The original Matrix trilogy actually used several clever tricks for epic scenes.
The latest Matrix part is filled with CG effects but the original movies relied on several traditional techniques making them feel more personal and grounded. It's always nice learning how teams dealt with limited resources and found clever tricks to prepare epic scenes. Let's take a look at one of those moments.
A recently resurfaced behind-the-scenes video shows how the Matrix production team worked on the final clone fight for 2003's The Matrix Revolutions. The scene features Neo (Keanu Reeves) fighting AI antagonist Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) in a post-apocalyptic landscape.
The thing is that the scene features countless copies of Agent Smith in the background. Today, CG effects could be used to multiply the main villain, but back in 2003, the production team had to create a mold of Weaving's face, add prosthetic hair, and prepare such masks for each of the actor's doubles. The camera kept its distance and the doubles also put on sunglasses so the final result looked perfect.
What other similar stories do you like? Share links in the comments. Here's one more post on matte paintings used for the original Star Wars movies in case you want more old-school stories.
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