One of our earlier and most popular tutorial videos over on Drone Film Guide, here we show you how simple it can be to create amazingly cinematic drone footage with virtually no pilot skill whatsoever. We want you to learn to think like a filmmaker rather than get bogged down in the latest and greatest drones and drone settings and this video sums sums this up perfectly. Go on and check out our 8 hour Drone Cinematography Masterclass if you really want to take your skills to the next level but in the meantime, here’s the video!
Shot 1: The Tilt Reveal
It doesn’t get much easier than this, tilting the camera up to reveal the subject, be it a landscape, person, building, car etc. This move can be combined with forwards-backwards motion, upwards or downwards motion, left or right motion, or a combination of the above. Why is it such a powerful shot? The tilting motion creates suspense as we wait to see what is being revealed. This shot is as old as motion pictures themselves so it’s awesome to apply it in a drone cinematography context!
Shot 2: The Overtake
We can all fly forwards and backwards right? Great, well do just that but overtaking a subject at the same time. So easy to do but so powerful. By overtaking a subject the viewer’s eye is shifted from the setting to the subject and then back to the setting again. The eye is forced to travel through the frame and it is this that makes the overtake a powerful story-telling shot.
Shot 3: Coming Into Shot
Forcing the viewer’s eye to travel through the frame makes for interesting footage. The coming into shot technique does just that as the subject is not initially in the frame but either enters the frame by way of camera movement or travels into the frame itself. Have you ever heard the expression, “actor enters stage left”? Well this is exactly what we are talking about here. We create suspense and drama as the viewer anticipates action but yet again, like the previous shots, pulling off this technique requires little or no drone pilot skill.
Shot 4: The Crane/Jib Shot
I think we should get some T-shirts made up with the slogan, “Just Because You Can Fly High Doesn’t Mean You Should!”. Well this concept couldn’t be more true for the crane/jib shot. Probably our favourite shot, this move replicates the smooth, cinematic Hollywood moves you see done with those big counter-balanced jib arms. Perfect for setting the scene, try to make your crane shots look like they were NOT filmed on a drone! Check out the video for some examples.
Shot 5: The Birds Eye View
Point the camera down at the ground and fly forwards, backwards, left, right, up or down! Sooo easy but so effective. This perspective can produce surprising results as we are not used to seeing the world from this angle. These shots are great for opening or closing credits as the abstract images often created are the perfect backdrop for text.
You guys are absolutely amazing and I love everything about you two. I’m 18 and I currently practicing on a SYMA X5C right now. Trying to learn the best I can. My family just sold their house so we can travel the U.S. and do service in every city we come in, especially hurricane cities. We are traveling in an R.V. and I am saving up money for a Mavic Pro. So I can film these adventures and projects and be able to blog and share them will others. I want to buy your masterclass but it’ll be a bit. I love all you do, and I can’t wait till I can start filming how you film. Thanks for everything again 🙂