- Zack Snyder’s slow-motion film technique is based on intuition and emphasizes specific moments in a scene.
- The director avoids slowing down footage shot at a different frame rate to maintain authenticity.
- Audiences can expect Snyder’s signature slow-motion style in his upcoming science fiction franchise, Rebel Moon.
Notorious for his extensive use of slow motion in films such as 300, Watchmen, and the DC cinematic universe, director Zack Snyder has offered insight into his approach to the technique. He revealed that he doesn’t use slow motion simply for its cool aesthetic but rather has a more thoughtful process for incorporating it into his films.
According to Snyder, he prefers not to slow down footage that was shot at another frame rate. For instance, if something was filmed at 24 frames, he would not want to slow it down to look like slow motion. The only exception to this, he said, was in the title sequence of Watchmen, where they had to use fake slow motion due to the unavailability of the right cameras at the time.
In an interview with Collider, Snyder mentioned that his decision to make something slow-motion or not is “intuitive.” He would never make something slo-mo for its own sake, with the moments he wants to emphasize coming to him either before or during filming.
While Snyder’s use of slow motion has been divisive among critics and audiences, many will be curious to see how the technique is incorporated into his upcoming sci-fi franchise, Rebel Moon. The first installment, Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, is set for a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 15, 2023, followed by a Netflix release on December 22, 2023. A sequel, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, is confirmed for release on April 19, 2024.