Time lapse of indoor construction site at DVinfo.net

Robert Camitta · May 25th, 2016, 02:58 PM

I am looking for some ideas about how to shoot the renovation of a building for 16 months, the length of the construction. My client wants to shoot the progress of the construction. I was thinking of installing some cameras to capture this. Anyone have any ideas of how to accomplish this?

Mike Watson · May 25th, 2016, 05:39 PM

I put a Canon Rebel in a plastic mailbox with the back cut off, and had a intervalometer snap a photo every 20 (?) minutes. I ended up (manually) deleting all the photos between 6pm and 7am when there was no work going on. The camera battery would last about 6 days, I changed it out Monday mornings and it would die Saturday afternoon, but I'd leave it dead over the weekend (this also helped cut out photos I'd have to manually weed out). This was 6 years ago, and just when miniature solar panels were becoming a thing. If I did it again today, I'd probably rig a solar panel to charge a camera battery, and then rig the camera battery to the camera, so the camera would run even without sun, and the battery would continuously charge. If you could get that to work, you would theoretically never have to visit the site, because a huge memory card and never-ending power would get you through 16 months.

That's the technical part.

The psychology part is that nobody cares about your goofy timelapse, they will unplug your extension cord, move your scaffold, block your shot, attempt to steal your camera, and knock over the enclosure not because it was in the way, but for the sheer joy of watching the enclosure tip over and explode into pieces. I had it written into the contract that the client was responsible for security and replacement. I'd recommend that. Also, the once-a-week visit mitigates risk and allows you to make friends with the supervisors and examine images. I didn't know what to charge for it so I basically charged for what I thought months worth of weekly visits should cost, and they didn't balk, so that's what it cost.

Robert Camitta · May 26th, 2016, 06:04 AM

Some great advice. Thanks

Edward Carlson · May 26th, 2016, 11:48 AM

I'm in the midst of a 3-year long timelapse on a rooftop. I built a waterproof enclosure out of a Pelican 1300 case (which is the perfect size for a 5D.) I also built a custom intervalometer using an Arduino, so I could schedule the shots to not trigger on weekends and at night. Power is house power going into a 12 volt UPS using a marine deep cycle battery, although if I had more budget I would have gotten a large solar panel to charge the battery.

Mike Watson · May 26th, 2016, 01:29 PM

How often do you check on it? I could have figured out something to make mine go longer than a week at a stretch, but I was paranoid that 4 hours after I left something bad would happen and I'd loose a month's worth of shots.

Edward Carlson · May 26th, 2016, 01:47 PM

I have the property manager's assistant going up every 2 weeks to download cards for me. I gave her a tutorial on how to do it. I've lost 6 days of shots so far when the GFCI outlet it was plugged into tripped and she didn't notice until the battery went flat.

Weekly or bi-weekly visits should be fine. I go in person about every month or so for mine.

Brent Kaplan · May 26th, 2016, 02:21 PM

Edward Im sending my drone up looking for your timelapse rig, Im in valley village

Edward Carlson · May 26th, 2016, 02:27 PM

The camera is actually downtown shooting the 6th Street Bridge construction. That's why I'm glad I have someone downloading cards. I don't want to drive down there more than I have to.

Robert Camitta · June 1st, 2016, 08:24 AM

Hi,
Any interest in selling me a intervalometer?

[QUOTE=Edward Carlson;1915237]I'm in the midst of a 3-year long timelapse on a rooftop. I built a waterproof enclosure out of a Pelican 1300 case (which is the perfect size for a 5D.) I also built a custom intervalometer using an Arduino, so I could schedule the shots to not trigger on weekends and at night.

May 25th, 2016, 02:58 PM	#1
Robert Camitta New Boot Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Millburn, NJ Posts: 14	Time lapse of indoor construction site I am looking for some ideas about how to shoot the renovation of a building for 16 months, the length of the construction. My client wants to shoot the progress of the construction. I was thinking of installing some cameras to capture this. Anyone have any ideas of how to accomplish this?

