Drone Video

We have been providing drone video services in Singapore for years. Drone filming in Singapore is highly challenging and risky due to the highly urban environment filled with skyscrapers and wireless signal interference that affects the safe operation of drones.

While some short-term projects like event set-ups take several days, most of our construction time-lapse projects last several years. The production of all time-lapse projects follows a 3-phase process: Planning, Capturing and Editing.

PLANNING

During the planning stage, we assess the site for suitable positions to place the time-lapse camera. We will also consider other factors like the availability of AC power, obstructions, permits if the camera is installed in a 3rd-party location, etc. Then, we will recommend the best possible configuration for the time-lapse.

The costing component will typically consist of:

A one-time system installation fee.

Monthly time-lapse camera rental & maintenance fees.

Compiling & editing of the time-lapse video.

CAPTURE

Depending on the size and layout of the project, single or multiple time-lapse cameras may be recommended for optimal coverage. With the TITAN2 Remote, we can monitor the cameras remotely. Typically, we visit our time-lapse cameras monthly to do a general inspection. If the client needs weekly or monthly media reports, we can prepare the deliverables.

EDITING

After the time-lapse capturing is completed, our post-production team will begin to handle the thousands of images. This process may involve video editing, music, voiceover narration, motion graphics, titling, 2D and 3D animation. Once the project is completed, we “render” the video into the resolution & format of your wish. Finally, we archive all the data in our LTO-5 tape archival system to keep it secure.

Short-term time-lapses are usually short enough to run on the power of an external battery, whereas long-term time-lapses require either regular battery changes or the installation of solar panels or an AC supply. Our Titan2 runs on power-dense lithium-ion batteries that can last for more than a month on its own, providing an extra layer of reliability.

Short-term time-lapses that last a day or less can be done using manual settings. However, for long-term time-lapse, this is not recommended due to varying luminance throughout the day. We use an aperture-priority setting that allows us to maintain the depth-of-field of the frame, letting the camera compensate for exposure using shutter speed.

For manned, short-term time-lapses, depending on the situation, we recommend using the tightest possible interval that the camera can handle while not compromising on your shutter speed. This can result in an interval as short as 2 seconds in bright daylight to 30 seconds in night settings. On long-term time-lapses where the subject changes very slowly over months and years, we use intervals ranging from 5 to 10 minutes, an economic as well as creative decision.

Most short-term time-lapses can simply be contained in a single SD or CF card, whereas the extended duration of long-term time-lapses entails either regular card-swapping or connecting the camera to a mini-PC with an external hard drive. Data accumulated from our long-term time-lapses easily go up to hundreds of gigabytes, so we prepare individual hard drives as extra back-up for each project, in addition to a dedicated server.