To mark Aviation History Month, Los Angeles World Airports has worked with a specialist videographer to put together a timelapse video of LAX.
Videographer Chris Pritchard, head of chrispzero, a Los Angeles-based boutique production company specializing in high-resolution timelapse films, explains the background to the years-long project.
“The impetus for ‘World Way: The City of LAX’ was born in 2013 as I sat on a rooftop in El Segundo, waiting for a shoot to begin and looking out over LA. The incoming planes looked like a highway, evenly spaced and spread across multiple lanes. This led my eye to the end of their path – LAX. I realized I had a fully unobstructed view of the airport, and immediately started capturing timelapses of it. I became fascinated with the many layers of movement that were visible – planes taking off and landing, planes taxiing, ground support equipment moving on the ramp and throughout the airport, passenger vehicles on World Way, passengers on foot outside and inside the airport – all moving at their own unique pace.
“It made me realize that LAX is a city unto itself, with so many moving pieces and individual people all doing their part to keep it moving. Despite its struggles, it is a logistical and modern marvel. I wanted to show it in a way it had never been seen. In 2016, I was able to bring this project to life with help from the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, Los Angeles World Airports, and a group of talented shooters.
“We set out to capture these layers of movement in a way that cannot be seen with the naked eye, and from vantage points that few get to experience. It’s been a long journey from then until now, but was very much worth it. Getting to experience every aspect of LAX as a non-traveler, and having the opportunity to work with so many people who help keep it operating, has given me a new perspective on this place.”
