Time-lapse Photography

What is Time-lapse Photography?

Time-lapse photography is a technique that is often used and well known in cinematography. This technique captures a scene or a specific object that has a slow state-of-change and turns into a video that is played back in high speed. This means that something that takes days or weeks to grow/change can be shown the whole process in a matter of seconds.

How is it created?

Hows this works is the frequency at which film frames are captured lower than what will be used to play the sequence back. Film is often shown at 24 frames/s (this is where 24 images appear on the screen per second). Since the projection speed and recording speed are set to the same, the images appear to move at normal speed. When a film is recorded at 12 frames/s this will appear to move twice as fast.

The change in speed of the on-screen image can be calculated by dividing the projection speed by the camera speed. 

The exposure time can be calculated based on the desired shutter angle effect and the frame interval.

The speed that the camera must move to create a perceived normal camera motion can be calculated by inverting the time-lapse equation.

History

The first main use of time-lapse in a feature film was used in Georges Méliès motion picture 'Carrefour De L'Opera', this was filmed back in 1897. In 1909 time-lapse photography of biological phenomena was established by Jean Comandon, this was in partnership with Pathé Frères. Time-lapse photography was further established during the mid 1920s via a series of feature films called 'Bergfilms' by Arnold Flack. Between the years of 1929 and 1931 Royal Raymond Rife (R. R. Rife) astounded journalists when he revealed high magnification time-lapse cinemicrography. 

Examples of Time-lapse Photography  

Georges Méliès: L'Homme orchestre (1900)

Nature Footage: Plants and Flowers Time lapse and Beauty Shots.

The Longest Way 1.0 - walk through China and grow a beard! - a photo every day time-lapse.

Time lapse in Times Square with people walking around the plaza.

Modern Animation

Family Guy

Family Guy is a cel based stop motion animation. This is created by Seth Macfarlane. The target audience for this is aimed at adults due to the language and jokes that is referred to throughout the programme. The format of this animation is Black comedy, off-colour humour and surreal humour. Family guy is developed by Seth MacFarlane and David Zukerman and composed by Walter Murphy and Ron Jones. There is a total of 221 episodes spread out through 12 series of the show. Family Guy has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards and 11 Annie Awards, the show won three of each. The show and producers have received criticism stating comparisons for its similarities to The Simpsons.

Rugrats

Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain, it was created for Nickelodeon. The show is focused on a group of toddlers; Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil and Angelica and their day-to-day lives which consist of life experiences that turn into an adventure in the babies’ imaginations. The first series premiered on August 11, 1991 on Nickelodeon, production was put on hold in 1993 after making 65 episodes. The last episode aired on May 22, 1994. Between 1995 and 1996 the only new episodes that were broadcasted were’ A Rugrats Passover’ and ‘A Rugrats Chanukah’. These were two heavily Jewish-themed episodes that received much critical praise. New Rugrats episodes began airing again in 1997 and the Rugrats Movie was released in 1998. Rugrats gained over 20 awards during its 13-year run, this was including 4 Daytime Emmy Awards and 7 Kids Choice Awards, and it also got its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Morph

Morph is a Plasticine stop motion animation. The target audience for this TV show is aimed at young kids. The company called Aardman Animations, which is famous for Wallace and Gromit, created morph for the BBC. Morph mainly appeared in one-minute shorts spread-out throughout the show. These were all connected to the main show by having Hart deliver a line to Morph who would reply back in gobbledygook but used meaningful gestures. Some of the original Plasticine models of Morph were destroyed in a fire, which started in the warehouse where the models were kept. On he 29^th October 2013 the co-founder of Aardman Animation Peter Lord created a fund raising project on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter. This was set to a target of £75,000 to help fund 12 new one-minute episodes, which would start production in January 2014 using the original stop-frame animation techniques. 

South Park

 South Park is an American adult cut out animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. This show is aimed at the older and mature audience due to the language and dark, surreal humour on a range of topics throughout the show. Parker and Stone developed the show from two animated shorts that they had produced in 1992 and 1995; this then became one of first Internet viral videos, which led to its production as a series. South Park made its break in August of 1997 with great success, earning the highest ratings of any basic cable program. It still remains one of Comedy Centrals highest rated shows and is said to air until 2016. There has been a total of 247 episodes over the course of 17 seasons. The shows has received 5 Primetime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award.