Slow motion
Slow motion can also be used for artistic effect, to create a romantic or suspenseful aura or to stress a moment in time. Vsevolod Pudovkin, for instance, used slow motion in a suicide scene in his 1933 film "The Deserter", in which a man jumping into a river seems sucked down by the slowly splashing waves. Another example is "Face/Off", in which John Woo used the same technique in the movements of a flock of flying pigeons. "The Matrix" made a distinct success in applying the effect into action scenes through the use of multiple cameras, as well as mixing slow-motion with live action in other scenes. Japanese director Akira Kurosawa was a pioneer using this technique in his 1954 movie "Seven Samurai". American director Sam Peckinpah was another classic lover of the use of slow motion. The technique is especially associated with explosion effect shots and underwater footage.