplay feature in the 2001 video game Max Payne.