Flowers flaunting their pigments as they stretch out to full blossom.
Fungi springing from the earth and tripling in size.
The auroras gloriously dancing across the northern hemisphere.
Buildings transforming from a simple foundation to 10 stories reaching for the sky…
All seemingly out of nowhere and in the blink of an eye.
We’ve all seen the footage…where events that take days, weeks, months, even years to play out in the natural world complete their cycle in mere seconds.
It’s only possible through time-lapse video—and what a mesmerizing storytelling technique it is.
What is Time-Lapse Video
Essentially, time-lapse is a video recording mode that captures film frames at a much lower rate. With the frequency of the frame rate more spread out (a photo captured once every 5 minutes, for example), time appears to be moving faster (i.e. lapsing) when played at normal speed.
Benefits of Time-Lapse Video
There’s beauty in much of what we can’t see. It can be a profound experience to witness all the fascinating nuances of a slow-moving process come to life. Nuances we would otherwise miss or overlook—by seeing them crystalize we gain a new understanding and appreciation for the flower, the fungus, the polar lights, and the construction of a skyscraper.
Aside from the more ethereal “wow” factor aspects, time-lapse can be an incredibly practical way to tell your story with minimal production costs. People today are not only increasingly impatient, but overwhelmed with content. And with only a few seconds to prove your video is worthy of the viewer’s attention, time-lapse will keep things moving and help you stand out. It’s easy to follow, requires very little concentration, and crafts a narrative that gets to the point quickly.
Using the Right Equipment For Time-Lapse Video
Can you capture time-lapse video with an iPhone? Sure. Is it quick and easy? Yeah. Is it the ideal way to come away with professional-grade footage? Not by a longshot.
Legit pro-level cameras like the Brinno TLC200 are tailor-made to get high-resolution time-lapse footage that’s processed through software and ultimately much more impressive than what your iPhone can produce.
So when looking to incorporate time-lapse into your business marketing videos, it’s a good idea to enlist the services of a video production company who is equipped with the latest high-quality gear.
Examples Using Time-Lapse Video
Construction companies, home and auto repair, event set up, general b-roll footage, and anything you plan to use on social media can benefit tremendously with time-lapse video techniques.
Colorado Springs Utilities was developing a new solar array farm south of town. They enlisted the help of Twelve Legs Marketing to document the process. We collected video of an 8 month period using time-lapse cameras, as well as video of milestones and interviews with city officials.
Our friends at Holladay Grace Roofing get a lot of questions from customers and prospects about what the roof installation process entails, from start to finish. What better way to provide a thorough answer than with a video that condensed weeks worth of work into 60 informative seconds? Here, a video is truly worth a thousand words.
Twelve Leg Marketing has an award-winning crew, superior video equipment, and advanced pre- and post-production capabilities. When you’re ready to boost your business with video (timelapse or otherwise), we’d welcome the opportunity to meet!
