Timelapse Filming

There is a technique for filming called timelapse filming, also known as timelapse photography. Essentially a special digital SLR is used with an appropriate lens such as a fisheye or wide angled lens. The camera shoots a single frame (photo) at timed intervals. Usually between 5 and 10 second intervals. This compresses the footage down so that 2 to 4 minutes of shooting time would give 1 second of movie time. The interval and shot duration can be changed to introduce movement blur and speed up or slow down the action. Technically there's a number of important factors to consider when setting up this kind of shot. Once the shot is in post production there are more important steps to produce the final movie.

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Uses of Timelapse Filming

There are great reasons both artistic and narrative as to why to use timelapse. But also because it just looks very cool!

Timelapse movies are great for marketing and promotions:

• Making the ordinary seem amazing
• Show a process unfold in seconds - think of a building being built
• Highlight a transformative process, for example a property decorator might want to demonstrate a room being transformed!
• Shift peoples sense of perspective and scale - when you move the time reference, you also shift peoples perspective (in a good way!)
• It's an interesting and artistic way of showing people something they've seen before, but in a fresh and new way!