If your subject must freeze mid-action but the camera swoops around them in full 3D, go Bullet Time.
Bullet Time is a composite effect where the camera orbits a subject frozen in time or moving in ultra-slow motion, creating a surreal, impossible perspective shift. Famously used in The Matrix (1999), it lets viewers see a moment from all angles as if time itself paused.
Subject & Background Behaviour
Subject: Frozen or ultra-slow-motion; position and size static.
Background: Rotates or shifts relative to the camera, creating depth and 3D spatial feel.
Don’t-Confuse-With
Freeze-Frame: Entire scene is frozen; no camera movement.
Bullet Time = time-freeze + camera orbit. Freeze-Frame = time-freeze only.
Dolly Zoom: Subject may stay center-framed, but size and depth shift — Bullet Time maintains size.
360 Camera Pan: If subject moves, it’s not Bullet Time; BT requires subject be static or ultra-slow.
| Effect Type | composite |
|---|---|
| Related Effects | |
| Used in Contexts | action, dreamlike, flashback, narrative emphasis, stylized sequence |
| Effect Styles | stylized, surreal, cinematic, high-impact |
