DIY Hyperlapse on a Mac

It seems like hyperlapse videos are all the rage nowadays. Microsoft is planning to release a Windows app based on this article in PetaPixel, and Instagram recently released a mobile app called Hyperlapse.  Basically a hyperlapse video is a time lapse video with stabilization that was designed specifically for point of view videos (e.g., from handheld or mounted video cameras), the resultant output providing the viewer with the feeling that of "flying" through the video, even if there was excessive camera shake in the original footage.  Despite Instagram's Hyperlapse app being available on iOS for free, I preferred to capture video footage with my GoPro Hero 3+ rather than my iPhone 5 so that I could take advantage of the GoPro's higher resolution (up to 4K), faster frame rate (60 fps at 1080p), mounting options, and other features.  So here's what I did during a recent trip to Joshua Tree National Park...

1. Mounted GoPro Hero 3+ to vehicle hood using a suction mount
2. Set video recording mode to 1080p at 60 fps, narrow view
3. Wirelessly started/stopped video recording using GoPro iOS app from inside my vehicle
4. Imported video to Final Cut Pro X (version 10.1.2) as a 1920 x 1080, 59.94p project
5. Applied stabilization to video
6. Under the Modify menu item, set Retime option to 4x
7. Made other minor edits (e.g., title, transitions, fade)
8. Exported as 1080p60 video

The stabilization in Final Cut Pro probably does not yield as good a result as genuine hyperlapse technology since Final Cut Pro was intended to reduce shake as opposed to hyperlapse technology which calculates an optimal glide path and can even fill in "missing" pixels if the algorithm is designed to do so. Nevertheless, I found the above process to be a reasonable substitute for a true hyperlapse application since I made every effort to minimize camera shake in the original footage.

For sharing purposes, I've scaled down the video to 720p30, and it is accessible here.  While you should be able to view the video in a browser, you'll probably get better video quality if you download the video and play with with your default video player (I recommend VLC).  So there you have it, my very own do-it-yourself hyperlapse video on a Mac.