SeattleFlyerGuy

Hi all,

On my most recent flights, I've been trying to create what I am dubbing "flightlapses" (flight + time lapse). I've been working on improving the films from a technical perspective, but I would also love to get some feedback from the people most likely to be interested in there (aka, the FlyerTalk community). I'd like you opinion on a couple of things:

1. Length (Too long? Too short?)
2. Pacing (Does it progress through the different phases of the flight correctly? Have I done a decent job of minimizing the boring sequences?)
3. Content (How could it be more interesting? What would you like to see more of? What would you like less of?)
4. Technical (Anything in particular that you didn't like from a technical aspect?)
5. Music (Is the music appropriate? Do you like it? What type of music would you rather hear? Keep in mind that I'm using Creative Commons music... which means there is a LOT of crap).

So, for your consideration, a couple flight lapses:

PDX to AMS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEz9ae47M2M
AMS to ARN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sC-o_dSogo
ARN to AMS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdX0yI-hP30
AMS to PDX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AQ0CM_2rh8
SEA to BDL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je30uWm6LMw
EWR to SEA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3OpzbAckys
SEA to RIO via IAH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8PgXtL-A_k
EZE to SEA via EWR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQiqdloXZjY

SeattleFlyerGuy

Ah, c'mon! I know collectively you guys have spent an hour looking at these yesterday..

McG

I've not viewed them in their entirety - hope to be able to do that at the weekend.

What camera are you using for your time lapses?

PTravel

I've had pilots taxi in smaller airports in China that made the taxi in the video look like real-time.

Suggestion: Increase the speed for the in-flight sections. I'd think a trans-pac or transatlantic flight door-to-door, without cuts, in 2 minutes would be interesting.

SeattleFlyerGuy

It's a Canon 100HS. I'm going down the easy route with their built in "tiltshift" mode, which does timelapse. I could do (with better results) a full on timelapse, but I would need to gear up.

Noted! The big challenge I've found doing this so far is the light coming into the plane, which has limited my ability. I need to figure out some way of blacking out the light from reaching the cabin so I don't disturb the other pax. I'll be that guy with the strange contraption, but I won't be that guy that leaves the window shade up the entire flight.

McG

I've tried doing a few timelapse videos on flights around 1hr in length using a Gopro Hero 3.

For the night shots on a long flight, have you thought about getting a cheap black T-shirt and cutting it to give you a piece of material just bigger than an airline window? Some sellotape to secure it to the cabin wall and it should be enough to blank out the window.

Zanotti

1, Very cool. Maybe a little long. I went PDX-AMS and EWR-SEA.
2. Music doesn't seem to match the activity. The AMS one was grating.
3. I wonder how come they don't tell you to turn this off during take off and landing.
4. I look forward to the USA Today article when you tape some contraption to the window and then cover it with black cloth. I am sure that wont raise suspicions.
5. I'll contribute to the bail fund. I am sure TSA Jail is full of nice people.
6. Why is the wing in front of where you are sitting? Every time I fly its behind?
7. Again very cool. I love people who take boring things and make them fascinating.

SeattleFlyerGuy

1. Which parts would you cut to speed it up? Some other posters mentioned the inflight section (after take off, before landing). Would you agree?
2. Well, there's no accounting for taste.
3. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. It depends on the FA. Hopefully this ruse about my camera taking down the plane (NSFW: Three fairly loud f-words) will soon be over.
4. So far reactions have generally been positive. Most people seem to get it pretty quickly when they seem my odd contraption and the main conflict has always been during take off and landing about the camera being on. Reactions have ranged from "oh" to "cool".
5. ... No comment.
6. Well, EZE to EWR was from 7K... but it was a night time departure. But, if you prefer that view, buy me a couple Z or F tickets and I'll be sure to film it form there.
7. Thanks!

SANspotter

Awesome!! Really, I love this kind of stuff. I tried this once on a flight and it didn't come out anywhere near as good as these.

My short attention span thinks that only issue is the length - 1:30 should be enough to get a sense of an entire flight. But that's just being too nit picky anyway. I really like these - all of them.

CraigDaneRoberts

This is great work. I've planning to do this myself on an upcoming mileage run (RDU-ATL-PVD-ATL-SEA-DTW-PVD-DTW-BOS-SAN-Conf-JFK-DTW-PVD-ATL-RDU) to pass the time. Would love to hear what works for you in terms of stabilization, tripod, etc. My feedback on the TLs:

1. You can make it a bit smoother by using an ND filter to inc exposure time (B+W ND3 ~$100). For cinematic quality you generally want your exposure time to be close to 1/2 your sampling rate (eg. 1.5s exp every 3s). Not sure how this will go w turbulence, but let you know what I find.

2. Shoot in RAW file format (for Canon this is called .CR2), this allows you to perform a myriad of manipulations and correction in post-production that aren't even remotely possible w JPG.

3. I'm a fan of the music, upbeat, kind of an other-worldly feel on some. Go w your gut on this - you're picking the music to help convey the non-visual elements of the experience.

