Time-lapse is a way of filming slow change. A camera takes a photo at a set interval, and the photos are then played back as video at normal speed, so hours, months or even years pass in a few seconds.
The short answer
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Time-lapse | A film made from photos taken at intervals and played back quickly, so slow change looks fast |
| Interval | The gap between photos: a few seconds for clouds or traffic, a few minutes for a building site |
| Frame rate | How many photos are shown each second when the film plays. UK video usually plays at 25 frames per second |
| Hyperlapse | A time-lapse where the camera moves between shots, instead of staying fixed |
How time-lapse works
The camera stays in one fixed position and takes a photo every few seconds, minutes or hours. Each photo becomes one frame of the finished film. Because the film plays far more frames per second than the camera took, time appears to speed up.
A simple example: a camera that takes one photo every 10 minutes through a 10-hour working day captures 60 photos. Played at 25 frames per second, that day lasts just over two seconds on screen. Over a year of working days the same camera takes around 15,000 photos, enough for about ten minutes of film before any editing.
In practice the footage is edited. Weekends, nights and wet days are usually cut, and the best frames are kept, so a two-year build can become a two or three-minute film that still shows every stage.
Time-lapse, slow motion and hyperlapse
- Time-lapse speeds time up. It suits anything that changes too slowly to watch: buildings, plants, weather and crowds.
- Slow motion does the opposite. The camera records far more frames than normal and plays them back slowly, for fast events such as a splash or a demolition blast.
- Hyperlapse is a time-lapse where the camera moves along a path between shots, giving a travelling view.
What time-lapse is used for
- Construction. Long-term cameras record a whole build, from empty site to handover. The images double as a dated progress record, and the film is used for marketing, reports and handover. See construction time-lapse cameras.
- Infrastructure and engineering. Bridge lifts, rail possessions and tunnel works that happen over days or weekends. See rail and infrastructure time-lapse.
- Events. Stadium overlays, fan zones, exhibitions and installations built and taken down in days.
- Nature. Plants growing, flowers opening, tides, clouds and the northern lights. See natural world time-lapse.
What makes a good construction time-lapse
- Start early. The empty site at the beginning is what makes the finished building look impressive, and it cannot be filmed later.
- Pick a high, safe position. A view from a neighbouring building, a tower or a crane shows the whole footprint.
- Keep the camera running. Cameras need power and a connection for months or years. Site Eye cameras have built-in 4G and run on mains or solar power.
- Plan the edit. Decide early what the film is for, so the key moments are captured from the right angles.
For more on timings, see how long a construction time-lapse should run, and for where it all started, our history of time-lapse photography.
Planning a time-lapse for a project?
Site Eye has filmed more than 3,000 projects since 2002. Tell us about your site and we will recommend the cameras, positions and duration, then confirm it all at a free site survey.
Related: which site camera do you need? · time-lapse camera hire · time-lapse films
