How They Shot the “Bullet-Time” Effect in ‘The Matrix’
Turns out to "dodge this" you need roughly 120 cameras. Read More
December 23, 2021
How’d They Do That?
How’d They Do That? is a monthly column in which Meg Shields unpacks moments of movie magic and celebrates the technical wizards who pulled them off.
If you’re new to reading this column, we suggest starting with these entries:
- How They Shot the Stargate Sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey
- How They Shot the Impossible Mirror Scene in Contact
- The Story Behind the Riskiest Stunt in Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Explore the entire How’d They Do That? archive below
How They Shot the Carriage Drag Stunt in John Ford’s ‘Stagecoach’
Hay is for horses. Internal organs are for cowards. Read More
December 2, 2021
How They Shot the Bee Scenes in ‘Candyman’
Here's the story of how the filmmakers wrangled 200,000 very real honeybees. Read More
October 30, 2021
How They Filmed the Café Dolly Shot in ‘Wings’
No, there wasn't a buzzsaw attached to the camera. But that's a free idea if anyone wants it... Read More
September 30, 2021
How They Shot the Breathable Fluid Scenes in ‘The Abyss’
If you think it's CGI ... don't hold your breath. Or, wait, maybe do. Read More
August 2, 2021
How They Shot the No Parachute Skydiving Scene in ‘Point Break’
“Johnny, you’re about to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. How do you feel about that?” Read More
June 29, 2021
How the Special Effect of “Go Motion” Works
The things we do for motion blur. Read More
May 22, 2021
How They Built the Battle Exosuits for ‘Edge of Tomorrow’
Live, die...repeatedly strap yourself into a metal articulated exoskeleton that weighs 85 lbs. Read More
April 19, 2021
How They Shot the Stargate Sequence in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’
My god, it's full of stars! And innovative slit-scan photography! Read More
March 23, 2021