If you were unsure of the power of social video before, Instagram’s latest brainchild, Hyperlapse, will make you a believer. Launched earlier this week, Hyperlapse is a stand-alone app for iOS that condenses and stabilizes phone videos into trendy timelapses.
Unlike other video editing tools, Hyperlapse allows for users to easily adjust the video from 1x to 12x speed without any delay for scrubbing or processing. And don’t be fooled by the brilliantly simple user experience, the technology behind this app is pretty serious.
While Hyperlapse certainly helps gives phone videos a more professional look, there are still some guidelines and best practices users should follow before hitting the share button.
Here are some essential do’s and don’ts for making Hyperlapse videos:
DO make sure it’s long enough: We learned the hard way that at 12x speed, a 10 second video does not meet the 3-second minimum requirement to upload a video to Instagram. To be safe, try to always shoot between 30-45 seconds worth of video to hit the minimum requirement. (Note: 3 minutes of original footage=15 seconds of timelapse at 12x speed)
DON’T speed up the video if you’re moving the camera. Videos played back at high speeds look great if you’re keeping the camera still and staying in one place. However, if you’re following someone or moving, they can be nauseating to watch when sped up. Keep the speed low and let the smooth video do the storytelling.
DO frame your subject in the center of the shot. When the app stabilizes your video, it will steady the center portiton of the video and crop out the edges of the frame. The cropping is minimal but to be safe, keep the important elements of the video towards the center.
DON’T do too much. Less is often more when it comes to timelapse videos. You can overdo it with too much movement and action. Instead, focus on planning out the subject, the length of the event and a clever (but stable) perspective to film from.
DO exercise some posting restraint. Timelapses are great, but no one wants to see their Instagram newsfeed crammed with timelapse videos. Think quality over quantity. Your followers will take note.
Now get out there and start filming….because life is extra fun at 12x speed! And for more best practices and tips, download our 2014 Social Media Marketing guide.