A Quick Peek From the Matrix Set In Sydney

We posted recently about the planned shutdown of part of Sydney for filming of the upcoming Matrix sequel. Now reader zobier points to a followup describing the shooting, and since he was on hand to see it first-hand, writes: "I went along to watch the filming, it was very cool (I love helicopters tho' ;) They didn't block off much city space, maybe (100 - 200m), and the chopper flew down the square (Martin Place) between the buildings about 5 - 10m above our heads. Many onlookers were videoing and photographing the scene. At about 5pm when it got dark the camera flashes started going off, this pissed off the director as it was interfering with his film." GoogolPlexPlex adds a link to coverage in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Comments

plot speculations about the matrix reloaded

[target]

So I wonder what the next movies are going to be about. At the end of the matrix, neo is like unto a god, and the agents can't stop him.

Outside the matrix, neo is a wimpy bald guy who eats gruel and has no ability to fight the enemy.

A movie needs conflict to be interesting. There's lots of obvious conflict available in the real world, where neo and company are underdogs in the fight against the machines, but the parts of the matrix that were really cool were *in the matrix*. So the major conflict being outside the matrix is out.[1]

But neo is all powerful inside, right? Well, that pretty much has to change for there to be anything interesting happening. So my prediction is, right at the beginning of the movie, we're going to find out that the machines have changed something about the matrix that takes away some (but not all) of neo and company's power. That way they still get to do their cool slow motion three-d rotating martial arts, but they can't just win outright.[2]

It's an open question, of course, whether this will be done well enough to allow you to sit back and enjoy the movie, rather than internally kvetch about how contrived things are.

Note that the above is not based on any actual knowledge or information.

- target

[1] Of course, as in the first movie, there will certainly be some conflict outside the matrix. Expect that there will be twin threats, inside and outside, just as in the first. Expect also that those threats will be interrelated, so that solving one is necessary to or will solve the other.

[2] This is perhaps supported by the title. If the matrix gets reloaded, will somee of the rules change?

Re:plot speculations about the matrix reloaded

[BoBaBrain]

But neo is all powerful inside, right? Well, that pretty much has to change for there to be anything interesting happening.


Having an immortal hero may seem too much, but it really isn't any different to other films. Name one action movie you have seen where you genuinely believed that the hero would die?

Normally, common sense and experience dictates our hero will survive. In The Matrix, the story dictates this too.

Re:plot speculations about the matrix reloaded

[ConceptJunkie]

Neo is established to be more powerful than the agents at the end of the first movie since they have never had to deal with anything like him before. No doubt the agents can change and adapt.

This is not like what I consider to be the worst movie I ever paid to see, "Spawn" wherein it is established early on that our hero cannot die (because he is already dead or some crap like that) and the in rest of the movie he is threatened with being killed by various forces. I would have walked out, but I thought my buddy wanted to see the rest... he was only staying because he thought _I_ wanted to...

That movie was only worthy of MST3K, and I think even those guys would have a hard time of it.

I'm sure the agents will return in new and deadly ways (not to mention those albino "virus" dudes)... also even if Neo _is_ unbeatable, all his friends, not to mention the rest of humanity, are not. Even if he cannot be defeated, can he save them? Believe me, despite all the hokiness and plot holes (and I'm saying this despite the fact that "The Matrix" is one of my favorite movies ever), there is plenty of room for real drama and suspense. Not to mention lotsa butt kickin' and eye candy.

Re:Camera flashes

[limegreen]

Ah, but the advantage of using flash at night (without a window in the way) is that it keeps the exposure short enough to reduce camera shake, objects moving, bluring etc. It's a choice between mostly black pictures, or mostly light blury pictures. Or use film suitable for low light (ISO 6400 or greater would be a good start).

Stop blaming the user - blame the product

[dduck]

Err... You are aware that most non-professional cameras today decide weather to use the flash by themselves, and that you should therefor blame the technology rather than the user in this case?

Re:Stop blaming the user - blame the product

[finkployd]

With the exception of the cheapest disposable cameras, I have never seen a camera that did not let you control the flash. Sure they have an "auto-flash" setting, they also have an "off" setting.

Finkployd

Re:Stop blaming the user - blame the product

[HiQ]

That's quite a nerd way of seeing things. Most users have a camera to 'shoot a picture'. They are not interested in photography, they just want a picture to show that they were there. For a large part of the population technological equipment is something to use, and something to be afraid of. They don't know how it works, why it works; they don't care, don't want to care and don't bother. And I think that this goes for the majority of the population.

Re:Camera Flash

[jafac]

well, add to that the fact that on automatic, many cameras simply will not allow you to trip the shutter in low-light situations unless the flash is turned on. Most people use automatic cameras, and even if the camera has a way to let you override it, and even if the operator knows how to override it, it's usually not a simple task, UI wise, and likely takes more than a few seconds to set up, and most people aren't thinking that far ahead when they point their camera and press the button.

Face it, Photography is, when you get down to it, a highly technical practice, and you can automate it somewhat with smart cameras that can handle say 80% of the situations that 90% of people are likely to want to take pictures of. Fall outside those boundries, and you get situations like these.