In the realm of photography and videography, two powerful techniques have emerged as captivating ways to showcase the developments of a wide range of projects: hyper lapse and time lapse.
Whilst they appear very similar to the untrained eye, they each have some key differences.
In this article, we’ll go through what a time lapse is, what a hyper lapse is, their key differences, and the environments in which each of them excels.
What is a Time Lapse?
Time lapse is a technique that captures individual photographs at specific intervals and combines them into a condensed video. Time lapse videos engage viewers, increase brand visibility, and attract potential clients. They condense months or even years of construction into a visually compelling format, allowing audiences to witness the entire project journey.
Why Should I Use a Time Lapse
Time lapse videos are valuable tools for project documentation, storytelling, and showcasing the scale and complexities of large projects. They effectively display the progress of projects over a long time period. By condensing a long time into a short, consumable video that’s ideal for both social media and boardroom presentations, time lapse videos provide a comprehensive overview of the project’s timeline and achievements.
Which Sectors Should Use Time Lapse
Time lapse videos are perfect for a wide range of sectors. Here at Inside Out Group, we work with companies in the following sectors:
Rail
Perfect for showcasing redevelopments such as the Network Rail South Livingston Redevelopment and new constructions such as HS2 and bridges like the Marston Box Rail Bridge. Adding time lapse to your project will provide you with a valuable resource for monitoring site activity, ensuring health and safety procedures are being followed as well as providing a project case study highlighting your engineering and construction excellence.
Construction
From site clearance (if needed) to the completion of the project, time lapse enables project managers to monitor progress, manage stocks and staffing and so provides a potential for improved productivity. It’s also useful for any investors to be able to see project progress in an engaging way, wherever they may be. Once completed, the final time lapse video can be a great marketing tool helping to secure new projects and reduce sales cycles. Some examples of our work in the construction sector include Willmott Dixon Construction, University of Warwick Sports & Wellness Hub and Melius Homes Derwent Way Housing Development.
Highways
Capture your highways project from start to finish to showcase your project. Time lapse videos can provide a lasting reminder of the exceptional work achieved by your team, helps ensure sites are monitored 24/7, enables more effective project management and helps to identify any health and safety concerns before issues arise. For your marketing and PR teams, time lapse provides a perfect promotional opportunity and outstanding case study.
Examples of our work in the highways sector include the A553 expressway bridge replacement project and the Marston Box Rail Bridge project.
Demolition
The sheer scale of some demolition projects and the position of the demolition site in relation to other buildings can make the work complex and detailed, with projects sometimes taking years to complete. Whilst smaller projects can last as little as a week or two. Using time lapse to document the demolition means there is a lasting record of how the project was completed, helps with any health and safety concerns, and provides that all important case study for use in promoting your demolition expertise.
As an example of a large and complex project, we captured the demolition related to the Earls Court Redevelopment project. This took place over a four-year time period and is a great example of how timelapse can be used when a demolition is required. Closer to us, we also recorded the A52 Footbridge Demolition for Derby City Council.
Aviation
The aviation industry continues to construct new runways as well as refurbish old ones. Time lapse offers a great opportunity to document the project from start to finish in a fast-paced way, just like the industry itself. Helping to keep stakeholders and the public up to speed with progress as well as simply to monitor progress and assist in project management, time lapse is an invaluable tool for the aviation industry and airport authorities.
We’ve provided filming and photography service to the UK’s biggest aviation projects, such as Manchester airport redevelopment, East Midlands airport runway resurfacing, Gatwick airport expansion.
Infrastructure
From energy and utilities to engineering and rail and road project, infrastructure covers a wide range of sectors, and all can benefit from the use of time lapse video to record projects and project progress.
Some projects we’ve been commissioned to work on include capturing the lifting two 22 tonne generators into Birmingham Children’s Hospital and showcasing the benefits of Nottingham Community Transport’s new 58 electric buses that have been introduced across 18 routes.
Manufacturing
When you make something and you make it well, why not capture it forever with a time lapse video? Time lapse video use for manufacturing companies offers not just promotional opportunities, it can also help identify process improvements to help reduce waste and improve efficiency – ultimately reducing product cost whilst ensuring quality. By monitoring the production process, the time lapse video can also help production managers and health and safety executives reduce accidents at work and improve health and safety.
With a love of the sector, we’ve been involved in some fantastic work in the manufacturing sector including documenting the Story of the Bottle for Cott Beverages, train refurbishments at Alstom’s traincare facility and the installation of a new Pitney Bowes Epic Enclosing Machine for Opus Trust Marketing.
Although here at Inside Out Group we focus on the above industries, there are some other industries that can make great use of timelapse video would include:
- Oil & Gas exploration – highlighting the complexities of operations as well as to enable monitoring of drilling for example.
- Tourism – to advertise a town, city, county, or country to use to attract visitors.
- Events – to capture the event from start to finish, from the set-up, the event and then the dismantling. An example of a fabulous project we worked on was the Donington Park Wordsbk 2017 event – filming set up Motul FIM Superbike World Championship.
- Film and Television – perfect for capturing the natural world from sunrises and sunsets to the filming of flowers opening or birds nesting. Think David Attenborough. 😊
- Agriculture – monitoring crops and their growth, all the way through to harvesting. Its also a great way to monitor any issues with disease or pests and can enable action to be taken to save crops.
