In a nutshell
- Drone operation for commercial purposes requires a certified drone license, so start there
- Your choice of drone should depend on the space you’re flying in and the image quality you require
- Start slow because it takes time to master drone piloting, and practice, practice, practice
Aerial footage has eluded modestly budgeted productions since the concept first came along. Smaller cameras, cheaper radio control and the mass adoption of drones have put great aerial footage within reach of practically any videographer. But cinematic shots are hard to get because shooting with a drone is not as easy as it looks. Still, drone shots are an important part of cinematography, adding special visual elements that help tell a story.
So you’ve got yourself a drone, expected great things, but what you end up with looks like home movies? Keep the following principles in mind. Soon you’ll capture stunning, smooth, cinematic shots. Then you’ll be crowned a drone master.
Planning a shoot
Before you start dabbling in drone flying and drone photography, make sure you’re certified. You can legally fly a drone for commercial purposes after becoming a certified drone pilot, thanks to the FAA Part 107 ruling in the Summer of 2016. Prior to this, the FAA mainly worried about people flying drones near crowds, over highways, on oil barges, or near airports.
Consider these factors when you plan your shoot. Remember that these multi-rotor drones are essentially flying lawnmowers. Don’t fly over crowds. Make sure everyone nearby knows the dangers. Keep non-essential personnel away from the shot. All it takes is one motor failure, a prop flying off, or a guidance malfunction. Then you have a rogue blender flying around.
Don’t be afraid to cancel a shoot. The wind is not your friend. If it’s too windy out, delay the shoot. Even if your drone survives high winds, your footage may not be what you wanted. Your priorities are keeping everyone safe and protecting your equipment. Get great, stable, cinematic footage … right?
Finally, talk with the person in charge in great detail, whether it’s a director or client. Make sure you know what they have in mind. Speak up. Don’t be afraid to address your safety concerns. If you’re the director, ask yourself those questions. Review the shots using something like Google Earth to get an idea of the flight environment. Check out the area if possible. Map out all the trees, electrical wires, obstacles. Then, go practice. Learn your drone’s strengths and weaknesses. Practice typical camera moves. Get familiar with your drone’s smart shots. These can come in handy. They might even save you time.
Equipment selection
Mastering drone photography takes the right equipment. You can’t shoot a large indoor shot with a giant drone. You also can’t expect good high-altitude footage from a mini drone, although a DJI Mavic is in a sweet spot. It does both pretty well. When selecting your equipment, you should keep the following in mind:
Every drone involves trade-offs. The DJI Mini 5 Pro is one of the lightest options that still delivers strong images. It weighs under 249 grams, so recreational pilots in the US can fly it without FAA registration. Commercial pilots still need a Part 107 certificate. It has a 1-inch sensor, prop guards and obstacle sensing. Its range is shorter than larger drones. It also does not handle strong wind well.
The DJI Air 3S is the best all-around pick for most videographers. Its two cameras include a 1-inch main sensor. A 3x telephoto lens rounds out the pair. Switch between a wide shot and a tighter one from the same flight. That saves time in the field. DJI rates its flight time at about 45 minutes per battery. It is larger than the Mini 5 Pro, so plan on FAA registration.
The DJI Mavic 4 Pro sits at the top of the consumer line. It has three cameras, including a Hasselblad main camera. It records 6K video. It is bigger and costs more. It offers the most room to grade your footage. DJI rates its flight time at about 51 minutes.
The video camera
For drone photography to look cinematic, the camera matters as much as the drone. Most recent drones include capable built-in cameras, so video features should be your first filter. If your project calls for professional formats, the Mavic 4 Pro is the best US-available option. Pilots who need interchangeable lenses should check the DJI Inspire 3, which is already authorized for sale in the US.
If you need to film your subject from farther away, look for a telephoto lens. The Air 3S includes a 3x telephoto camera. Zooming in also strengthens the parallax effect, which adds depth to a shot. Subject tracking is now common on mid-range drones, so the pilot can spend more time on framing.
Gimbal technology has improved a lot in recent years. Even entry-level drones deliver smooth footage. Sensor size and flight tools often matter more than the gimbal. Choose the drone first, then check the camera specs against your project.
Piloting
For the best drone photography, be smooth and slow. These are the words that need to constantly be moving through your head. Big, dramatic moves can turn into unusable footage. They can cause crashes or a nauseating viewing experience. Stay gentle and slow. At first, plan for only 3-5 second shots. A long shot from high above a city down to a front door will make even the best pilots nervous. Keep your camera moving slowly. Make only minor adjustments.
