From changing light and shadows, to moving people and equipment, to building things, a timelapse presents a magnificent cinematic experience. Timelapse videos are extremely interesting ways to capture motion and then using the fast forward mode for progression of time to create a stunning experience. The essence of a captivating timelapse video lies in the continuous capturing of images of a special subject at specified intervals and then creating a movie out of it. Wondering how you can actually do this? These seven tips can help.
- The timing: Start shooting during the day rather than at night because this would let you get the ideal fusion from the very first image of your timelapse. Ideally, aim for late afternoons or early mornings when the light is softer and more appealing, rather than mid-day when there’s harsh overhead sunlight.
- Camera framing: Ensure that your timelapse jobsite camera is positioned horizontally and as flat as possible. This would ensure the panoramic image doesn’t get distorted when you merge two shots.
- Ideal distance: The key point of interest must be positioned at the centre of the fusion zone at a distance of more than five meters.
- Frame interval ought to exceed the exposure time: Your frame interval must be longer than your exposure time. This will let your camera have sufficient time to clear the image buffer before you capture the next frame. Ideally, your exposure time should be about 60-80% of your frame interval.
- Shoot in the Manual Mode: Shooting a timelapse video demands everything in your camera to remain constant. Using modes like Shutter Priority or Aperture while shooting would cause your exposures to differ too much between every photo. So, set your camera to manual mode prior to shooting. This includes Shutter Speed, ISO, White balance and Aperture.
- Turn to manual focus: After you auto focus on your main subject, turn it off and switch to Manual before you start shooting. Else, before every shot or even in the middle of shot, the camera will try to auto focus. This would waste a lot of precious battery time and even cause problems in the final output.
- Ensure no camera movement during shooting: Once all the parameters are set and you have positioned the camera correctly, you can start creating your timelapse video. Make sure the camera doesn’t move while the shooting is in progress.
In addition, you should be able to anticipate your subject’s movement in the coming minutes/hours. This will let you compose your shots to ensure such change in motion as time passes would be captured within your frame.
If you want to know more about how you can create progress timelapse video for business, or need professional help in their creation, our team would be happy to offer its services.
