In 2016 I finished a year-long project to create a video showing a time-lapse of the seasons at Zabriskie Pond in Wyckoff. That video led to discussions with my favorite client about creating a time-lapse of a major renovation that they were about to embark on.
As this was a new proposition we agreed up front how many shots, timeframes etc. to ensure that there were no surprises for the client. I hope you like the result.
Lessons learned
This was my first time performing one of these using still photos and, the first time with the Phantom 4 Professional camera system. There were a number of lessons learned the hard way.
- I found that the camera did not get the angle correct immediately and so I programmed two shots per location. Better too many shots than too few!
- Early shots were taken with the camera set to 16:9 Aspect Ratio. However, the 3:2 Aspect Ratio gives more room for error by extending the size of the image (5472 × 3648 vs 5472 × 3078). I should have used the larger size from the beginning.
- For time-lapse you need everything to be as consistent as possible. Writing down the settings meant not having to try to remember.
I am now in the process of doing something similar for a much larger project for a construction company. That one is going to take considerably longer to complete but I hope to have it done by the end of the year if they stay on track.
For those interested in the full details expect this to appear as a lecture on the Phantom Filmschool in the near future