# How do they do those "3D-ish" commercials?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-do-those-3d-ish-commercials/622263>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 17, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-do-those-3d-ish-commercials/622263 "2012-05-17T23:08:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-do-those-3d-ish-commercials/622263/21 "2012-05-20T03:14:42Z")

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> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#):
>
> I remember that - but it’s not quite bullet time. The effect starts at about 1:28 in [this clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9-CTryNALU), and it looks like 100% CGI with the actor’s faces composited on the models. And the scene is static, as well; the Matrix had the characters moving whilst the camera tracked them.

My memory of seeing it in the theatre is that the scene had the super crisp image effect that the multi camera shots produce and which CGI was incapable of back then. It probably looks like CGI on the YouTube clip because the quality of the video that person uploaded is so poor and so tiny. I may be wrong, but I doubt it.

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**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-do-those-3d-ish-commercials/622263/22 "2012-05-20T04:27:51Z")

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There’s a combination of techniques, but I think what you’re looking for is some kind of projection mapping. Yea there’s composite stuff sometimes and various tricks with slow motion cameras, but most of the stuff - of a stationary object “frozen” in time - is more or less a form of projection mapping.

See something like [this.](http://motionographer.com/theater/onesize-playground-titles/)

Essentially they cut out object from the background then project it onto a rough 3D model of that object. So if it was a mountain, they’d cut out the mountain and project that mountain on a pyramid shape. Using 3D software they can use computer “cameras” to make filmic moves around this 3D shape and, when done right, it’s pretty convincing.

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