How to plan a timelapse

Interval, total shooting time and finished clip length are locked together. Fix two and the third is decided.

Frames divided by frame rate gives clip length; shooting time divided by interval gives frames. Everything follows, and the planner solves for whichever value you are missing.

Step-by-step

1. Enter the two things you know.
2. Read the third.
3. Check the frame count against your card and battery.

Intervals that suit the subject

• 1–2 seconds — people, traffic, fast cloud.
• 3–5 seconds — ordinary cloud movement.
• 15–30 seconds — sunsets, shadows moving across a landscape.
• Minutes — construction, plant growth, star trails.

The commonest mistake is too long an interval, which produces jerky motion nothing can fix afterwards. When unsure, shoot more frequently — discarding frames later is easy, and inventing them is not.

The arithmetic is unforgiving

A ten-second clip at 25 frames per second needs 250 frames. At a five-second interval that is about twenty-one minutes of shooting. People routinely underestimate this and stop far too early — for a minute of finished footage you are committing to hours.

Shutter speed and the 180-degree guideline

For smooth motion, the shutter speed should be about half the interval. At a two-second interval, expose for about a second. Very short exposures relative to the interval produce a strobing look, because each frame freezes motion that then jumps to the next position.

Frequently asked questions

How many frames do I need?

Clip length multiplied by frame rate. Ten seconds at 25 fps is 250 frames, and at a five-second interval that means about twenty-one minutes of shooting.

Why does my timelapse flicker?

Usually automatic exposure making small adjustments between frames. Shoot on full manual, including white balance and fixed focus.

What interval for clouds?

Three to five seconds for ordinary movement, one to two for fast-moving storm cloud. Err on the short side; you can drop frames later but cannot add them.