Timelapse (Hyperlapse, Fast-forward, Time Compression)

Prompt rule of thumb: “If you want time to race ahead while space stands still, go Timelapse.”

Timelapse condenses a long duration into a short video by capturing frames at set intervals, making slow processes like sunsets, city bustle, or plant growth appear rapid. In AI-generated video, it creates the visual illusion of fast-forwarded life, often without any visible camera motion—just a surreal acceleration of everything that moves.

Well-known scenes:

The urban rush in Baraka (1992)
Nature sequences in Planet Earth
Fast-moving skies and crowds in countless city montages

Subject & Background Behaviour

Subject: Typically moves or changes rapidly (sun, crowd, shadow, plant)
Background: Appears fixed or slowly evolving (unless it's also dynamic, like moving clouds)

Don’t-Confuse-With

Hyperlapse: Similar look but includes a moving camera, not just a moving world.
Montage: May use timelapse segments but is an editing structure, not a single shot effect.
Speed-Ramp: Changes speed dynamically within a single take, not across long duration.
Bullet Time: Stops or slows time while moving around a subject, opposite of timelapse.