In 'The Matrix' they relied on a series of still cameras to achieve the effect, whereas we shot ours with an Arifiex 435 motion picture camera," Fiore explains. "This allowed more flexibility over what frame can be frozen and what part of the frozen image can be moved on. This gave Renny the ability to stop on any given angle."
This "hang time" effect allowed the filmmakers to drop the audience in the path of a crash, move them through a fire, or place them in the cockpit as a race car spins 360 degrees down the track.
Harlin also manipulated shutter speeds and angles to create a staccato feel or streaky effect, to elongate a sequence for detail or impact, or speed it up for heart- pounding, blistering action. "You will see a crash happen in extreme slow motion, see our actors in these cars as they're crashing, as we move your point of view through the crash and you sec debris break off in slow motion," Harlin says. "We can augment the real car stuff with the very dangerous stuff- flying through a crash and through debris — on the computer. I can go back and forth between slowing something down and then cutting back to the high speeds in real time. This allows me to create racing and crash sequences that people have never seen before because they simply could not be done safely."
In addition to computer technology, computerized camera work and visual effects. Harlin says advancements in camera technology is another key to capturing the thrill of racing these high-powered machines. "There are so many more places we can mount cameras now because they are so lightweight and we know how to balance them," Harlin says. "For example, we use periscope lenses, where the camera is mounted out of the way, but the lens comes out in front of the driver's eyes so you can get the exact point of view of the driver all the way down the track and all the way up to include his own hands on the steering wheel."
Harlin used a number of cameras and mounts, including the 3-axis gyro-stabilized 23-pound remote control camera head called RollVision, which can tilt 180 degrees, roll 360 degrees, pan 360 degrees and be mounted on crane, jib arms, RadCam, steadicam or a dolly. He also used a very small camera called the Eyemo, which can be rigged to a car's suspension for a fast-moving perspective. Additionally, Harlin employed the WesCam in his aerial shots and made liberal use of the Technocrane to navigate around the cars. An 80-foot-long Strada crane swung over the audiences at the race track while a FotoSonics camera, which shot 300 frames per second, captured the terror of a fire in the pits.
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