	One of the most famous examples of slow motion technology and the movie responsible for coining the phrase “bullet time” is The Matrix.  The most popular scene in this movie fully demonstrates the use of the virtual camera.  Multiple bullets are shot at Neo and there is no apparent way for him to avoid these bullets.  So, he manipulates time and space in the Matrix by bending in such ways as to avoid the bullets completely.  The shot is slowed down so that we can see the flight paths of the bullets and see their flight trails.  Space is manipulated in that the camera moves all around the shot in such a way that is impossible for a normal camera to do.  This whole scene is shot in slow motion but the camera moves in such a way that it appears that it moves in normal time.  The interesting thing about the bullet time sequence in The Matrix is that in the movie itself, Neo is moving super fast, while the scene itself is shown as being slowed down and dramatic as the camera moves all around, showing all the bullets fly past.  Other scenes, such as the rail gun scene while they’re saving Morpheus employ similar technology.  The entire scene is not in slow motion, but certain parts, such as the agents shooting at Neo and the bullet casings falling from the rail gun, are slowed down.  
	It’s not just live action movies that utilize slow motion technology.  Animated movies since The Matrix have also used it, showing it off in either parody form (such as Shrek) or to show a fight scene in greater detail from more angles all in a short time span (such as Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children).  Other cartoons and animated movies have used this technique as well, such as the anime Karas.  Shrek uses bullet time in such a way as to draw an obvious connection between it and The Matrix because the scene in Shrek that uses slow motion is identical to a scene in The Matrix.  Princess Fiona jumps up in the air and time slows down as the camera pivots around her in normal time then time resumes as she kicks the people she’s attacking.  Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children slows down time in a few scenes.  One scene in particular sticks out in my mind: the main protagonist, Cloud, is being attacked by shadow creatures that leap out of the ground and surround him in the air.  Time slows down as they all bear down on him and the camera spins in a circle at normal speed as he stares at his impending doom.  
	Live action and  animated movies alike have utilized slow motion and contributed to its development and fame.  The Matrix is the most popular, and since then, more and more directors have used this technology to enhance the cinematography of their movies.
