Make a timelapse more engaging with video footage

Saturday 30 May 2026, 17:17 by Nando Harmsen | 771 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

With photos, you can create engaging timelapse footage. You literally see time speed past. To make it more engaging, consider combining timelapse with photos. Or better still: normal video footage.

Making a timelapse can produce beautiful results. By showing the passage of time at increased speed, movements that previously went unnoticed become visible. Clouds drifting past, for example.

A timelapse isn't difficult to make. An engaging timelapse is much harder, especially if you want to make a longer timelapse film. I explain how to make a timelapse in my course on Photofacts Academy.

Changing perspective quickly makes a timelapse more engaging. Use close-ups, wide shots, and introduce camera movement, whether simulated in the edit or not. This makes it easier to tell a story.

Timelapse with two cameras. One with a wide-angle lens, one with a telephoto lens. All the movement was added during editing.
It is also possible to combine photos with a timelapse. However, still images in a film can stop the flow. This can have the opposite effect on the film's smooth progression.

What often works better is adding normal video footage. Not sped up, but in real time. You can also record and use sound straight away. The alternation suddenly makes the film more engaging. If you're new to filming, also take a look at the beginners' course.

You can record normal video footage with the camera you used to record the timelapse. One first, then the other. Or you can use a second camera or a smartphone.

In that case, you can already get started with other footage while recording the timelapse. However, don't let this stop you from making video recordings on other days too. So it's worth visiting the location more often.

Various timelapse recordings with a camera on a slider for movement. Alternated with video recordings featuring the original sound recorded in the surroundings, supplemented with a bit of music.
It is a good idea to use the same frame rate for all your video footage. If all goes well, you chose a frame rate for the timelapse. Use that for your video footage too. Usually, 25 fps is a good choice.

Combining a timelapse with normal video makes your finished film richer. Give it a try and see how it works.

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