Construction time lapse videos help AEC professionals summarise key events during the project and summarise a passage of time in a short period. Time lapse videos make for great communications and marketing material to inform stakeholders, the public and potential clients.
Over the years, time lapse videos have become increasingly popular, and we often get enquiries about the cost of construction time lapse services in Australia.
Let us learn about the various factors that contribute to the cost and how it can enhance and communicate your construction project.
Table of Contents
What are construction time-lapse videos?
Time-lapse videos summarise key events over a period of time using either a fixed or aerial drone camera (yes, we can do a time-lapse with drones). In construction projects a time-lapse video can be captured over a period of a few minutes, hours, days or months.
How do drones help with construction time lapse videos
Drones have become an important part of marketing and communications. In construction time lapse, drones help to capture an aerial perspective of the event or activity that can be sped-up to appear to be completed before your eyes.
For time lapse videos, video professionals help to position the camera exactly where you want to see the best angle or perspective to get the best possible footage and to make the video which successfully captures the lifetime of the monitored site. These time lapse videos can be used as crucial marketing or communication material to engage the audience and actually stand out from the rest of the online social media videos.
To be effective at capturing the sequence of time there are a few considerations aside from just pressing a button to record the scene and making it play at a faster speed.
Factors that affect construction time lapse videos
Producing and shooting a time lapse video needs a lot of planning, here are some factors that we look into when deciding the budget for time lapse videos.
1. Project duration
The longer the time lapse video is, the more it is going to cost. This is because time lapse videos need to be captured at regular intervals so the camera must be powered for a longer period of time. Unlike other shorter videos, time lapse videos are captured over a period of time but sped up to make the on-site activities appear to happen in a few seconds.
2. Equipment and resources
Indoor and outdoor time lapse videos need different kinds of shooting equipment, power supply and mounting hardware. You need to identify the initial set-up costs such as HD cameras, tripods, crane arms etc. Plus, depending on how long the cameras need to record can affect if there is adequate positioning or security.
3. Deliverables needed
Time lapse videos usually need a bit of editing and modification. The photos or videos recorded need to be compiled and edited into a video. This usually involves adding the time lapse to an existing edit or production.
Stages in the construction time lapse video
Shooting a construction time lapse video is quite easy, provided you have clarity on what you want and the experience to correctly set the camera equipment. Often, time lapse appear to stutter and jump when played back, this is due to incorrect camera settings at the time of capture. There are roughly three stages to a construction time lapse video production, they are:
1. Pre-production
Wherein we survey the site, understand your project requirements and identify the strategic locations where the cameras can be placed to capture the activity.
2. The setup and shooting stage
This is where the cameras have been installed and setup then we wait for the activity to commence. The duration can vary from project to project. Usually the camera needs to be on for a couple of hours (sometimes even days) to detect any actual changes or transformations. Importantly, the frequency of the image capture is essential to have sufficient video to work with.
3. Post production stage
In this stage, we collect the camera data and edit it in a video editing software. Most clients want us to edit the video as it saves them a lot of time and hassle and they can immediately use the video.
Types of construction time lapse services
Construction time lapse services can be customised to your project requirements. The duration, size and location all contributes to the cost of the time lapse video. Here are the three main types of construction time lapse services we offer:
A. Short term time lapse videos
Short term time lapse videos, as the name suggests, are quite easy and time effective. It usually takes hours to complete the entire time lapse shoot. However, in some cases, it might takes 2-3 days depending on how big the construction activity.
In short term time lapse videos, our camera operators use either photo and/or video capture to record the event time lapse. These cameras are setup in multiple positions to capture various angles of the activity. This type of time lapse suits construction events that occur over hours or days.
B. Long term time lapse videos – Interior
Long term time lapse videos are usually shot over a period of a few weeks to months. In these videos, the camera track the gradual progress of the interior installations, refurbishments or fit-outs.
Indoor time lapse videos as the name suggests captures the interiors of the building or construction site. These videos are helpful for building renovation projects, restorations and installations etc.
Indoor time lapse videos require about 3-4 cameras placed at strategic locations inside the building. These cameras are fixed using clamps and must be stationary and not move. The gradual change happens because of the real-time progression of time and activities inside the building.
Indoor time lapse videos can cost a bit more than the standard short term time lapses because they require more equipment, lighting and expertise.
C. Outdoor long term time lapse videos
Outdoor long term time lapse videos are usually used for tracking conditions over time, construction events or creating construction project updates.
The camera equipment must be protected from weather conditions and mounted at locations that allow for cameras to be securely installed for the duration of the event. This is to avoid the risk of any damages or movement to the cameras.
Outdoor construction time lapse requires dedicated time lapse camera equipment in weather-proof housing with independent power supply. Hence, the price of outdoor construction time lapse videos are more expensive when compared to other time lapse videos.
Reasons why time lapse videos work
Time lapse videos are effective in crunching hours or days worth of real-time footage into a small and comprehensive video. And since the time lapse video is shot over a longer duration of time, AEC professionals can get a quick view of the activities or construction that has occurred on the project.
Time lapse videos are easily accessible, impressive and a great way to showcase the project and its overall success to stakeholders, the public, potential investors and clients.
Time lapse videos when combined with regular construction updates, photography and videos become an effective marketing and communications strategy to engage your intended audience, to inform the community or business and as an investment tool to attract clients to invest in your projects in the future.
What do we offer?
At Avian, we have a team of experienced camera and drone operators who have ample experience working in the AEC industries. We offer niche, creative photo and video solutions that are customised to your unique project requirements having worked extensively in civil, commercial and infrastructure construction projects.
So, how do you find out what you need? All you have to do is send us your details or drop us an email and we will get back to you to work out the best options.
At Avian, we offer clients an initial discussion where we discuss your project, needs and desired outcomes. This consultation call allows us to understand your project requirements and the deliverables you expect.
After the consultation call, we will consider the project and conduct some initial planning and issue you with a proposal or quotation.
If required, we may conduct a site visit or inspection to determine the best methodology, equipment and budget for your project.
Contact us to set up a brief call and discuss your project requirements and we can showcase your project events and activity in the best possible way.
