Diana Giorgiutti ,Visual Effects Producer

In The Matrix the directing team of Larry and Andy Wachowski has presented us with a disturbing and notably dynamic vision of our possible future. With seamless attention to detail, the film offers a wide array of visual effects, including digital work, prosthetic makeups, and a practical shooting innovation developed by the effects team. "Basically, I was assigned to John Gaeta, who supervised all of the 415 visual effects shots, including 85 CG shots done at Manex in the Bay Area," said Diana Giorgiutti. She had been based in England to work on Lost in Space and a couple of James Bond films, but due to the lack of effects knowledge by The Matrix's Australian crew, she ended up coordinating all of the production's visual effects. Among those completed at Manex were a striking 30-second fetus field shot depicting human baby pods being plucked and sucked up tubes to computer-controlled machine harvesters. Two Australian companies also completed post-production shots under Gaeta's supervision. One firm, Animal Logic, created the opening and closing image of The Matrix code, including Keanu Reeves' character entering the antagonist's body and breaking him apart; another company, D-Film, created an entire climactic helicopter crash into the side of a building. Another amazing aspect of The Matrix's visual world is the use of a pioneering new film technique labeled "Bullet Time." The technology allows the actors on screen to freeze or considerably slow down in mid-air, with a 3-D camera move circling the action in place. Using this system, characters could fluidly jump, meet in mid-flight, and bend back to dodge bullets. According to Giorgiutti, the shots took about a week to set up. "Larry and Andy would work out with John what kind of moves they wanted on the subject with previsualization," she indicated. Even though there are only four Bullet Time shots in the film, they are so outstanding, it gives the film a totally unique presence. Undoubtedly, The Matrix will get the Wachowskis, Gaeta, and Giorgiutti considerable attention in the world of visual effects.