May 25th, 2016, 05:39 PM	#2
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	Re: Time lapse of indoor construction site I put a Canon Rebel in a plastic mailbox with the back cut off, and had a intervalometer snap a photo every 20 (?) minutes. I ended up (manually) deleting all the photos between 6pm and 7am when there was no work going on. The camera battery would last about 6 days, I changed it out Monday mornings and it would die Saturday afternoon, but I'd leave it dead over the weekend (this also helped cut out photos I'd have to manually weed out). This was 6 years ago, and just when miniature solar panels were becoming a thing. If I did it again today, I'd probably rig a solar panel to charge a camera battery, and then rig the camera battery to the camera, so the camera would run even without sun, and the battery would continuously charge. If you could get that to work, you would theoretically never have to visit the site, because a huge memory card and never-ending power would get you through 16 months. That's the technical part. The psychology part is that nobody cares about your goofy timelapse, they will unplug your extension cord, move your scaffold, block your shot, attempt to steal your camera, and knock over the enclosure not because it was in the way, but for the sheer joy of watching the enclosure tip over and explode into pieces. I had it written into the contract that the client was responsible for security and replacement. I'd recommend that. Also, the once-a-week visit mitigates risk and allows you to make friends with the supervisors and examine images. I didn't know what to charge for it so I basically charged for what I thought months worth of weekly visits should cost, and they didn't balk, so that's what it cost.

May 26th, 2016, 06:04 AM	#3
Robert Camitta New Boot Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Millburn, NJ Posts: 14	Re: Time lapse of indoor construction site Some great advice. Thanks

May 26th, 2016, 11:48 AM	#4
Edward Carlson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North Hollywood, CA, United States Posts: 807	Re: Time lapse of indoor construction site I'm in the midst of a 3-year long timelapse on a rooftop. I built a waterproof enclosure out of a Pelican 1300 case (which is the perfect size for a 5D.) I also built a custom intervalometer using an Arduino, so I could schedule the shots to not trigger on weekends and at night. Power is house power going into a 12 volt UPS using a marine deep cycle battery, although if I had more budget I would have gotten a large solar panel to charge the battery.

May 26th, 2016, 01:29 PM	#5
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	Re: Time lapse of indoor construction site How often do you check on it? I could have figured out something to make mine go longer than a week at a stretch, but I was paranoid that 4 hours after I left something bad would happen and I'd loose a month's worth of shots.

May 26th, 2016, 01:47 PM	#6
Edward Carlson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North Hollywood, CA, United States Posts: 807	Re: Time lapse of indoor construction site I have the property manager's assistant going up every 2 weeks to download cards for me. I gave her a tutorial on how to do it. I've lost 6 days of shots so far when the GFCI outlet it was plugged into tripped and she didn't notice until the battery went flat. Weekly or bi-weekly visits should be fine. I go in person about every month or so for mine.

May 26th, 2016, 02:21 PM	#7
Brent Kaplan Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Los Angeles,CA Posts: 166	Re: Time lapse of indoor construction site Edward Im sending my drone up looking for your timelapse rig, Im in valley village

May 26th, 2016, 02:27 PM	#8
Edward Carlson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North Hollywood, CA, United States Posts: 807	Re: Time lapse of indoor construction site The camera is actually downtown shooting the 6th Street Bridge construction. That's why I'm glad I have someone downloading cards. I don't want to drive down there more than I have to.

June 1st, 2016, 08:24 AM	#9
Robert Camitta New Boot Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Millburn, NJ Posts: 14	Re: Time lapse of indoor construction site Hi, Any interest in selling me a intervalometer? [QUOTE=Edward Carlson;1915237]I'm in the midst of a 3-year long timelapse on a rooftop. I built a waterproof enclosure out of a Pelican 1300 case (which is the perfect size for a 5D.) I also built a custom intervalometer using an Arduino, so I could schedule the shots to not trigger on weekends and at night.