How to Use Construction Time Lapse to Attract and Manage New Infrastructure Projects

In November 2021, President Biden signed the historic INVEST in America Act, allocating $1 trillion toward various infrastructure projects such as: 

• Building and repairing bridges and public roadways
• Upgrading power grids, drinking water, and wastewater infrastructures
• Modernizing airports and improving public transits, including railways

With so many new opportunities on the horizon, construction firms will have to bid on highly competitive government projects and follow stringent regulations for compliance and safety.

One strategy that can help construction firms build a strong reputation is the use of time lapse. Time lapse not only captures the progress of a project but also helps with remote monitoring for safety and compliance, and collaboration. Additionally, this innovative technology assists your efforts of growing brand recognition, generating leads, and effectively utilizing marketing budgets.

Building Your Brand With Time Lapse 

Did you know that 54% of consumers want to see more video from brands that they’re interested in?

Once time lapse videos are created, snippets of the video can be effectively utilized in different stages of marketing and sales funnel. The best part about this? The marketing budget is utilized to the max by using the same project to advertise on various platforms. Highlighting different parts of current and past projects on platforms such as website, social media, presentation, and trade shows are just some examples of using time lapse to generate interest and gain future business. Being active on digital platforms is now more important than ever and time lapse videos are an effective and easy way to boost engagement as compelling content.

See how some of our customers have used their time lapse footage to communicate the progress of a project, and for marketing their work. 

Watch the construction of this  high-tech campus that features four towers and one parking structure.UpBlink with a GoPro HERO5 were used to capture this footage. 

Bejaw Video Productions

Metropolis Visual used time lapse to produce five video updates on the key stages of this historic project. 

Metropolis Visual 

Monitor overall projects by capturing each milestone

If you are not actively monitoring construction projects, there are high chances of your projects going out of scope and schedule, especially for the large-scale projects associated with the Infrastructure Bill. Time lapse cameras give construction firms a birds-eye view of the job site which helps centralize multiple projects and manage sites easily. 

Having the ability to access jobsite from anywhere at any time also helps to spot potential issues that could hamper the progress of a project right away. Allowing firms to plan, troubleshoot and update the teams involved in a timely and efficient manner. 

Utilizing platforms that allow image uploads via the cloud can help project managers integrate tasks with the leading construction management platforms like Plangrid, AutoDesk Bim 360 and CMIC. The captured footage can help project managers adjust schedules, logistics or budget. "We can make corrections easier on the design page in the office, then take those models and overlay them over the site. This becomes powerful" Jeff Sample, Industry Professional, states in the article, “Contractors Turn to Innovative Tech to Complete Projects”.

Update and generate excitement with key stakeholders, clients, and even the public 

Time lapse videos showcases  months- or even years-long projects in videos that are only a few minutes long. Reading a progress report of a long project is time consuming. It also is hard to retain all information presented in a report and stakeholders may miss important information in such a vast document. Including time lapse videos in addition to the report will be much more impactful in highlighting key information and visual milestones. Adding a summary video showing the progress from a high level helps stakeholders process and understand the information. 

The Infrastructure Bill is a historic investment and the current projects that are going to be built will be a part of this history. This history needs to be documented and shared with the public for generations to come. Videos are a great way to engage the public and will be easy to share in the future.  

3 Tips for High Quality Footage 

To take full advantage of the many benefits of time lapse, it’s important to understand how to optimize the process to ensure that your final images are of the highest quality. With an impressive portfolio that displays a variety of projects, your construction firm will be in a better position to attract leads for new opportunities. Keep the following tips in mind when planning your next time lapse project: 

1. Calculate Project Details: Every construction project is unique, so it’s important to calculate the project details, such as time lapse intervals, duration of the project, and the memory and power requirements. These can be calculated using our Time Lapse Calculator to plan your project successfully.
2.  Prioritize Composition: This refers to the elements within a photo, such as lighting, position, and framing. We recommend visiting the site location and taking some test shots to see what will be visible in your images.
3.  Prepare for Bad Weather: Protect your camera lens and use a weatherproof enclosure when needed. Lead-acid batteries should be used, as they provide superior performance to lithium varieties. Remember to monitor the performance of your solar panels and batteries.
4. Camera Strategy:The most important piece of the puzzle is having a well laid out camera strategy that can be documented and presented to all involved parties. It is not only a game plan to successfully capture a long term, multi-site project but also a great way to get sign-offs on project details and communicate the finalized plan to the rest of the team. In fact, we have created a template that you can start using right away!  Just download and start filling out the details, present it to your team and let us know how your project went.

With so much funding and opportunities for new projects, it is important to have the right tools, strategies and knowledge on setting up a construction time lapse. Plan ahead and reach out to us for any time lapse related suggestions, products or questions! 

Ready to start your own time lapse project?