I've got some new fractals I'm working on to add to the Aural Ascendancy series gallery I have. Those will be going up soon. I've also been busy drawing up more of my short skit storyboard and working on building the 2nd episode to the RPM Challenge we did back in February. If you missed the first one:
The last week has been kind of crazy prepping for a last minute shoot in LA that didn't go through but there's still a project to come of that (supposedly). Harry wanted my help in putting together a plan of attack for doing a timelapse for a corporate video project or just plain to have for whatever the company wants it for. I did some research just to make sure I was up-to-date on all the options and narrowed it down to 2 options: 1-2 DSLR's with kit lenses; or a few GoPro Hero HD cameras. I had very little information on the project to go by other than it's for a 3 week construction project.
He asked me to come up with a solution to tackle the time-lapse, and to get ready to go down to LA with Michael Mok on Thursday (just three days later) stay the night a motel and be up early enough to head out to the campus grounds where they are to start construction Friday morning. Mok and I would set up the time-lapse system and then proceed to get some interview and B-roll footage; wrap up and head back home that same day.
So, I roughly dove into the world of time-lapses and cameras. My first solution was to keep a budget in mind (which I had no point of reference whatsoever). My first thought was to check out GoPro as Mok and I had used them on our previous venture for the Reality Series pilot we were shooting for a previously discussed producer (see A Dashboard Confession).
We all know what a time-lapse is so I'll skip the descriptive analysis. What it comes down to is that The GoPros offer a very affordable solution that's also easy to setup, but somewhat limited on time-lapse management. The whole situation calls for us to set it up and leave it, and GoPros only run with an SD card. I ran into these factors that I immediately emailed GoPro about as I was emailing the pitch to Harry:
- Can I charge and operate them at the same time?
- What's the longest amount of time I can leave them unattended?
- How can I manage the media?
So here was my pitch to Harry as I was contacting GoPro:
Option 1:
The interesting part is that it's a 5 megapixel camera which is more than double the resolution for HDTV 1080p which gives plenty of room for crop and pan movements to spice up the timelapse. The downside is I'm not sure what the maximum length of time we'd be able to leave them up to capture until I get a response back from GoPro about several questions I asked them. This solution however would be an affordable way to get multiple cameras up for multiple angles.
- - Retails $200
Some accessories to consider:
- - Retails $50
- 32gb SD Card
- Retails $80
- USB AC Charger
- - Retails $20
As i can't find any documentation and am currently contacting GoPro about seeing whether you can charge and use the camera at the same time; this may be a necessary item for each Camera. The SD Card price is based on their website though i'm sure we can find cheaper elsewhere. When i contacted GoPro I submitted a question involving whether or not the cameras can be tethered to a computer for storage and capture which would bypass the need for SD cards, I'll let you know the results as soon as I get a response from them.
Option 2:
12 megapixel camera, kit includes 18-55mm lens which for covering the viewing angle of the landscape we'd want to cover should be more than good enough, Canon lenses are also good quality optics too though we'd have to play a bit with settings before starting timelapse. The cameras ARE definitely able to hook up to a computer to control the time interval and store the photos away from the camera. This however does require quite a bit more setup, programming the camera for the best picture mode I can handle well enough but these cameras are quite a bit larger than the GoPro's and will stand out wherever these are put up on campus. The advantage of having a camera like this is we can greatly control the capture interval for more effective file management. If we know exactly how long we want the timelapse to be compressed (3 weeks to 2 minutes for example, we can set the interval accordingly with the accessories).
- Canon Rebel T3
- - Retails $500 - $530
Some Accessories to consider:
- Camera Armor
- Retails anywhere from $15 - $50
- Absolutely necessary for outdoors and on top of this I'd suggest black trash bags to wrap around and cover the camera and only expose the lens (use lens hoods too). Covering with trash bags should help hide the cameras but I wouldn't rely on it as a theft deterrent.
- Battery Grip
- Retails $50 - $80
- Extra Batteries for Grip
- Retails $49.99
- Lens Filters - UV, and possibly others.
- 32gb SD card or larger
- OR laptop or computer source to hook up and control remotely for storage and transfer.
With the DSLR's we'd have to figure out a mounting option for getting the perspectives we might want, I would expect we'd want more bird's eye views or high vantage points as well as something eye level if necessary. It really depends on the location. If you have the address perhaps we can look it up on google maps and get an idea of the space we're working with.
There's advantages to getting either option. There are other camera systems like PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) setups where we can completely remotely control them but are VERY costly ($10,000+ when you consider the broadcast and controller equipment just for a single camera). I think either of these options should be feasible, just depends on what you want to budget. The GoPros are the most affordable so we COULD get a decent array going for several points of view to cut to and from. The downside is if we can only capture onboard the maximum interval length is a picture every minute. Therefore we have (speculatively) very little control over our time-lapse management. Option 2 with the DSLR's is quite a bit more expensive which may limit our number of POV shots we can get, but may yield MUCH more control over timelapse management and greater quality image capture due to higher resolution. Another option that the DSLR's give an advantage over is shooting in Canon RAW (much larger file size) to allow for even more vivid image control in post (better contrast and brightness control in case of severe weather and lighting conditions). The DSLR's however are still considered entry level and are limited on other formats and features like recording HD video (720p max) compared to other higher end models that can better suit other productions later on. Image quality-wise the picture would be even greater and higher fidelity than the Sony Z1u you currently use now, but due to the resolution restrictions this wouldn't be an ideal camera for productions so flexibility as a production asset would be minimal and very specific. The GoPros come with all-weather housing and can even go underwater, which make them extremely versatile and affordable. These can easily come in handy for productions later on if necessary. Not to mention the accessories like the Wifi bacpac for remotely viewing and controlling the GoPro cameras (this will be available February next year) will make them even more controllable than they are now.
