As a videographer, I am always trying to effectively tell a story. I have discovered that one of the most effective storytelling tools in video production is the time lapse.
With a time lapse you can compress a long and static event into a short engaging video clip. An effective use of a time lapse videography is a party like the clip below where people mingle around but don’t do anything too interesting to capture as video clip. As a single video shot this would be as interesting as watching grass grow. However, when compressed into about 3-5 seconds the video clip is engaging, and it tells a story without boring the viewer.
Consider Your Subject for your Time Lapse Videography
When making a time lapse there are few things to consider. First, what is it that we want to focus on. The image that we want the viewer to lock on should be still or slowly progressing/regressing. On the other hand, the figures or characters moving around will be moving fast and so we want to blur them out. In video production of a time lapse this is achieved through motion blur with the use of a slow shutter speed. The shutter speed in the above mentioned video clip was set at 1/3 sec and we get a ghosting effect of the people. Hence, the viewer perceives the activity but is focused on the aesthetics of the room and people who are still or moving slow.
Add Movement to your Videography
Another important element to consider when setting up a time lapse video is movement. As discussed earlier, repetitive movements like people mingling around should be blurred. However if we want to add drama to the video we can SLOWLY move the camera to the point of focus
Or we can SLOWLY move around the subject like here. The movement should be just above the threshold of being noticed because this type of movement is effective if it is felt rather than seen.
The slow dramatic movement of the camera in a time lapse is achieved by using a mechanized slider. The slider moves the camera progressively from start to end point every time a picture is being taken.
Alternative Methods of Time Lapse Videography
As a videographer and a filmmaker, I don’t always set up a traditional time lapse where camera takes picture over set period of time. Sometimes I will film a long video clip knowing that I will manipulate the time. For instance, I will speed up a gimbal video clip to make the a scene more dynamic. An advantage of this video production technique is that I can slow down the clip at specific moment to highlight something interesting.
There are also some very sophisticated time lapse techniques where the slider movement and or speed of the time lapse change over the course of time. These type of time lapse video productions require careful planning and tools like a computerized application that can control video production sliders or dollies.
In sum, a time lapse is a video production technique that can show something otherwise boring in a new, fun and engaging way. And yes, it can even make watching grass grow exciting!
For more information click here
Hi. I don’t have any advice. I am a Chicago videographer and I was simply writing about topics I know with no real target where to land my content. I guess I got lucky!
Wonderful article. Thanks a whole lot for the breakdown you have given here. I am just still sort-of an illiterate about this topic. So this publication was really helpful to myself. My husband just launched his own ebook in this area and I think some things learned from your publication would enable everyone of us to give him the required support. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing superb informations. Your site is so cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found just the info I already searched everywhere and just could not come across. What a perfect website.
Hi, some cameras have time-lapse option or an app built in. How do these differ from set ups that take pictures that are then composited in photoshop?
Hi Kim, thank you for your question. Yes some cameras have a build in option for creating time lapses for video production. These app usually stream the process for you. You might be asked to set how long your final output should be and how long you plan to shoot for and the app will automatically determine the amount of shoots needed. The app will also automatically create the video file for you. Despite of easier workflow, these app often come with limitations. One limitation that I have found in the camera that I was using was the format of the final video output. The video created by the app was limited to only 1920 x 1080 HD. Now, when I set the camera to interval shooting I have to do all my own calculations. However, as a professional videographer I appreciate the flexibility of creating 4k or higher formats videos from the pictures. One of my cameras can take 48 Mpixel images which allows me to create even 8k video. Now I would hardly ever use anything of such high resolution, however another filmmaker might be asking for such format. Hence, for pro video production manual interval shooting seems to be a better option. thank you.
What is one of the cameras to creat some beautiful time lapses, like the ones you have on your videos and use in your video production?
Hi. All cameras will allow you to create great looking time lapse videos. I tend to favor Sony cameras, as they are small and compact, and offer really good image quality. However, any camera now a day will give you great image, including the camera that comes with your smart phone. The new smartphones are good for both still photography as well as video (filming). As I have mentioned in the article, what is most important is that you really know your camera and how to control its parameters. For example, controlling shutter speed will give you ability to create that ghosting effect. With ghosting effect, you can blur images that are moving in the video while keeping still images in focus. If you are using smart phone to create time lapse video, you might not have this level of control. However, smartphone has advantage of being small and portable and might be set up quickly with little of support gear like tripod or slider. I have been able to create, unexpectedly, really cool videos using my phone on vacations. In situations when you don’t have your favorite gear and opportunity arises, you still have a great camera in your pocket that can create impressive time lapse videos.