Time-lapse
Also known as: timelapse, time lapse video
Video made by capturing frames at long intervals and playing them at normal speed, so hours of slow change like clouds or crowds compress into a short clip.
Updated
What it means
A time-lapse is the opposite of slow motion. Instead of recording many frames per second, the camera captures one frame every half second, every few seconds or even every minute. Played back at a normal frame rate, those frames compress long stretches of time: clouds stream across the sky, a city turns from day to night, a campsite goes up in a blink.
The camera usually stays still on a tripod or a fixed mount. When the camera travels through space during the capture, the result is called a Hyperlapse instead.
How it works in practice
The interval sets the speed-up. At a 2-second interval played back at 30 fps, one minute of real time becomes one second of video, so a 30-minute sunset gives about 30 seconds. GoPro, DJI Osmo Action and Insta360 cameras all have time-lapse modes with a choice of intervals, plus night-lapse modes with long exposures for stars and city lights.
Some cameras save a ready-made MP4; others can shoot the sequence as individual photos for more control in post. Lock exposure and white balance so the image does not pulse as the camera re-meters between frames, and switch off the screen to save battery.
What to watch out for
Flicker is the main enemy: auto exposure changes slightly from frame to frame and the finished video pulses. Manual exposure fixes most of it, except for day-to-night transitions, which need gradual ramping or deflicker software.
Plan battery and storage - a two-hour capture needs a full battery or external power, and cold mornings drain batteries faster. Mount the camera firmly; a tiny shift halfway through ruins the shot, and wind on a selfie stick or a loose clamp shows up as jitter. Wipe the lens first, because water droplets or dew stay visible for the whole sequence.
How RawClip handles it
You can upload time-lapse MP4 files alongside your normal clips from any mix of cameras. RawClip analyzes motion and action across everything in the order, removes dull or duplicate footage, and decides which moments make it into the finished highlight.