Let me know if you need further information on anything or have questions about any of this. This is just a rough outline. I could also look up some consumer HD Video cameras as alternatives but usually sensor quality is poor compared to the DSLR's or GoPros and often don't have Timelapse mode support (only 1 or 2 canon and Sony models i can think of actually have specific Timelapse modes featured on their camcorders).
Timelapse Considerations:
Shooting with GoPros would yield a high frame-count which would require cutting out a lot of unnecessary footage (cannot start and stop them). They also do not (yet) tether. However, due to their size and even without the waterproof case they are extremely durable and make it very easy to set them up and let them shoot just about anywhere.
With DSLR's it's the opposite: They are larger, heavier cameras that need good support or some type of fastening system to keep them in place to make sure they don't move. They have the capability of shooting larger resolutions (you don't have to shoot at the maximum resolution), AND can even give an advantage by shooting in raw. However, file sizes go up exponentially by shooting in Raw which is another constraint if you're operating off of memory cards. The other advantage with them is that they can be tethered to a computer to manage file storage and time-lapse management. This would allow us to be more efficient in controlling when the camera will shoot and what interval to capture frames in so that we get the time-lapse just right without excessive data to have to manage later on. The issue with tethering is the software running on the computer only manages 1 camera (as far as I've seen). If you want multiple DSLR setup you're going to need multiple computers to remotely manage them, which also needs to be in a secure location and protected from weather; not to mention having to acquire a computer to attach to the camera is an expense in and of itself.
These cameras are pretty easy to spot, and are also susceptible to cold temperatures or weather conditions so accessories like UV filters, anti-fog or moisture applications to put on said filters, and plastric trash bags to cover the camera and leave only the lens exposed are all good considerations not only for protecting the camera but also to help deter from possible theft or vandalism.
As with both solutions. they can run on AC power and operate simultaneously, but usually when you're doing timelapses its often in places that are a challenge to get AC power to. The final factor one may have to bring into consideration is a battery backup / generator solution that can maintain the setup in the event there is no AC power available on-location.
What are your thoughts or experiences on shooting timelapses? What was your solutions for complex scheduling or longer-length projects? I'd love to hear your comments and feedback!
With DSLR's it's the opposite: They are larger, heavier cameras that need good support or some type of fastening system to keep them in place to make sure they don't move. They have the capability of shooting larger resolutions (you don't have to shoot at the maximum resolution), AND can even give an advantage by shooting in raw. However, file sizes go up exponentially by shooting in Raw which is another constraint if you're operating off of memory cards. The other advantage with them is that they can be tethered to a computer to manage file storage and time-lapse management. This would allow us to be more efficient in controlling when the camera will shoot and what interval to capture frames in so that we get the time-lapse just right without excessive data to have to manage later on. The issue with tethering is the software running on the computer only manages 1 camera (as far as I've seen). If you want multiple DSLR setup you're going to need multiple computers to remotely manage them, which also needs to be in a secure location and protected from weather; not to mention having to acquire a computer to attach to the camera is an expense in and of itself.
These cameras are pretty easy to spot, and are also susceptible to cold temperatures or weather conditions so accessories like UV filters, anti-fog or moisture applications to put on said filters, and plastric trash bags to cover the camera and leave only the lens exposed are all good considerations not only for protecting the camera but also to help deter from possible theft or vandalism.
As with both solutions. they can run on AC power and operate simultaneously, but usually when you're doing timelapses its often in places that are a challenge to get AC power to. The final factor one may have to bring into consideration is a battery backup / generator solution that can maintain the setup in the event there is no AC power available on-location.
What are your thoughts or experiences on shooting timelapses? What was your solutions for complex scheduling or longer-length projects? I'd love to hear your comments and feedback!
We currently have a time-lapse system that caters for a lot of different need that you have suggested here, a big thing to consider is budget, especially if you only want to use it for a one off! Our photoSentinel system allows people to connect their own DSLR cameras (or point and shoot for lower budgets) to our controller. The controller allows you to upload your photos via 3G to a webpage so you can view the latest photo and download individual photos (photos are also stored on the SD card), this is great for time-lapsing in hard-to-get-to locations (e.g. building tops, up 10M poles etc). Photo intervals and shooting times can also be configured in real-time via 3G through the configuration web page. You can also get weatherproof housings for you camera system and mounting brackets making it easy to install. To top it all of its solar powered and plug and play set-up, which means no electricians needed and you can have it working for years with little maintenance. Have a look and see what you think! photoSentinel time-lapse system
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply Aaron! We've long since passed the production for this, things came up but I am actually keeping this bookmarked for future timelapse projects! They were already pretty adverse to the budget of a DSLR setup, and I had viewed several more complex solutions but this one is so full-proof especially with the mobile 3g connection availability.
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