Medium Density Residential Apartments in Sydney

Led by 14-time award-winning cinematographer Graeme Beck, we reject the standard "set-and-forget" mentality. We actively monitor camera outputs and relocate our custom made, live enabled and solar powered cameras when a better angle arises. We can integrate drone cinematography for a comprehensive, cinematic narrative of your construction project from groundwork to completion.

Marina Apartments - Time-Lapse Camera on Scaffolding

(Duration: 1m 20s)

Electric Films attached one of our own solar powered time-lapse cameras to a street pole to photograph this medium-density residential development in Gosford.
As the building progressed, we moved the camera to the scaffolding for a more dynamic shot and followed the construction floor by floor. The camera then returned to the street to photograph the completion of the building.

We then edited the monthly videos into a short video for marketing and archiving purposes.

Ikon Apartments - Time-Lapse Attached to Crane

(Duration: 2m 07s)

Time-Lapse Camera Attached to Crane

In this example, from the Ikon Apartments in Gosford, our time-lapse camera was attached to the site crane for the majority of the build. With the inherent movement from an active crane, time-lapse vision is unusable. At Electric Films we use several software programs to smooth out the vision making use of this advantageous camera position.

Murdoch Apartments - Time-Lapse and Drone

(Duration: 6m 35s - Extended Version)

On this example, we incorporated drone cinematography during most of our regular monthly site visits. At the completion of filming, the client wanted a more comprehensive edit than the two short edits above.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often are your time-lapse cameras maintained?

All cameras are monitored via a cellular link daily and we perform regular monthly physical checks where lenses are cleaned and systems checked. If a better camera position is available, we liaise with the site managers.

What happens if a camera gets bumped?

To correct minor movement, we stabilise the footage in Adobe After Effects. A bump of up to 20% of the frame size requires using a corner pin filter to align the footage and match the shots together. Larger movements require the camera to be repositioned.

You often attach a camera to scaffolding or a crane; how do you get the wobble out?

As these platforms offer a superior viewpoint, they are frequently utilised. For regular monthly updates, we run the footage through Adobe After Effect's stabilisation program. Superior results can be obtained by pre-editing the footage to remove the frames with the largest movement.

Can your clients access the camera?

Yes. We can provide a live feed to your mobile device and can also upload shots in real time to our computers or the client's computer if desired.

What time intervals do you shoot?

We tailor the shooting interval to the pace and complexity of your project. For long-term construction builds spanning several months, we typically capture frames every 10 minutes. As your construction project nears completion, we shorten the interval to 5 minutes to capture dramatic day-to-night transitions.

Other time-lapse projects can be as little as every 30 seconds on projects over just a day or two.

Do you shoot video and stills as well as time-lapse?

Yes. We offer an extensive service starting from scriptwriting.