4. Avoid in-camera processing (you mentioned tilt-shift fx) as this will drain your battery and limit your ability to manipulate in post. You can always add tilt-shift later on, which brings us to software....

5. Get an Adobe Creative Cloud subscrip, use your old college email for a teacher/student discount =$30 a month. You're already devoting a tremendous amnt of time and producing good work - using Lightroom, After Effects and Premiere will take you to the next level. If you only want one piece of software, get Lightroom.

6. In some cases it appears you're using some form of auto exposure and getting what's called "flicker". This comes from a single frames exposed at a different level than the pre- post- frames. Use M for manual settings. You can monitor the exposure level and slowly change it (called bulb ramping) to keep w/in +1 / -1 ev. You can then use another piece of software to level the exposure value across the composition - most popular right now is LRTimelapse (again ~$100). This is used in concert w Lightroom or After Effects. The software he makes is great, the accompanying book he offers - not as useful.

7. I assume you're already using an intervalomemter, if not, go for the off-brand chinese version for $25.

8. Consider buying some off brand batteries w/ double the life (mAh) of Canon's at 1/4 the cost. Can also get an off braned battery grip that holds 2 batteries. Never had a problem with these, can allow you to shoot non-stop for many many hours.

9. Consider buying a cheap prime lens for sharper images - Canon 50mm 1.8 is the best investment you'll ever make - again, $100.

10. Consider hosting your videos on Vimeo instead of Youtube. The image quality is significantly better and it will be viewed mostly by professional photographers (=excellent feedback) instead of bored 12 year olds.

That's all that comes to mind now, hope this helps and look forward to seeing more of these.

SeattleFlyerGuy

Thanks for all the feedback, Craig! As for specific replies:

0. I've been using a Delkin Fat Gecko to mount the camera to the window. It is great, but vibrations can be a problem. The mount will not go anywhere and it is very well made. I mount it at the bottom of the window so that the shade can be pulled down almost all the way and then block the rest of the light with the safety card/a tshirt. My approach has been to try and make the whole thing as unobtrusive as possible, so no DSLR (although there are other people who have gone that route). You could use the mount with a DSLR, but the length of the arm is where the vibrations really kick in. I think if you are shooting a high speed it should be ok, but with the video mode that I've been using.. those shakes are killer. Also, the video with the mount on prop planes is just worthless. Too much vibration anywhere but the ground.

1. Interesting, but would that work in this situation? Since the plane is constantly moving, 1.5s may result in blurred/motion trail images (which in itself may end up looking like a cool "warp" effect)?

2. I wouldn't have enough space on my card, if I went that route.

3. Thanks!

4. The tilt-shift mode is the lazy man's timelapse. The output is actually a MOV file, not individual photos. I CAN do a proper timelapse using CHDK, but unfortunately the screen remains on and power is an issue. I can get about 40-60 minutes of filming on a batery, but the timelapse script tends to suck the batteries dry. :/ What I need is to drop the money on a DC adapter and then sit where there is a plug.

5. I just got CS6. It's a huge upgrade from CS2, which is what I was using previously. The problem now is that while it is infinitely better in every way, it is the one program that brings my laptop to a stutter... No after effects though.. :/

6. A byproduct of the movie mode used. It is just a simple point and shoot.

7. CHDK is my intervalometer right now, when I'm going that route. I've used that in the past for other projects and have been really happy with the results, but that was also with my old camera where I could script the screen to turn off . And if it ever gets delivered, this will be my intervalomter in the future...

8, 9, and 10. Good idea. I'll have to bust out my 50m 1.4/f and give it a whirl.

idgafg

Shorten the video in length, it's a bit to long. Cut out all the moments or speed them up, where there is nothing interesting visually on the screen. Maybe try using the ramping effect when you pass a cool volcano or something cool visually from the air. (Ramping is where everything is moving quickly then it suddenly is in slow motion, Think the movie 300.) Keep the video at 30-50 seconds and you will get a lot more views.

tashi

I dont know how FA would let you stick the mount and camera to the window on all these flights? Dont they ask what you are doing and if so how do you explain?

SeattleFlyerGuy

They have asked on about 1/5 of the flights. Most have been positive towards it and I have only had one ask me to remove it (at the end of the flight on approach). Generally, it goes like this:

"What's that?"
"It's a suction cup mount for my camera. I like to make time lapses of the flights."
"Does it have GPS?"
"No."
"Oh. Cool. Just remember about keeping it off until we get airborne"
"OK..."

CraigDaneRoberts

Canon 6D, battery handle and a 50/1.8 on a Joby Focus tripod w Ballhead X + Cinetics Cinesquid suction cup feet.


FA's loved it, one even said, "is it under 2 lbs? because if it is you can use it the entire flight".

Will be several weeks in post, but will put a link up here. My fav shoot was chasing a 2.5h sunset from the Mississippi to Casper, WY.