recornding sunset with interval timer
 

Hi, I will be recording a sunset and sunrise using the interval timer, which I have never used before. I plan to speed the shot up so it's about 30 seconds max. Has anybody ever filmed a sunrise/sunset before, and if so, what is a good combination of settings for INTERVAL TIME and INTERVAL RECORD TIME. I have to hike to the top of a mountain so I'd like to get it right the first time! Thanks, Nico

I'm not familiar with that function on the XL2, however on the Sony cameras it is a poor choice for sunsets. If you're filming something that will fit on one tape (60 minutes) then you're much, much better off just shooting normally and speeding up in post.

The interval timers are generally pretty coarse and better suited for filming events that last 12 hours or more. On the Sony's the shortest interval is a 1/2 second burst every 30 seconds IIRC. That will yield very jerky results. I've filmed a number of sunsets in realtime and sped up in post with very good results.

Of course this might be different if the XL2 has a greater range of interval adjustment...

I agree with Boyd. I've also shot numerous sunrises and sunsets, and realtime is fine. With interval recording, I believe the tape transport ends up in "pause" mode during those 30-second intervals, so I've never used it on my GL2.

If you need a little more time, LP mode can be used. The increased chance for a dropout is minimal considering that you'll be throwing away 80% or more of the frames in post anyway. A sunrise fits rather nicely into 90 minutes.

As an aside, I'd recommend that you set your manual focus (made that mistake a couple times -- fuzzy clouds mess up the auto circuit). You may also want to use the auto exposure setting since the light level will be changing so much.

Have fun!

I agree, the best bet is to get an 80 minute tape and let it roll out, switch it and let it roll out...etc. I have been shooting a lot of time lapse for the beginning of this sports show I am doing and it can look pretty good, just takes practice.

If you need to use the interval, recording 2 seconds every 30 seconds will give you the most information.


ash =o)

Use Scenalyzer
 

Scenalyzer yields excellant results for timelapse. If you can hook up your laptop to the xl2 via firewire whilst shooting all the better, but if not, record the sunset as normal to DV tape (1 hour max obviously) then use scenalyzer to capture timelapse frames from the tape.

What it will do is capture a percentage of the frames captured so you get a smooth result, of which you have full control. If you connect the XL2 to the laptop and scenalyzer at the same time, you can leave it running all day and compress it down to what ever length you want (if you have everlasting batteries, or mains power that is !!)

http://www.scenalyzer.com

Okay, thank for all the info everyone. It sounds like realtime sped up in post is the way to go. As I don't have the budget or time to learn new software due to a tight schedule, does Final Cut Pro produce decent results in post? Is simply a matter of increasing the speed setting? Or do you take freeze frames of the clip? Also, what would be the best mode to shoot in? The rest of the documentary footage will be in 24P non advanced. Thanks again...

60i... more information to speed up...


ash =o)

Hmm. Personally I would fix the exposure setting to make sure that the picture gets darker as the sun sets. After all, that's what actually happens when the sun goes down.

Rainer is absolutely correct. DO NOT adjust for the change in light levels. To have the sun go down and the light level remain the same will look like something out of the Old Testament!

Jay

Since you are using the XL-2, you can also use Canon's own DVPC recorder software. The learning curve is 0. Plug in the camera, make sure you go into the camera menu and set DV Control to on. Start the software and hit the record button. That's all you have to do. The viewfinder will even tell you how many hours of record time you have on your hard drive. It only runs on Windows though, which is why I have a Windows laptop.

-gb-

Sounds like Nico is on the Mac since he asked about FCP.

To answer your question, yes FCP can do this just fine. Capture the full tape and drop the clip into a sequence. Select it on the timeline and go to Modify > Speed and choose either a new duration or a percentage of the existing speed (1000% would be a 10x speed increase, for example).

There's a checkbox for frame blending. Try a little section with and without this option. You may find that it actually degrades the image a little if enabled. It will also take rendering time if you enable frame blending.

After you get it the way to like you may want to export the sequence as a new file so you can delete the hour of realtime video that you captured.

Rainer and Jay have a good point about the manual exposure setting. I opted to use auto to extend the amount of time that the camera would have an acceptable light level, meaning I thought a sunrise would go from black to overexposed much too quickly, so I wanted the camera to follow it. I've done this several times, and the results ranged from so-so to incredible.

That said, manual mode makes sense, and I have used manual for mid-day shots of passing clouds (again I recommend manual focus!). I'll have to try that for the next sunset I do and see how it works.

I've shot a number of sunsets and agree about manual exposure. A lot of the drama comes from the fade to black.

Okay, thanks again for all the helpful advice. So as it stands now it seems as the best way is to shoot real time, using Manual Focus, manual Exposure, 60i, and then speed this up in post. The rest of the documentary is shot in 24P non advanced, so will the 60i footage match? My intuition would be to shoot 24P for consistency, or would this produce poor results for the sunset sequence? As well, unfortunately I'm only working with one battery pack, and according to the manual that should give me about 90 minutes of record time if I'm lucky. So will one 80 minute tape be sufficient to capture the sunset? Cheers, nico

Certainly! Just check the almanac to see when the sun sets on the you're shooting and plan accordingly... how much of "before," "during," and "after" you want.

For example, you want the sun to set in the middle of the 80-minute tape recording (at 45 minutes) and the sun sets at 7 o'clock, you start recording at 6:15.

Jay