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Parramatta City Centre Redevelopment Time-Lapse

Time-Lapse Cinematography Specialists of the Year

Electric Films earned prestigious recognition from APAC Build Magazine's Construction and Engineering Awards with this award-winning production. Their civil engineering and construction time-lapse video of the redevelopment of Parramatta City Centre was shot using three time-lapse cameras that were relocated several times throughout the five-year construction period. Three time-lapse cameras shooting three exposures in HDR every ten minutes; they shot over two million images for this project and only had to replace one camera.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How often are your time-lapse cameras maintained?

All cameras are monitored via a cellular link daily and we perform regular monthly physical checks where lenses are cleaned and systems checked. If a better camera position is available, we liaise with the site managers.

What happens if a camera gets bumped?

To correct minor movement, we stabilise the footage in Adobe After Effects. A bump of up to 20% of the frame size requires using a corner pin filter to align the footage and match the shots together. Larger movements require the camera to be repositioned.

You often attach a camera to scaffolding or a crane; how do you get the wobble out?

As these platforms offer a superior viewpoint, they are frequently utilised. For regular monthly updates, we run the footage through Adobe After Effect's stabilisation program. Superior results can be obtained by pre-editing the footage to remove the frames with the largest movement.

Can your clients access the camera?

Yes. We can provide a live feed to your mobile device and can also upload shots in real time to our computers or the client's computer if desired.

What time intervals do you shoot?

We tailor the shooting interval to the pace and complexity of your project. For long-term construction builds spanning several months, we typically capture frames every 10 minutes. As your construction project nears completion, we shorten the interval to 5 minutes to capture dramatic day-to-night transitions.

Other time-lapse projects can be as little as every 30 seconds on projects over just a day or two.

Do you shoot video and stills as well as time-lapse?

Yes. We offer an extensive service starting from scriptwriting.