Services

We produce custom timelapse video sequences of any style, capture duration, playback length and subject upon request. We take care of every step of the process from initial consultation through to camera installation, filming, editing, post-production and output (including blu-ray, dvd, web and print). See our showreel for examples of our trademark long-term timelapse (weeks, months, years) as well as shorter sequences (hours, days).

Timelapse genres

Timelapse video differs from standard video in one critical aspect: the playback rate exceeds the capture rate (in standard video these two are equal). The magnitude of the difference between the capture and playback rates, combined with the duration and scheduling of capture results in a few common timelapse genres.

	Turbo 2 - 30x speed Everyday life in 'turbo' mode. The distractions of everyday scenes disappear in the face of the flowing short-term patterns in traffic, weather and human behaviour.
	Intervals 720 - 3,600x speed Minute-to-minute motion disappears. Longer-term changes in construction projects and environments become clear. 'Quiet' periods (e.g. nights, weekends) can be omitted.
	Dailies 500,000x speed One frame per day. Seasonal changes become vividly apparent such as the vegetation growth, the varying trajectory of sun and the shadows it casts.

The production of all of the above timelapse genres follows a 3-phase process: planning, capturing and rendering.

Phase 1 of 3: Planning

The key to good timelapse sequences is to picking your framing and sticking with it. 'Framing' is a blanket term describing the camera's position, orientation and field of view. Our surveyors work with you to make the following framing decisions based on your site requirements, budget, elements and the project site.

Aside from framing decisions there are several other critical factors to be considered during the planning phase, such as:

• Filming duration & schedule

  When do we start and how long will we be filming overall and within each day? These simple decisions determine both what appears in the rendered output, but also impacts how we build our hardware for the filming project.

• Access to camera site

  In order to get the ideal shot for your subject, we may need to film from land belonging to a 3rd party. Access to this land needs to be negotiated, well in advance of installation.

• Permission to film the subject area

  In cases where the intended shot focuses primarily upon private property owned by a 3rd party (this is unusual), permission to film that property must be obtained. We have the necessary paperwork to ensure this process runs smoothly.

• Required sequence styles, durations and frame-rates

  The type of output required (turbo, interval and/or dailies) has a significant impact on the planning process, as does the playback length and frame-rate. If planned correctly, multiple output options are available from a single camera installation.

Phase 2 of 3: Capturing footage

Different timelapse video requirements require different types of camera installations. We offer two varieties: attended and standalone.

	Attended camera	Standalone installation
Ideal Capture Duration	30 minutes to 3 days (continuous)	2 weeks to 10 years (variable)
Turbo		see special events
Intervals
Dialies
Power-supply	Battery, 12-volt car bus or A/C mains	PV panels & on-board batteries
Installation	None. Fully mobile.	Rigid tower dyna-bolted to hard-point
Weather-resistance	Portable shade tent & wind barricade	IP-66 storm-proof camera enclosure
Lead-time	a few days	several weeks
Maintenance	continuous on-site operator	regular scheduled service & inspection

It is also possible (and often necessary) to utilise multiple timelapse installations to monitor a single site. Additional installations can be added mid-project. Short bursts of near real-time footage can be captured in the middle of a longer sequence (see special events).

Our capturing packages for Standalone installations include regular scheduled service & inspection, however we are available for optional unscheduled call-outs (in the event of possible disruption to filming by force-majeure events, industrial accidents etc).

Phases 3 of 3: Rendering output

Once the raw footage is captured, we can "render" output movies with a playback rate, resolution, duration and media format to suit your needs. In fact, we can render multiple output movies from a single capture stream.

• HD video on Blu-Ray Disc for board-room presentations, trade-shows, cinema and public display
  resolution: HD-1080p or HD-1080i (1920x1080 @ 24-60hz), HD-720p (1280x720 @ 24-60hz), perceived playback rate: 3-60 fps
• SD video on DVD for playback on laptops and older televisions
  resolution: PAL (720x576 @ 50hz) NTSC-16:9 (720x480 @ 60hz) or NTSC-4:3 (638x480 @ 60hz), perceived playback: 3-60fps
• Web-video for websites, email and iPhone
  resolution: custom from 80x45 to 1920x1080, frame-rate: custom from 1 to 30fps, formats: quicktime, flash, wmv, mp4
• High-resolution extracts for posters, powerpoint & slideshows
  Our graphic design and large-format print staff can produce marketing materials for presentations, trade-shows, mail-outs and PR

Footage can be rendered both with or without time/date stamps to suit your requirements.

Regular (scheduled) mid-project renders of recently-captured footage can be arranged. Such renders can be used for monthly project reviews, PR updates, pre-completion marketing and internal PR (staff morale).

Unscheduled "special extracts" of already captured footage can be arranged mid-project to assist contract management dispute resolution and other stakeholder-relations purposes.