The ‘Time-Slice’ camera was first devised in 1980 by Tim Macmillan at Bath Academy of Art during his BA. Fine Arts degree course. Originally a painter, Macmillan was interested in combining Cubist theory with contemporary technology. Initially using hand-made photographic emulsions and photo grams, he went on to create a series of cameras creating multiple viewpoints of a space which were then collaged together. The multiple camera concept then made a lateral leap to being applied to cine film. The first camera involved a length of 16mm film negative, clear Perspex spacers providing a focal length and a strip of opaque 16mm cine magnetic tape with a pinhole drilled into each frame. A simple shutter over the magnetic tape then provided the means of exposure. The result was a tracking shot through a space. The profound revelation was that while the viewer experienced a move through space, time was frozen. A paradox! The effect is also known as ‘temps mort’ (dead time) & ‘virtual camera’, with various companies advertising under names such as ‘Timetrack’, ‘Multicam’ & ‘Big Freeze’.

Smarienberg Great Commercial of Vodka Smirnoff, directed by Michel Gondry Gran comercial de "vodka Smirnoff", dirigido por Michel Gondry Enjoy! que lo disfruten!

Clip showing the raw setup for a sequence from "The Matrix", then the cleaned up greenscreen version, then the final composited finished product. Edited from the 'extras' section of the Warner Home Video DVD. No copyright infringement intended. This is posted solely for educational purposes, to show my students in my Media Technical Theory classes.