Play around with time with stock timelapse videos

Timelapse footage involves a creative filming and editing technique that alters the speed with which the frame rate is captured. This frame rate refers to the number of images in a single second of a video. In a standard video, the frame rate and playback speed are the same, resulting in a video that unfolds for the viewer at a familiar pace. With timelapse footage, however, the frame rate is greatly spread out so that after video edits are complete, viewers can watch what appears to be a video on fast-forward. An office timelapse, for example, might show an entire day’s work happening in a few accelerated seconds, while a New York timelapse could show many hours of traffic in Times Square zooming by in a flash of light and color.

“Timelapse” refers to the style of video in which many photos are captured over a period of time and then later assembled so as to appear to be a seamless sped-up video. “Stock” here means that these timelapse videos were originally created without a specific final project in mind. Instead, these timelapse stock video clips have been shared with stock libraries, such as Shutterstock, where they are then licensed and made available for users to download and edit into their own video projects. These videos may have personal or professional purposes. Due to what is so often their visually appealing content, timelapse stock video can work well in a number of projects, including marketing materials, websites, and social media.

Popular timelapse videos include: Sunrise timelapse: Watching that fiery red orb emerge from behind a misty mountain to cast light into a rapidly brightening sky is an easy way to feel instantly inspired. Sunset timelapse: See the orange sun sink behind a dark horizon or drift down as if straight into the ocean. Clouds timelapse: Timelapse clouds appear almost magical, like a pod of white whales swimming through a vast blue sky. Sky timelapse: Within our library you can see the jewel-toned lights of the Aurora Borealis flow across a starry sky, a tornado rolling and roiling above the plains, and many other sky timelapse videos sure to stun. City timelapse: Take a look at city timelapse videos from around the world to get a feel for what it’s like to live a day in the life there. Stunning London timelapse, Hong Kong timelapse, Dubai timelapse and more can all be found within our library. Traffic timelapse: With traffic timelapse videos, instead of sitting stuck in rush hour, you can feel the rush of wind from an open car window as the car lights zoom along the highway.

Use Shutterstock’s powerful, easy-to-use search engine to find high-quality timelapse footage in moments. To begin, look to the top of any Shutterstock page and click “Footage.” From there, enter your specific keywords, such as “airport timelapse,” into the search bar. Click the magnifying glass icon at the right to see your search results. You can further specify the sort of footage you hope to find by utilizing the advanced filter options on the left side of the page. Need 4K resolution? Select the “4K” option from the “Maximum resolution” filter. Looking for a clip that is no more than 20 seconds in length? Move the sliders of the “Duration” filter. Other filters include FPS (frames per second), clips with or without people, and the manner in which you would like your search results presented to you (i.e. Popular, Best match, Fresh content).

It is often said that life goes by in the blink of an eye. Of course, when we’re in the middle of the minutiae of our lives, brushing our teeth or driving to work, life can seem to move rather slowly. But timelapse videos capture just how quickly life can move. They give us a glimpse of views and experiences, such as the sun rising over the sea, that we might not otherwise have the time or money to go see for ourselves. Many viewers delight in timelapse footage because such clips speed up what might otherwise take many hours to view in real time. Consider a day to night timelapse. Viewers can watch the sun arc across the sky and then see stars emerge as night falls, all within a number of seconds. It is this uniquely accelerated view of the world that helps make timelapse footage so engaging.