how does it work?
I wrote a program in Max/MSP to automize the whole process. Every 144 seconds, the software capture one frame from the webcam and a 100ms slice of sound, with a 5ms fade in and out to attempt ironing out the non-zero crossing clicks. Each new sound slice gets appended into a buffer containing the other sounds, which then gets exported and combined with the video.
In fairness, the timing is not fully accurate as I had to switch off my computer to work on sound as the sample rate was different. So I would switch off the time lapse to work on sound, and then catch up later with a few manual triggers.
the 24 hours
- Start the time lapse at 12am before going to bed
- Wake up (notice the birds waking up in the time lapse, awesome!)
- Drive to breakfast and do internet stuff
- Go to my usual coffee shop Vida e Caffe to prep for the weekend’s recording session
- Go home and eat lunch
- Go to the studio to edit some sound files and record a VO
- Go home where my friends are playing poker, but I don’t have time to participate
- Prepare all my gear for the weekend, where I’m going to the bush to record animals, ambiences and bush related sounds.
- I see the iPad in real for the first time (yes, it’s still not in South Africa)
- Pack my cloths for the weekend
- 12am (24hrs later) switch time lapse off
Time Lapse Phonography from Andrew Spitz via [sound+design]
