There are so many things to take note when making an awesome film especially if you’re just new in the industry. However, with the onset of technological advancement, you can make use of tools that will help make things easier and more convenient.
One of the best tools in the industry is a drone. Drones aren’t used only for fun, but also an ultimate tool for videographers to capture things. Using drones, you can make use of different flight modes and improve flight times.
The main question here is how you can make use of this kind of tool to make an awesome drone film. The following are the things you need to take note:
Getting Up in The Air is The First Step
When making a film that demands a lot of aerial exposure, you need to figure out what tools or gadgets to use. If you can figure out a way to get your GoPro, camera, or mobile phone up there using a prefabricated copter or DIY UAV, you’ve got to carefully pick which websites you are reading.
Not all quadcopters are favourable to the requirements of capturing video because there are so many things to take note such as the ability to hold a camera, drivability, and stability. However, there are drones reviewed by Holgadirect that are mainly made to hold a camera and offer high-quality usage.
Do You Have The Right Tool?
The right tool will give you the right result. The kind of footage and its quality will hugely depend on the quality of drone you have. There are many kinds of drones that exist in the market that you can choose from.
Aside from that, there might be specs you want to add to your drone or to your drone camera to keep the camera steady when you’re in the air. You can choose a drone with the longest flight times or a drone that can cater to different flight modes.
The Right Weather Says It All
Drones can be sensitive to weather conditions. However, drones now are provided with high-quality stabilizers that do an awesome job of stabilizing the camera. If the winds are too high, there is a possibility that the drone may get blown away, which may result in a jolty footage.
It may not just ruin your shot, but it can also waste your time. Before doing a shoot, you need to observe and be aware of the weather conditions. If you’ve got a strong feeling that the weather condition isn’t going to be good, then perhaps you can reschedule the shoot.
Moreover, if you’re shooting on an overcast day, this is going to have an effect on the film. Make sure you do a shoot when the conditions are favourable and bright.
Settings Can Make A Difference
The right settings to your camera depend on many things. It can be because of the place you are shooting, the lighting, exposure, and many more. It may look easy flying a drone without taking the time to adjust and set your camera.
Nevertheless, always try to shoot with the lowest ISO as much as possible because the higher it is, the grainer your footage will look. Moreover, if you are trying to shoot slow-motion shots, you should set your drone camera to a high frame rate.
It may be easy to forget these things, but take note that it can make a difference on the outcome of your film. Thus, learning your settings can make a big difference.
Mastery Is the Key
There are many drone shots you can make use when doing aerial shots. These few drone shots are basic ones yet capture mesmerizing sceneries.
Flying Backwards
This shot may be simple, yet very effective. When using a drone to do some aerial shots, try to always fly backwards. The reason why is that the front propellers may get in the frame when you fly forwards. This will ruin the whole effect of the shot.
Aside from that, it helps prevent shadows from being picked by the camera.
Tracking Shot
You can make tracking shots when using a hand-held camera or a drone. This kind of drone shot has long been a used by many filmmakers. You simply follow the subject of your shot, usually from behind.
With that, you can also make use of different angles until you can look for the one you particularly like. You can also track yourself using a drone; a number of drones have a follow me function.
You can make use of this shot when you are taking selfies. You can focus the drone on you while doing the piloting.
Birds Eye
The bird’s eye is one of the shots that are easy to pull off and very self-explanatory. You can just tilt your camera all the way down so it is directly capturing down. There are quite a number of options in terms of your movement with a bird’s eye.
It’s either you keep the drone completely still, track the subject if it is moving, or increase the altitude of the drone. You should make use of different shot movements depending on your preference.
Reveal
You have many options when doing a reveal type shot. You can make your drone fly backwards over the subject until it comes into the frame. Other than that, you can make use of the movement of the drone’s gimbal to show the focus of your shot.
Whether you use either of the two, just make sure that you are revealing something worth that shot.
Orbit
Currently, almost all drones come in different types of flight modes. Orbit is one of the most common modes of drone shots. Orbit is a shot in which the drone circles an object or subject. While the drone is circling it, the object is in the centre of the frame.
This kind of shot results in a cinematic shot. Aside from that, it is convenient and easy to pull off.
Takeover
Making a film can be very challenging and takes a lot of hard work especially when doing aerial shots. However, in today’s setting, making aerial shots with your drone is more convenient and easy.
Moreover, seeing the result of all the shots is an ultimate reward. Just keep in mind that a great film includes great tools and a well-defined plan.
Author Bio:
Jake Carter is a drone enthusiast and writer at RC Hobby Review follow him on Twitter @RCHobbyReview or Facebook @RCHOBBYREVIEW. He will help to find the perfect drone with the longest flight times.