Time lapses are one of our favorite ways to tell a story and capture a change over time.
It’s an amazing tool that can show a process or event in a way that you wouldn’t normally see it, which is the perfect way to engage your audience – and that goes a long way with any marketing strategy.
Do you want to learn how to create time-lapse videos, but you’re not quite sure where to start? Allow Stengel Media to help! Here are some tips that will help get you started on your own:
What Camera Equipment Do You Need?
Most DSLRs have built-in features that will help you create time-lapse videos, but other options might be more cost-effective or user-friendly for someone just starting. While a DSLR allows you to change lenses and dial in more specific settings, a GoPro camera or a time-lapse specific camera like an Afidus 200 each have their advantages both in ease of use and cost.
Some great cameras to look into are the GoPro Hero Black 9 or the Afidus 200s, and both serve specific niches.
About the GoPro Hero Black 9
The GoPro is a great option for quick time-lapses of a location or activity (around 1-2 hours or less). It has great image quality and even lets you dial in more pro-oriented settings like shutter speed, ISO, and color adjustments. If you are a newbie, it can be as easy as setting to auto and letting the camera choose the best settings for the scene.
The GoPro can also be used as a video camera and can be mounted virtually anywhere. It’s a versatile little camera!
About the Afidus 200
The Afidus 200 is a camera made for long term time-lapse. The GoPro’s battery will last about 2 hours in optimal scenarios, and the Afidus will last 2-4 weeks on 4 AA batteries in certain scenarios.
This camera is specifically made for time-lapse and has a few video features. You can set up the camera via an app, and the camera will run for weeks to capture things impossible for the GoPro to capture due to battery limitations.
Time-lapse videos recorded on the Afidus 200 are great for capturing long term building or construction projects, snowfall over weeks, or a huge mural being painted. There is a lot of possibilities when you use this camera.
There are many options for time-lapse equipment, and some tools are better suited for specific jobs. Get something that suits your skill level and needs.
Time-lapse Settings for Different Activities
So, you’re ready to start dialing in some specific settings for your time-lapses but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered. The most important thing to remember when doing settings for your time-lapses is to dial in as many things as you can manually so your camera doesn’t make decisions or changes that you don’t want it to make. Setting manual focus, manual aperture, interval, and shutter speed makes all the difference and reduces the flickering that can ruin time lapses.
Here’s a quick guide on shutter speed settings for different activities:
Experimenting with different shutter speeds will be the best way to familiarize yourself with the motion blur you want to achieve with each different shutter speed setting. The longer your shutter is open, the more motion blur you will achieve in your finished time-lapse.
Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Professional Help
Do you need help creating a time-lapse video? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Creating video content can be overwhelming, especially if you’re new to these projects or lack the equipment needed.
Contact our team at Stengel Media to learn about our video marketing services!
