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Corporate Uses for Time Lapse Video

Posted by Meredith Kain on April 14, 2015

Last month we discussed 5 qualities every corporate video should have – this month we’re going into more detail about those qualities. One of the more overlooked aspects that can put your corporate video on top is the actual production value. While the message of your video may be clear and well-received, you want to make sure it’s engaging as well. Because of the widespread availability and low-cost of digital cameras time lapse video has exploded in popularity, and is a great way to add production value to your corporate video.

Time lapse is a method of photography and videography that speeds up time around a subject. The main function of time lapse is that it makes interesting patterns occurring over time observable in a short period. Time lapse reveals the fascinating and interesting aspects of life that tend to go unnoticed.

How can you use time lapse in your corporate video? First you need to evaluate the following questions: What would benefit from being sped up over time? What message are you trying to convey?

To give you some ideas of how you can incorporate time lapse into your project or strategy, here are some great examples of corporate uses for time lapse video:

One of the most common uses for time lapse is construction (on location film shoots). Is your company building something great? Time lapse is a wonderful way to showcase a project from start to finish. A personal favorite example of mine is the construction of McLane Stadium at Baylor University in Texas:

Or Boeing demonstrating the construction of a 737 airplane:

Time lapse can be used to follow a renovation, re-brand, product release, or even business development. Taking that concept to a more specific case in the world of retail, Wal-Mart has used time lapse video to showcase the progress of their business since 1962:

And also to show patterns in customers shopping on Black Friday:

Jaycar Electronics Dubbo used time lapse to follow the fit-out of a new retail store over the course of 7 days:

Time lapse video is extremely versatile. It can be used to convey messaging in corporate communications or a change in messaging – such as Wikipedia showing a webpage being edited over time.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/YSR_Edits_Timelapse.ogv

Certain patterns take time to emerge, which is where time lapse becomes a valuable tool. The medical field greatly benefits from time lapse video for research purposes because it gives them the ability to observe long term occurrences, such as the growth of cancer cells:

Or a procedure:

There are so many creative possibilities to use time lapse in your corporate video strategy. Showing foot traffic over time is a tried and true use of time lapse video, and is easily incorporated into corporate communication strategy. Is your business going to be at a trade show? Using time lapse to display foot traffic around your booth can highlight the attention your brand receives:

Even further outside the box in the creative realm is the use of time lapse for marketing purposes. NVIDIA used time lapse of a chalk artist’s sidewalk painting as an ad:

The possibilities for use of time lapse are endless. It is a wonderful tool for adding flare, style, and stunning imagery to your corporate videos. Do you have an upcoming project that you would like to capture in time-lapse? Our crews have extensive experience in shooting and producing time lapse video, and we can set you up with the right crew for your project. If you need more information give us a call at 1 800 545 CREW.

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