With a spectacular time lapse video capturing the amazing sights of Sharjah, and the emirate’s transformation through different time periods of the day, Sachin Ramdas, who specialises in time lapse videos as well as film direction, gave participants an insight into this technique at a specialised workshop held at the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF) on Thursday.

In a session titled ‘Creating Stunning Time Lapse Movies’ held at the Canon Station at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre (JRCC), the filmmaker described to the audience that the technique of time lapse involves taking plenty of images of a particular scene that are then converted into a video. “The end result is an effect where time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing,” he said.

Other essentials, he added, include a sturdy tripod “as you have to take into account heavy winds and other weather elements. You also need to keep observing the scene and change your camera settings accordingly.”

Considered to be a niche field, not many people pursue time lapse believing it to be a complicated technique, he said. “That is a false assumption. It can be mastered with practice and by being observant about your environment.”

More than technical skills, what one needs is “to have a certain mindset and attitude, and good discipline, considering that this will be a long-term project involving waking up at odd hours of the day.”

His previous project, Imagine Dubai, he explained, “took more than two years to make, was filmed in around 70 locations across Dubai, and consisted of a total of 150,000 images which were then converted into just a four-minute video.”

Vloggers or Online Content Creators

More than 95 percent of vloggers worldwide use a Canon EOS M50, said Mohamed Al Nuhaisi, an independent filmmaker and Canon Academy Trainer, at an educative workshop held at SIFF 2019. “It carries a host of smart features that make it a perfect choice for vloggers. For instance, it has a compact and lightweight design, has a quick and accurate autofocus and a fully articulate screen that makes it an ideal choice for shooting video.”

Other essential hardware required include a good microphone and a sturdy tripod, he added.

Nuhaisi said that vlog, the shortened form of video blog or video log, is a self-made first person video that involves the art of storytelling. “You need to pick a topic you are specialised in; follow a schedule and be consistent with it; and top it up with excellent quality in video, audio and content, and some fine editing to make it more interesting.”