Time Slice "Bullet Time" Special Effect

[4dbill 0]

Ever since I saw the movie the Original Matrix, I wanted recreate the ‘bullet time’ or Time Slice effect in skydiving.
See example of the movie at 2:19 of
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E3JDtqHaVM

To get somewhat of a smooth effect, with software keyframe morphing, at least 12 cameras from different angle need to be triggered at the same time.

Option #1: Have 12 cameramen in a semi circle formation firing off at a subject at the same time.
The technicality of such shot would require awesome camera flyers tight formation, firing off one shot after another at a subject.
We need to try this someday with a hot model as a subject.

Option #2: Mount a 12-camera setup on the bottom of the helicopter and have an expert wing suiter fly by it. This would require big $$$ due to cost of 12 cameras, camera mount for all DSLRS, and a helicopter rent. Anybody wanna finance this project?
In a meanwhile, I still wanted time slice effect in skydiving with tools I have – GoPro HD, DSLR, computer.
So.. this is what I came up with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkzwECX2kZU

Budget of Matrix, $63 million; my budget, $13 jump ticket at Lodi.

4DBill

[muz 1]

I used one of these once to trigger a camera instead of a flash:
http://gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=16766&cat=274&page=1
It's pretty easy: u connect the PC port out on the receiver (boxy looking one) to the remote trigger port (mini-jack) on the camera.
It worked for me at about 30 feet.
The lead photog triggers all the cameras with the V shaped remote which has a button on top for manual trigger.
Edit: of course u can use more expensive/reliable ones like alienbees or pocket wizards.

[PhreeZone 20]

I've been wanting to do this for ground swooping for a long time but I can't get enough people to loan me their video cameras for an afternoon to make it worth doing. From a ground perspective its really not that complex of a shot. Its just about having the materials and the equipment to make the shot happen. The plugins are out there for every editing suite to do clean morphing for shot to shot.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[4dbill 0]

Quote

I used one of these once to trigger a camera instead of a flash:
http://gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=16766&cat=274&page=1

That would be perfect! The biggest obstacle, I thought, was to be able to trigger all cameras, in freefall, at the exact same time.
Now we REALLY need to do this!
How many freefall photographers can you squeeze in to a 12' semi circle?

4DBill

[PhreeZone 20]

The better option is the PocketWizards. I've got the Cactus Triggers for my flashes and they fail about 5-8% of the flash fires on them.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com