Timelapse Videos

Timelapse videos

Timelapse videos are a clever way to quickly show something that takes a much longer time in real life. You may have seen short timelapse videos of plants growing over many months or years, or artists creating fantastic works of art over several hours.

Timelapse Video Examples

Above is a timelapse video of our interactive installation Sea of Light. Watch some more great timelapse videos by clicking the links below.

Growing a Dwarf Sunflower – watch a dwarf sunflower grow and bloom over 60 days.

Night Sky Timelapse – watch the night sky in Chile and spot shooting stars

Create a timelapse video

 

 You can create your own timelapse video with a tablet or phone. 

 
Think of something that takes a long time to do… 

 

  • building a cubby

  • drawing or colouring a picture

  • making a Lego creation 

     

Find the timelapse function on the tablet or phone camera (or ask to download an app if there isn’t one). 

 

Set up the camera in a safe and secure space with a clear view of your activity, press record, and do your thing!

Timelapse maths

 

 Watch the Sea of Light timelapse video above created by Matt Byrne.

 

How long do you think it took to film this video in real time? 

 

Make an estimate of the timelapse speed by dividing your guess at the real time (in seconds) by the video length (80 seconds).  

 

Example: 

 

Real time = 45 minutes
x 60 = 2700 seconds 

 

Video length = 80 seconds 

 

2700 / 81 = 33.75

 

… so if our guess is correct, this video is more than 30 times faster than real time! Is this faster or slower than you would have guessed?

More activities to try

Superluminal with Geoff and Zoë Learn about the Superluminal from Co-Directors Geoff Cobham and Zoë Barry.
Try It
Mirrors and Reflection Explore reflection and the magic of mirrors with these simple activities.
Try It
Galaxy Jar Create your own miniature galaxy in a jar.
Try It