How To Compress Time In A Time Lapse Camera?

By Author: steven avery
Total Articles: 11
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As a videographer, I am always trying to tell a story efficiently. I have explored that one of the most efficient storytelling tools in video production is the time lapse.

With a time lapse camera (zeitraffer kamera), you can compress a static and long event in a short enticing clip. An efficient use of a time lapse is a party like the clip below where people mix around but don’t do anything too much interesting to capture as a video clip. As a single video shoot, this would be interesting just like watching a grass grow. Nonetheless, when compressed in 3-5 seconds the clip is enticing, and it tells a story without making the viewer feel bored.

While making a time lapse, there are a few things you should consider. First of all, you should find out what you should focus on. The image that we want to draw the attention of the viewer should be still and gradually progressing. On the contrary, the characters or figures moving around will be moving fast and hence we wanted to blur them. When you are involved in this type of video production, ...
... you can accomplish this through motion blur with the utilization of a slow shutter speed. With a shutter speed of 1/3 sec, you will get a ghosting effect.
Therefore, the viewer understands the activity but is focussed on the aesthetics of the room and the people who are moving slow or standing still. If you don’t have the appropriate camera, you may have to rent a camera (kamera mieten).

Another vital element to consider is movement. As discussed before, repetitive movements such as people mingling around should be blurred. Nonetheless, if we want to add some drama to the video, we can move the camera slowly to the exact point of focus.

Or we can slowly move across the subject like here. The movement should be on the point of being noticed as this type of movement is efficient if it is felt instead of being noticed.
The slow dramatic movement of the camera in an IR camera (ir kamera) is accomplished by utilizing a mechanized slider. The slider moves the camera progressively from the beginning to the end point every time you take a photograph.

As a filmmaker and a videographer, I don’t always set up a conventional time lapse where the camera takes the picture over a definite period of time. Sometimes, I love to film a long video clip knowing that I will manipulate the time. For example, I can speed up a video clip to make the scene more dynamic. A benefit of this video production method is that I can slow down the clip at particular moment to highlight something interesting. These types of time lapses need proper tools and mindful planning such as a computerized application that can control dollies or video production sliders.