Tiny movements on the sticks:
You have to stay very gentle on the sticks or your shot will be useless, no matter how good your gimbal is. Practice, practice, practice. In the days leading up to the shoot, spend time running through shot moves to make sure you aren’t rusty on the controls. Rehearsing some typical flight movements means you’ll be in command of your drone when the shot counts. By the time you get out to your shoot, you shouldn’t be standing around thinking, “hmm, what shall we do?”
Fly through the shot:
In cinematography, we call it handles. Your shot should start well before you think it will. It should end well after you think it’s done. Much like shooting with a dolly, you don’t abruptly stop when you think your shot is done. You continue the move for a few more seconds. That’s exactly what you need to do with a drone. Any editor who has worked with drone photography footage will tell you that their biggest pet peeve is when they see the perfect drone shot, then the pilot abruptly swerves away just before the editor wants to mark an out, only to leave the editor with no room to edit. It seems obvious, but it happens … a lot!
Shooting techniques
Drone photography is partly like a Steadicam, dolly, or jib. It is also different. With all traditional movement systems, something holds you in place… the ground! However, the same shooting techniques apply. Keep movements tiny. Practice often. Stay very, very stable. Move slowly. There’s an even better reason to stay slow besides good footage. If you get your drone moving in some direction, there is no ground to slow it down nor stop, at least not in a pleasant way. Once it’s moving, you’re the one who can make it stop, swerve, avoid obstacles, etc. Slow will keep your aircraft in one piece. Thankfully, most modern drones now incorporate sophisticated obstacle-avoidance sensors that step in to keep the drone from crashing if the pilot lapses in concentration.
If possible, don’t shoot into the sun. In fact, don’t shoot in even remotely the same direction. Your props could cast shadows on your lens, which does very strange things to your video. Also, dust on your lens from the ground on takeoff; otherwise, it will shine like stars if the sun hits it. So, clean your lens before every flight.
Fly-by
The fly-by is an essential shot to grab for practically every project. Good for a quick cutaway, transition or another shot variety for a montage. Fly your drone over, through or to the side of the subject. While the drone flies by, pan or tilt the camera to keep your subject framed properly and maintain the best composition. Don’t forget to leave good handles at the start and finish of your shot for editing purposes.
Orbit
The classic orbit shot, a once notoriously very difficult shot requiring constant micro-adjustments to speed, angle, altitude, plus the camera gimbal, is now obtainable as an autonomous “quick-shot” on many drone models. Still, you’ll be able to have the most control over your shot for dynamic situations if you manually pilot the drone. In theory, rotate around your subject of interest in a complete circle at the desired altitude. Sounds easy enough … right? Try your next orbit shot manually to become a more capable pilot.
Follow
For this shot, as the title implies, you’ll be following a moving subject. The timing involved can be tricky to execute. Plan the shot with everyone involved. Start off with slower follow shots to build up confidence. As with most of these shot ideas, many drones offer an autonomous option for this shot. They work surprisingly well.
Super-dolly
This shot, once called a “super-dolly,” has since gained a more modern name: Dronie. The dronie got its name from the popular photo-taking technique consisting of a self-taken photo called The Selfie. The Dronie shot fixates on the individual, group of individuals, or any type of subject. It then flies up and away from the subject to reveal the surroundings.
Fly-Through
Although not the most difficult, these are the most dangerous. You must pilot your drone straight through a gap, or hole in an obstacle field. With the right drone and some practice, a fly-through shot is rather easy to perform. A smaller drone with prop guards takes much of the stress out of a potential catastrophic ending. Keep it as slow as possible. Newton’s laws say an object in motion stays in motion, which can be your enemy here.
High Pan
An essential shot for ground-based applications is the pan. The same idea can be done using a drone, only now the pan takes place high in the air. This shot is great for an establishing shot. It also shows off the surroundings. The best part of this shot is how easy it is. Simply fly up to your desired altitude. Then start slowly panning the camera around. Make sure to grab shots from both directions. Also leave handles on either side of the pan for the most flexibility while editing.
Pedestal
For the Pedestal shot, think about how you would prepare for a high pan. The first step is to fly up to an altitude. Simply hit record on your way up and you now have a pedestal shot. Take the pedestal shot one step further. Make use of the gimbal by adding a tilt during your shot in order to maintain your subject in the frame.
Final thoughts
These days, drones and their autonomous capabilities have allowed even novice pilots to acquire what used to be extremely difficult drone photography shots to master. While many of these shots are now easily obtained through a drone’s plethora of automated quick-shots, it’s still a good idea to manually execute these shots as often as you can and only rely on a drone’s autonomous capabilities when you really need it. This will help you become a better, safer all-around pilot.
