News The Role of Time-Lapse Photography in Demolition Jobs

Time-lapse video is often used in the construction industry to document the creation of a building. No doubt many of you would’ve seen impressive footage of skyscrapers being erected or stadiums going up. These videos not only offer a fascinating insight into large scale construction but they’re also invaluable for builders to keep their clients abreast of their progress, as well as showing investors what they paid for. Yet, it’s not just the construction that lends itself so well to time-lapse photography. Indeed, the demolition can be just as advantageous to capture.

Recording a demolition with time-lapse video provides a fantastic record of the work done by the company which can then be utilised in a number of ways. An example of one of the demolitions we’ve captured, at Molson Coors Brewery is below.

Marketing

One of these ways is as an advertising and marketing strategy. Time-lapse videos are hugely popular on video sharing sites and it’s a natural way for a company to advertise and promote its work. We all know how striking the footage can be, which is why we continue to watch and share them with others.

Whether the company in question chooses to simply put it on their own website for clients to watch or share it on social media or video sharing sites, it could potentially work as a fantastic marketing tool as more and more people watch it. If nothing else, it’s a far easier and more organic way of getting a record of work done out into the public arena alongside the company name, targeting people who might not otherwise have had the means to find out about them.

Portfolio

Demolitions captured with time-lapse video also serves as a brilliant portfolio piece for future clients. It can often be a challenge to give potential clients an in-depth impression of the standard of your past jobs, but with a video showing how you progressed from start to finish your clients will be impressed. Needless to say, this is very effective and efficient means of demonstrating the company’s abilities and techniques, which means that just as it works as a marketing tool for a wider audience, it may also come of use as a portfolio piece for a more specific and targeted clientèle.

Record

For the demolition company, it’s a useful resource to have at their disposal so that they can examine the work done for their own records. It allows for the possibility to take a step back and analyse their work from a distance, something which isn’t possible when you’re in the middle of a busy project. With footage of the work duly recorded, everything from the techniques used to the final result of the work can be scrutinised to see what is successful and what can be changed. Overall, it could lead to a more efficient working process in the future.

History

It’s also worth considering the types of buildings and structures that get demolished over time. Not all of these are dilapidated old high-rise flats or crumbling multi-storey car parks. Indeed, many of our historically important buildings and structures get torn down, either to make way for something new, to address issues of structure or for financial reasons. With this in mind, there’s a definite historical weight to be taken into account here. Just as videos of innovative new buildings being created, or structures with a particular relevance are filmed and garner interest for this reason, so should demolitions. After all, it is a final acknowledgement and record of something that will no longer be around once the job has been completed.

Moreover, there’s the public interest to consider. Perhaps it’s a building that once served to house a number of people over the years, or maybe it was part of an old transport network that was crucial to a community. Either way, it gives those that might have a personal investment or just a passing interest the chance to watch the final end for what could have once been an important edifice. The recent demolition of a mining pit in Rotherham springs to mind, where ex-miners gathered to see off the iconic building.

When it comes to using time-lapse photography for demolition jobs, there’s a range of reasons why it should be used. They’re as useful a tool for demolition jobs as they are for construction, which is really why there are so many more companies choosing to document their own work with this form of photography.