Time Lapse

Introduction

Time-lapse is a technique used within the application of stop motion. Due to the way in which it is done however it is often argued to be a photographic technique. Regardless, time-lapse can produce some quite stunning effects. The process is normally done by setting up a Digital camera usually on a tripod to keep it still. Then the camera is set to take a photo at regular intervals. The intervals can range from a frequency of taking a photo every minute to taking a photo every month. This normally done on a specific subject such as a fruit. Therefore, the finished product is and image which appears to be moving. For example if a photo would be taken every day of an apple the finished product would be a series of images of the apple slowly decomposing. When these photos are put together it uses the same principle of persistence of vision to appear that the fruit is decomposing before your eyes at a fast rate. In this post i will be discussing various examples of stop motion animation.

Koyaanisqatsi 

Koyaanisqatsi is a full feature film directed by Godfrey Reggio. It is a cult classic which is primarily created through the use of the time-lapse technique. Its shows a changing world in the country of the U.S. Most of the time-lapse techniques used are in cites such as new york. The videos below shows a few scenes from the film. In theses scenes a camera is left in a city centre. Then a picture is taken regularly to create the effect that thousands of people are zooming through the street at a fast pace.

Time lapse of progression

Time lapses can be often used to show a person or objects progression overtime. This is seen a lot in videos in which a fruit will decay for example. The video above shows a persons progression over a period of time. They created his effect by taking a picture of themselves each day in a different place. This shows the ageing process at a very high speed as well as hair growth.

Use in corporate video

Due to the rather stunning effects time-lapse can create it is often used in corporate videos. This will be usually done to show a project being completed. The use of a time-lapse will make it so you can see the development of the project in a short amount of time.