While I fervently hope I am never trapped in an elevator or eaten by ants, the millions of people who've watched these YouTube movies are clear evidence of the impact and reach of time-lapse videos.

Watching things get built, grow, morph or change with the seasons can be mesmerizing. Ordinary happenings become entertaining just by speeding them up. Take a look at this Christmas tree decorating video. It's absolutely fascinating to watch and the kids are adorable, although in real time it would have been a complete yawner.

So how can you make your own time-lapse movies? Pretty much any video shot from one position for a period of time is fair game. You could shoot the kitchen scene at Thanksgiving, the view from your car window as you drive cross-country, or your kids building a sandcastle or snowman. (Tip: Use a tripod or other fixed mount to keep the camera steady, and make sure you have enough power to keep things going for as long as you need. Plugging into the wall is best.)

Once you have your footage, it's time to speed it up. Turning it into the next YouTube sensation is easy with Creator 2009 and VideoWave. First, open VideoWave and select "Add Photo/Video" to add your clips to the timeline. Then right-click on the first video clip and choose "Trim..." to bring up the Video Trimmer window.

Now change the speed to whatever multiple you like. For example, if your overall video is 4 hours long, and you want the end result to be 4 minutes long, put 60 in the speed box to speed it up 60 times. (Note that if you have a long movie, it may be imported in multiple clips. Change the speed for all of them to the same number.)

After changing the speed for each video clip, you can preview the overall movie in the main video window at top right. Adjust the speed up or down if desired, or cut out portions that don't help tell the story. You may even want to speed up some parts more than others, although it's best to just stick with one number. When you're happy with the results, choose "Export As" from the Output menu, and save your movie to disk. You can choose from many formats, such as MPEG2 for recording to DVD, 3GPP for cell phones, and MPEG4 or AVC for iPod and portable player viewing.

Finally, upload your new time-lapse production to the web to share with family and friends. If you want to be the next online video star, send it to YouTube. If you'd rather it stay private, try uploading it to Roxio Online instead, where you can securely share videos with people you invite using PhotoShow. Either way, the results will be time-altering!