On most shoots we start with an establishing wide shot, then after a few weeks bring the camera in closer to follow the action. As your projects nears completion we pull back to a wide finishing shot. Just standard practice in film making. Graeme Beck, with his wealth of production experience, ensures you get a first class cinematography result. Achieving a smooth running time-lapse requires both location experience and high-end post-production. Watch the video below as an example how we solve one of the most common problems, camera movement.
1. Camera Foundations & Structural Base Shifts
When setting up a time-lapse project, the number one enemy is camera movement caused by structural base shifting and/or camera rigs being bumped by site workers or machinery. It is not a 'set and forget' process, unless you just want to mount a camera on a pole in the distance and record one long boring shot. Some projects you don't have a choice. Over a multi-year build, cameras face extreme weather, harsh lighting transitions, and physical disturbances. While these are critical hazards, they are easily mitigated with care. Getting a site camera in close to the action on scaffolding or directly on the site crane produces a vastly superior shot and is always worth the additional effort by us.
We run our footage through different tools in Adobe After Effects. Minor changes are smoothed out with stabilising software and larger shifts are aligned with a perspective corner pin effect. Larger shifts require the camera to be repositioned to the opposing 90° angle to prevent a jarring "jump cut" when the shots are edited together.
Our rugged solar or battery-powered time-lapse cameras are frequently mounted directly to existing site assets, like scaffolding, cranes, power and light poles. If there is a good vantage point from a nearby building, we liaise with site managers and build custom, non-destructive weighted cowling mounts that attach securely without compromising structural integrity. We handle all the permissions, permits and insurances in-house. We also deploy independent, stand-alone poles and occasionally attach to trees—anywhere we can get the best angle on your project.
2. Mains, Solar & Battery Power Reliability
Mains electrical power across active construction sites is notoriously unreliable. Temporary power outages and supply lines being unplugged are continuous threats to long-term time-lapse shooting. If we deploy time-lapse systems utilising mains power we always integrate a battery backup power supply or run entirely on a rotating system of batteries.
On outdoor construction builds, civil works, and infrastructure projects, we utilise solar or battery-operated time-lapse systems. Every remote camera is audio monitored or connected to the web where vision is uploaded to our own servers on a real-time basis. We can also sync images to your server if required. We are on standby 24/7 to address any connectivity or power issues.
3. High Dynamic Range (HDR) Exposure & Deflicker Software
Weather patterns constantly shift between bright sun and shadow, introducing a flickering effect when the vision is played back. Standard camera exposures will also lose vital details in both bright highlights and dark shadows. To solve this problem, Electric Films always shoots in bracketed High Dynamic Range (HDR). We capture three exposures: one overexposed, one underexposed, and one normal exposure. This premium exposure method ensures we capture maximum detail in highlights and shadows while helping smooth out changing weather effects.
During post-production, the footage is run through resource and time-consuming deflickering software to smooth out exposure shifts. When editing all the monthly progress videos into a short, high-impact showcase video, we meticulously edit out remaining contrasting frames to establish a truly superior, cinematic end product.
4. Final Project Handover: Sun to Moon Transitions
As a major infrastructure project or commercial build approaches its final completion date, we decrease the time-lapse intervals and record stunning transitions from day into night. Internal spaces glow through glass facades as the exposures are balanced with a star-filled, moonlit night. This capture method extends the "magic hour," producing spectacular imagery for your project portfolio, future tenders, or large-scale boardroom display prints.
5. The Electric Films Premium Editing Method
If a time-lapse construction project was photographed exclusively on evenly lit, overcast days, editing would be straightforward; you would simply cut the action like any traditional video genre. However, the reality of time-lapse shooting is that the sun aggressively moves back and forth across the scene and weather changes generate additional flicker.
While our core service focuses on delivering high quality monthly progress videos for client review, site documentation, or dispute resolution, many clients require an edited cinematic showcase video for public relations, B2B marketing, or archiving. In editing time-lapse video the quality in post-production varies wildly based on time allocated for this.
The simplest edit involves removing non-work days and combining the remaining blocks of video together. While individual unedited monthly video clips remain engaging across a few minutes of viewing, simply joining longer periods of vision into a single long file can quickly become tedious for audiences to watch.
Another common industry method is shooting and editing the vision around identical times of day. This method suffers in two key areas. First, it misses out on a smooth flow of action. For example, during a concrete pour or any other large noticeable change during the day, this method jumps from the beginning to the end without showing a smooth progression. Secondly, the sun's shadow snaps violently back and forth across a tight area.
6. How Electric Films Editing is Different
We coordinate the timing of the construction action with the natural rhythm of the moving sun, pacing both movements together as if the camera ran uninterrupted for a day and the construction ran uninterrupted for the day, where in fact the construction action could be anywhere from a day to ten days worth of activity. This requires editing in specific blocks of action to strike a balance between a good flow of construction action synchronised with the natural movement of the sun.
On two occasions we have had to incorporate a third element into the edit; the tide. At Electric Films, we have edited all genres of film production—from interviews and commercials to dramas and documentaries—and time-lapse is by far the most challenging. In standard filmmaking, the action dictates the pacing of your edit. With construction time-lapse, you have a second master to serve: you must weave the site action seamlessly into the continuous, natural movement of the sun.
Our post-production process is incredibly exacting, often coming down to frame-by-frame precision. While this level of dedication is labor-intensive, it produces a final cinematic asset that far surpasses the industry standard. It is exactly why Electric Films continues to be recognised with multiple Australian and international cinematography awards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are your time-lapse cameras maintained?
We perform regular monthly physical checks where lenses are cleaned and systems checked for potential problems. We also liaise with the site managers if a better camera position arises. All cameras are monitored via a cellular audio link every 2 to 3 days on the average slow build, or at shorter intervals relative to the complexity of the action. Where our cameras are connected to the web, they are monitored daily with the vision being uploaded in real time to our own computers or to yours if required.
What happens if a camera gets bumped?
To correct minor movement, we stabilise the vision in Adobe After Effects. Further movement requires using a corner pin filter and aligning the vision into shape to match the shots together. Large movement requires the camera to be re-positioned.
You say 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 often utilised. For regular monthly updates we run the vision through After Effects stabilising program. Superior results can be pre-edited to remove the frames with the largest movement.
Can your clients access the camera?
Yes. We can provide a live feed to your mobile and can also upload the shots in real time to our computers, or to our client's computer if desired.