We’ve always associated bullet time sequences with “The Matrix” but today I found that the concept was actually used before the movie! Obviously it wasn’t as effective and hence never left the kind of impression that was left by Neo bending backwards to dodge those bullets.
The trick was first used in the following, noticeably weird, commercial for Smirnoff Vodka in 1997-98.
The technique was pioneered by Michel Gondry, the director of excellent but somewhat twisted (nothing compared to this ad) films like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “The Science of Sleep”. It does look pretty cheesy and uncool now but it was definitely innovative for a commercial!
