MovieChat Forums > The Game (1997) Discussion > Fluid change to Slow-Motion - How do the...

Fluid change to Slow-Motion - How do they do that ?

posted 9 years ago by naples-884-346409
7 replies | jump to latest

When Michael Douglas is entering the airport we see a take going from real-time to slow-motion without a cut.

It's my favorite moment in the movie, totally hypnotic.

I saw the same effect in...

"Spice Girls: Wannabe" (1996) music video

"Fight Club" (1999)

"The Insider" (1999)

"Ali" (2001)

"Elephant" (2003)

Does anybody know how it is technically achieved ?

I thing it's a special 35mm-camera that allows to change the frames-per-seconds while filming.

Is it possible to get the effect with a digital camera ?

[–] xystophoros 9 years ago

You can do it digitally. I'm not an expert on video editing, but I've seen the same thing used in Youtube videos. I'm sure you could find instructions via google.

[–] throwaway50000 9 years ago

It's actually incredibly easy to do with editing software.

[–] prunky 9 years ago

In the old days they overcranked the camera for the whole scene. It was a panaflex I recall. Then in post, they played it at high speed then gently to 24fps which gave it that fluidity. You can do it digitally but the camera must capture the action at a very high frame rate. (I'm in the biz)

[–] thulk01 8 years ago

Do you know what time it happened? I want to rewatch and see.

[–] DBLurker 8 years ago

Like somebody said, it's done with editing software VERY easily (in Premiere, it's like one slider).

[–] avortac4 (3746) 3 years ago

Slow motion is achieved by capturing video at a very high framerate, then playing those frames at a normal framerate.

You can't achieve this 'effect' just by editing or manipulating video in software, you need a high amount of frames shot at a high framerate.

I don't think there's still a valid response to the OP's question in this thread.. I only know how to do slow motion and normal motion, not how to transition from one to another. In any case, it'd be a bit tricky because you have to keep the 24fps framerate constant, so if you play footage that has been shot at a high framerate at 24fps, and yet have it move as fast as footage that's shot at 24fps would, I guess you'd have to start dropping frames until you get 'only the 24 frames per second you would normally get', but that would probably look jerky, because there's no 'natural motion blur' that would happen with 24fps, but doesn't happen at higher framerates, exactly because there are so many frames.

So yeah, it's a mystery to me, too.

[–] avortac4 (3746) 3 years ago

What is this 'VERY easily' done ability called in Premiere, by the way? What's the name of the 'slider'?