Hyperlapse from Instagram is a new Apple iOS app that shoots video and lets you edit them to create instant, amazing time lapse videos with a smoothness that I’ve never seen on an iPhone before. The app uses Instagram’s own in-house stabilization tech, and it delivers a result that is polished and just so damn cool.
So what is hyperlapse video? Similar to time lapse photos, hyperlapse is created after you record video . . . and then choose how to slice up your video so that bunches of tiny quick segments show during playback.
The usual challenge? The video segments are disconnected, giving you a blurry, sometimes nauseating experience. Hollywood moviemakers have the expensive tools to do this — and some guys who do research for Microsoft just posted some samples of their own “Hyperlapse” video work that is just fantastic, offering users of the popular action cameras a tool at some future date — but this is the first time I’ve seen this ability delivered to the masses.
And the app is free! And it does not even require an account to use! (Thank you, Instagram.)
How Hyperlapse from Instagram Works
The app is dirt simple: Just launch it and tap the record button. You can then either leave your iPhone or iPad stationary and record a scene — a crowded beach, traffic, a sunset — or walk around with your iPhone capturing activity on the go. Want to create a smooth time lapse video of your commute to work? Mount your iPhone and start recording. It’s super easy.
After you’re done recording, a slider lets you decide how fast the hyperlapse video speed should be — 2x, 4x, 6x, etc, on up to 12x.
The end result is a hyperlapse video with a cinematic feel.
You could use this to create cool clips at industry trade shows, the county fair, or set up your iPhone for a day at the beach and go play with your kids. I think this could be especially cool if you use it along a river, during a party, while . . . OK, you get the point. Just go download Hyperlapse from Instagram from the iOS App Store right now, watch the demo videos when you first launch the app, and remember it exists so you can pull it out and use it when the time is right.
Introducing Hyperlapse from Instagram from Instagram on Vimeo.
