Drones in Filmmaking

7 min readJun 22, 2021

Drones in filmmaking are cheaper and safer alternatives for some helicopter shots. They could pull off high-and-wide shots, so long as they weren’t too high, sweeping shots that the pilot had a visual on from start to finish, but not much else. Drone cameras have always been limited by their inability to fly higher than 100 feet or farther away than 500 meters if out of sight due in large part because drones are lighter weight aircrafts with less power behind them in comparison to helicopters which can both go higher and further distances more easily without fear of running into trees or hitting someone below when filming at low altitudes like droners do during shoots.

Filmmakers are now adopting drones as an essential tool of their trade — amateur videographers also use them extensively these days with mixed results because that footage is often less than amazing due to stability issues when flying such small devices around at great heights on windy or stormy days like hurricanes happen from time-to-time which makes capturing good shots difficult.

What is Aerial Cinematography

Aerial cinematography is a type of filmmaking that captures footage from an elevated perspective using fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and modern drones. It can be used for breathtaking shots or to get unique angles on landscapes like mountains, volcanoes and more.

It has been one of the most exciting innovations in filmmaking. As technology advances, so do our imaginations and what we can do with cameras in the air. Today’s drones have better camera gimbals that allow filmmakers to push aerial photography much farther than before — from close-up shots right up until collision with cars, all while taking beautiful backdrops into consideration when framing a shot. Cameras are capable of launching themselves off ground level for larger sweeps over landscapes or even just catching great views as they fly around characters whose faces you never see on screen because these scenes take place above treelines without getting caught by trees (and thus giving away their positions).

Guidelines for Aerial Cinematography

The FAA has strict guidelines of the use of drones for filming . They can’t be flown in restricted areas and they have to fly below 400 feet, unless the drone is being used by a law enforcement entity after obtaining authorization from air traffic control (ATC).

In the USA the FAA is the governing body for drones and all drone pilots have to register their aircraft with them. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sets the national rules under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR). If you are using drones for commercial or recreational purposes in America then you must register them so that they carry proof of registration when flying outside. Drones should weigh less than 55 pounds unless certified by a community organization before they can be flown in public spaces like parks; pilots also must have flight plans, licenses, etc., just like regular aircrafts do.

Many states have their own set of rules and recommendations. Regardless, you should always follow these general guidelines:

To operate safely you should know the basics on how to fly a drone
Be aware of the legal requirements
Always keep your drones in sight when flying
Avoid flying drones near to buildings, people or vehicles beyond your control
Avoid flying drones over people unless you have an FAA permit.
Fly drones only 30 minutes before sunrise or after sunset unless you have obtained FAA approval
Avoid flying higher than 400 feet and no faster than 100 mph
Make sure that footage taken doesn’t violate privacy laws
List flying issues, like unexpected crashes or power losses

Best Drone Models For Aerial Filming

How to capture the best footage

One of the most important skills you’ll need to learn is how to film with your drone. But in order for footage to not just look good, but sound great too; it’s essential that you understand the basics about composing shots and capturing audio tracks when filming from a moving object like a drone.

Carefully plan out your flight shoots

The key to capturing great footage with drones lies in understanding how camera settings affect what you see on the screen and knowing about some of its limitations. Here are a few tips so that you can capture better footage:

Local conflict
Perfect airspace
How and What you want to capture
Weather Condition

Panning and Drone Shots

The panning technique is a more advanced filming skill that requires you to fly the drone smoothly and steadily. Once mastered, this will allow for some creative shots from above with varying perspective points.

Very popular in cinema, panning can be achieved by tilting or rotating your camera slowly while moving it along a linear axis of motion (i.e., left-to-right) at an even speed until everything moves across the frame horizontally but has not moved vertically — like when two people are standing on each side of something such as trees and they walk towards one another without changing their elevation relative to one another; only now see both perspectives simultaneously.

Filming the Perfect Angles

Filming at different angles can create an incredible visual impact. Altering the angle of your shot may keep a subject in focus or even change what they look like entirely, but it’s always worth experimenting with camera levels to see how you can make something new and exciting happen.

There are all sorts of ways that altering your filming angle could have on giving viewers a fresh perspective on their favorite subjects: some people find low-angle shots give them more power as well so experiment until you get just the right amount for what type of images want to be taking; others prefer high-level views because it helps show off detailed features that might otherwise go unnoticed. Experimenting is key when coming up with video ideas.

Filters

Filters can be used to enhance your footage. Many drones have special filming features, like center points for framing shots better. Make use of all the drone’s functions and start seeing creative images unfold before you! Some camera filters also help with overexposure in bright light or make colors brighter when needed- only use those made by the company that makes your drone as they are designed specifically to work alongside sensitive centers of gravity on these cameras..

Flight Movement

One of the most important factors that contributes to quality drone footage is flight movement. Making slow, steady movements will give you the best result when filming your surroundings or chasing something fast-moving. When you want to change your flight path or angle, make several small adjustments rather than making large changes in direction; this ensures a smoother and more enjoyable viewing experience for watchers. Be mindful about wind levels as well: they can be especially challenging if there’s too much gusty winds happening while flying in an open field where it might not be possible to compensate with quick reactions like steering left/right or up/down.

Subject

Capture footage that’s interesting, creative and engaging! Landscapes can be beautiful but capture some native wildlife in your shot and it’ll become much more exciting. A still cityscape at the beginning of morning might seem eerie, but wait a few hours so traffic will bring the scene to life.

Saving your Footage

SD cards are a great way to record high definition footage without being limited by flying distance. With many sizes and storage capacities, you’ll be able to find the perfect one for your needs — just keep in mind that some SD cards may not work with certain drones.

The best thing about using an SD card is they can hold more data than cameras on most other devices which means better quality video! And it’s even easier because when you’re done filming or taking pictures of something all you have to do is remove the memory from your drone and plug it into any computer so transferring files will be quick + easy (and no worries if there’s ever a problem).

Post-Production

What’s the best way to make your drone footage more interesting? Add some music, colouring and sound effects. Editing is a great opportunity for you to show off what can be done with just a few tweaks in post-production.

Post-produced videos have unlimited potential because they combine creativity of both video production and editing together as one process. Using an editor like Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere will give you all the tools you need but there are also plenty of free editors that could work too — if money isn’t really an issue then Filmora might be worth considering for example which has excellent features such as drag & drop clips into timeline, 3D motion tracking (3DS Max) already built in so it saves time.

Drones used in aerial cinematography have always been a popular choice for filmmakers, and with the rise of drones it’s likely to be around even more in both blockbuster films and low-budget independent movies. Drones have made aerial filming easier than ever before — all you need is an operator license from most countries if under 500 feet altitude (though make sure that there are no laws against drone use near your location).