Normal video frame rates used today can vary from 24 frames per second to hundreds of frames per second (fps). However, when the fps is greatly reduced to a few frames per minute or even an hour, the effect speeds up the subject of your video. Processes requiring hours, days, or even weeks will appear to occur in the span of a few seconds or minutes. This is called time lapse video, and it enables you to view processes outside the normal range of human perception. Although time lapse is a well known video technique, businesses have yet to exploit it fully in their marketing efforts. Using time lapse video for marketing your business can be a smart option.

Time lapse video increases engagement and interest

Time lapse video can engage the viewer in any number of ways. Because it's not commonly used in marketing, it's a novelty for many consumers. This, plus video quality, will be enough to hold the viewer's attention. Novelty is the reason for the effectiveness of time lapse whiteboard videos, in which a person rapidly sketches pictures or writes notes while accompanied by a narrative soundtrack.

Example of a time lapse video by Miceli Productions. STANLEY DURA-GLIDE GREENSTAR.

Time lapse also reveals interesting patterns such as stars moving in circles in the night sky, indicating the earth's rotation. Fascinating lighting changes throughout the day are revealed. It's well known in outdoor photography and painting, that an outdoor scene appears differently throughout the course of the day as the lighting changes. This effect has inspired painters to portray the same subject under different lighting conditions. Time lapse lets viewers watch these changes evolve in front of their eyes. Another interesting effect is the flight patterns of aircraft at night near an airport. Time lapse will make their lights appear like firefly activity.

Effects such as these can transform your marketing message into something artistic and even poetic. On the other hand, you can also make the ordinary appear humorous when certain types of activities are sped up, especially when accompanied by the right musical soundtrack. Time lapse effects can inspire, entertain, and educate.

Time Lapse Video for Marketing Uses

Covering every possible marketing use of time lapse video isn't feasible because there are too many of them. How it's used will depend on the marketing message, the business, and the imagination of those who create it. However, here are three examples to give you an idea of its versatility:

Telling a Story

Choose one of your busiest employees who moves around a lot and create a time lapse video of the person's workday. You might title it "A Day in the Work Life of John Smith." Perhaps John Smith is the CEO, a supervisor, or a hard worker in the shipping department. A time lapse video that compresses this person's day into one or two minutes does a good job of highlighting the dedication and professionalism of your best people.

Miceli Productions used time lapse and hyper lapse as part of a tour of the Kingswood Oxford science building.

Showing a Manufacturing or Construction Process

The manufacture and assembly of complex products such as cars, sailboats, or airplanes in one or two minutes makes for fascinating viewing. It doesn't matter whether the process is done manually, with automation, or with robotics, the video will hold the attention of your viewers.

Use time lapse video for marketing to impress customers, business prospects, or potential new investors. Many construction companies use time lapse to good effect by showing a multi-month construction project, from start to finish, in a short video.

Showing Your Customer Fulfillment Process

Even though the video is obviously sped up, a time lapse will nevertheless convey a subliminal message of a fast and efficient customer fulfillment process. Choose a complex order and follow its processing, including the warehouse activity involved in picking, packaging, and shipping the order to the customer. You might even include its delivery to a smiling and satisfied customer in either accelerated mode or at a normal video speed.

Today, people have shorter attention spans and less time for viewing lengthy videos. The time lapse technique readily accommodates this trend by compressing lengthy processes into a one or two minute video that will engage the viewer. To learn more about using this technique to showcase your business, don't hesitate to contact us.