• 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Time stretching aurora timelapses -- advice wanted

Offline
#1 Lapsefinger
I've been trying to time stretch some of my aurora timelapses, to create a more naturally looking movement. In this example the clip was 15 seconds originally, wich I've stretched to 45 seconds. The images were shot at 30 second intervals, and resulting movement is far too fast. The exposure time was 25 seconds at 3200 ISO, so the aurora was very faint, you could hardly see it with the naked eye.

It is processed in After Effects, timestretched with a CC Wide Time filter applied. Nothing else, no frame blending. (Time warp and/or frame blending with pixel motion totally ruins it).

The result isn't too bad, but it's still a bit jumpy here and there, especially when the aurora activity peaks.

I'd like a smoother result. Any ideas on how I might do that? Thanks in advance!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwMixOnxn...e=youtu.be
Offline
#2 Gunther
In my opinion the result is very good, congratulations to that great sequence!
If you want it still smoother, you might try a motion blur - for example CC Time blend to 10% or 15% in AE.
Subscribe to: LRTimelapse Newsletter, Youtube Channel, Instagram, Facebook.
Offline
#3 Lapsefinger
Thanks for the kind words and your suggestion!

I'm actually going to leave it like it is. Adding a bit of motion blur made it a bit smoother, but the image itself got worse. Adding more blur to a clip that is allready too blurry is not the way to go. Oh well, you live and learn, I suppose. Smile

Conclusion: I need a faster lens and a better camera!
Offline
#4 alaska42
I am looking for other Aurora workflows in After Effects. Right now I export my clips out of LR using LRTimelapse (12fps template to 24fps LRTimelapse Pro), import into Premiere pro and dynamic link to After Effects for zooming or panning. Not entirely happy with the outcome.
Started to experiment with CC wide time, what settings did you use? I would imagine it depends on the speed of the Aurora. This weekend they were so bright I was down to 5 sec exposures.

http://youtu.be/lZc4N7iH09Y

Mike
Offline
#5 Lapsefinger
I time stretch the clip to 300% (don't forget to adjust the duration of the composition to the new duration, AE doesn't do that automatically), then I add the Wide time filter, set it to blend 3 frames before and after. It's not perfect, fast moving auroras are still a bit "jumpy". I think you need Twixtor or Optical flow, if you're using a Mac and Final Cut, to get a better result. Time warp in AE doesn't do the job very well, it mucks up the stars for me. I haven't tried tweaking the settings, though.

BTW, I edit the images in Lightroom first and import the image sequence directly into AE, add filters and render the clip from the raw files. I don't usually use LRT at all for my aurora timelapses. If the aurora is fairly stable, there's nothing to ramp, so there's really no need for LRT in most cases.
Offline
#6 nikonman05
I´m completely new to AE, but i like to use CC Wide Time and timstretch to 300-500 %. I have tried to make films of stars and northern lights. With this mix, the foreground tend to not be so god. So i´m sure there is a better way. I like a way to make the aurora and stars move even slower, like in real time.

Take a look at this video, how does he make it?? (The stars and aurora move like in realtime).
https://vimeo.com/16917950
In one of the answers he give, he says that he lays dissolve into each image in the AEffects timeline. But i have not figured out what he does.

Does anybody have an idea?? (I have posted a question to him, but i have not got an answer).
Offline
#7 nikonman05
This is my testvideo in my second week with AE.
http://vimeo.com/86745189
Not so much foreground to care about here, so i used ccwidetime, timestretch og timewarp to 50%. But then only half of the images get rendered...
Offline
#8 Gunther
You have to make the composition larger, this is rather complicated in After Effects, but there are a couple of tutorials online, just google for them.
Subscribe to: LRTimelapse Newsletter, Youtube Channel, Instagram, Facebook.
Offline
#9 aksel.gresvig
Did you ever find a good workflow to make natural-looking, timestretched timelapses of the Aurrora and/or stars?
Offline
#10 Gunther
If you want to slow down, you can as well use Premiere Pro, change the Speed and set the slowdown procedure to "Frame Blend".
Subscribe to: LRTimelapse Newsletter, Youtube Channel, Instagram, Facebook.

...also check out: