16 Feb Pro Quality Time-Lapse Video: What we’ve learned

Images for Business has been making time-lapse video in Australia for over a decade. In this article, we share how we’ve unlocked the ability to produce pro-quality time-lapse video for our clients, time after time.

There’s more to it than you might imagine.

Making a pro-time-lapse video is a film-making process. It brings together a mix of planning, creative problem solving, visual storytelling, advanced editing, and post-production. Plus, there’s the pro-grade equipment that ensures the highest quality and reliability.

We start the process with planning. What is the story we’re aiming to tell? How can we do that most compellingly? What’s the budget? How many camera positions will be needed? And what is the duration of the project we’re shooting?

For example, a big construction project can run over several years. While installing a bridge span or showing a production process may be hours or even minutes. Finally, are there any extra video sequences that will help bring the story to life?

Of critical importance, particularly in production and transport, is safety. We need to have all the right certifications, work within our client’s safety policies and processes, and develop a detailed risk assessment plan.

We’ve found that by collaborating closely with our clients at this early stage helps to align everyone’s expectations. It sets us off on the right track, minimises our busy clients’ management time, and ensures everyone stays safe.

Next comes the setup. We make sure that angles are tuned to achieve the right visual impact, allowing for the light at all times of day and night, and how weather and dust can affect the results. This involves location scouting, negotiating with neighbouring property owners or erecting temporary poles.

The equipment we use is a combination of Nikon professional SLR cameras, weatherproof housings, time-lapse control equipment, and wireless data transfer systems. We monitor the results as they unfold and stay ahead of any cleaning and maintenance requirements.

Once we have the collection of what can be hundreds and thousands of time-lapse frames, we get down to assembling and editing the video.

Editing is a highly detailed process that focuses on the sequences of most interest and tells the story with the most significant impact. The images are graded for consistent colour and visual quality.

Finally, we add titles and graphics, cut in any extra video and add an audio track.

For our clients, it’s simple. It’s a process of regular communication updates and approvals.

The results speak for themselves and belie the difficulty involved in making them.

Images for Business was one of the earliest pioneers in professional time-lapse. Today we’re proud to be a leader. We’ve learned what works best and the traps that are all-too-easy to fall in to. We love what we do, as do our clients.

If you have any questions or want to tell you project stories with time-lapse, contact us today.