- Medical – to help with research as well as for monitoring in-vitro fertilization (IVF) embryos or growth of specimens in laboratories.
- Corporate communications – sometimes it simply makes sense to communicate with video or time lapse video. Here we’ve worked with Willmott Dixon on induction videos for operatives as well as conference videos.
What is a Hyper Lapse?
Hyper Lapse involves capturing individual frames while moving the camera over a long distance. Unlike time lapse, which captures frames from a fixed position, a hyper lapse uses different angles to create a sense of movement and speed. It offers a unique visual experience by showcasing the entire project in a dynamic and captivating manner.
Hyper Lapse Benefits and Applications
Hyper lapse videos provide a dynamic perspective, taking viewers on a visual journey through the project. They create a sense of movement and display the entire site from different angles and distances. Hyper lapse videos are powerful tools for enhancing project showcases, emphasizing the scale and grandeur of construction and infrastructure projects.
Hyper Lapse vs Time Lapse: Key Differences
Camera Movement
Hyper lapse involves physically moving the camera over a long distance, capturing frames along the way. In contrast, time lapse captures frames from a fixed position without camera movement. The camera movement in hyper lapse adds a completely new perspective to your project.
Technical Differences
Both hyper lapse and timelapse techniques come with technical differences associated during the setup and management.
Hyper lapse requires precise camera movement and stability over a long distance, while timelapse requires consistent interval settings and proper camera positioning.
Professional production companies possess the expertise, equipment, and technical capabilities to implement these techniques effectively.
Benefits of a Time Lapse Over a Hyper Lapse
Stability and Control
Time lapse videos are captured from a fixed position, providing stability and control over the composition and framing. This allows for a consistent viewpoint throughout the video, making it easier to highlight specific areas or elements of the project. It also minimizes the potential for camera movement-related issues, ensuring smoother footage.
Highlighting Details
Time lapse videos can capture intricate details that might not be as noticeable in real-time or in a hyper lapse. The slower pace of time lapse allows viewers to appreciate the finer nuances of the project, such as the intricate craftsmanship or the precision of construction processes.
Better Decision Making
As managers are viewing the process as a time lapse rather than in real-time, time lapse video can provide insight into process improvements and production developments.
For Capturing Longer Time Periods
Time lapse will make sense if your project is likely to take months and years rather than weeks or days to complete as it takes up less storage space than video files or hyper lapse files. Although time lapse will still be best for shorter duration projects if the subject of the filming is moving.
For Capturing Slow Processes
When the subject is moving relatively slowly, the use of time lapse makes sense as you can then speed up the process to make it more dynamic and interesting. Think again of the flower blooming or the growth of any plant.
Better Value
Time Lapse is less expensive than Hyper Lapse as once the camera or cameras have been installed, tested and are filming, they can be left unattended until project completion. Hyper Lapse is significantly more labour intensive as you need to move the camera each time it takes a picture. It’s only possible if you’ve got a person physically shifting it as needed. In fact, a person literally sits behind the camera and shifts it manually.
Benefits of a Hyper Lapse over a Time Lapse
Dynamic Perspective
Hyper lapse videos offer a dynamic and engaging perspective by incorporating camera movement. The camera traverses through the project, providing a sense of motion and depth. This dynamic perspective can make the video more visually exciting and immersive, giving viewers a unique and captivating experience.
Emphasising Scale and Context
Hyper lapse videos are effective at highlighting the scale and context of a construction or infrastructure project. By capturing footage from various distances and angles, hyper lapse allows viewers to understand the project’s surroundings and appreciate its size and impact on the environment. It adds a sense of spatial awareness not easily achieved with timelapse.
Choosing Between a Time Lapse or a Hyper Lapse for Project Showcasing
When choosing between hyper lapse and time lapse for project showcases, consider factors such as project requirements, objectives, the desired visual storytelling elements, and the post-production requirements to help bring the vision to life.
Understanding the unique aspects of the project and consulting with a professional production company can help in making an informed decision between a time lapse and a hyper lapse.
In essence if your subject is moving, it will almost certainly make sense to use time lapse rather than hyper lapse.
Collaboration with Film and Photography Production Company
Partnering with a film and photography production company is crucial in selecting the right technique for your desired project. These creatives provide years of expertise, creative input, and technical capabilities.
We’ll collaborate closely with you to understand your vision and objectives, ensuring the chosen technique aligns with their branding and marketing goals.
Case studies and success stories serve as compelling evidence of the impact of hyper lapse and time lapse videos. Companies that have integrated these techniques into their project showcases have reported increased client interest, improved brand visibility, and a higher likelihood of securing new projects.
Conclusion
Hyper lapse and time lapse are powerful techniques that elevate project showcases for a wide range of industries that complete large-scale projects, ranging from construction and infrastructure companies, all the way to manufacturing, educational institutes, and transport.
By understanding the differences between these techniques and collaborating with a professional production company, companies looking to showcase their project can create visually stunning videos that intrigue stakeholders, attract clients, and display their projects in a truly captivating manner.
Here at Inside Out Group, we offer both time lapse and hyper lapse. Hyper lapse is part of our higher end filming day service.
For more information and help with your next project, please call us on 0115 7180478 or send us a message using our contact form.
