Drone Videography: 7 Tips for Shooting with a Drone

To diversify your video with aerial shots, you can buy or rent a drone. We have already posted an article on the basics of handling a drone. Today, we’ll sum up the most important tips and potential mistakes to remember when shooting with a drone.

1. Keep still for 6 seconds

One of the biggest temptations for new drone users is to maneuver the drone too much. Be patient and don’t hurry to change the drone’s position – it is advisable to hold the same movement or static shot for at least six seconds. Firstly, this gives the viewer enough time to grasp the entire scene you’re showing. Secondly, shots that are too short can pose problems during editing, as they reduce the opportunities to cut, and part of the shot may be “eaten” by a transition, making it even shorter.

Nevertheless, it is the exception that proves the rule, and there are indeed exceptions to this rule. There is a dynamic way to edit drone video that’s often used in trailers and previews, where you don’t have enough time to show long shots and need to impress the viewer more with flashes of scenes than with the scenes themselves.

2. Don’t get too carried away with complex maneuvers

You don’t have to always shoot in motion just because you have a drone. Think of your drone as a camera that’s capable of shooting from otherwise inaccessible points, rather than a flying toy. Most of the time, it’s sufficient for a drone to be just hanging in the air and filming a static image.

Static shooting, or shooting that uses just a simple movement trajectory of the drone, is especially appropriate for panoramic views or if there’s some action in the frame itself: a crowd of people walking, a car driving by, or a sports match being played. It might also be a good idea to shoot a character entering an otherwise empty static frame or to move the drone in the direction of the movement at a relatively slow speed.

3. Combine a midshot with long-distance shots

The trick is to start moving your drone while shooting a midshot of a large object. As the movement continues, suddenly a long-distance panoramic view opens up from behind the object, which can be quite impressive.

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4. Take ideas from movies

Back before we had drones, cinematographers used cranes, helicopters, and even hot-air balloons as shooting aids. Drones made these cinematic shots accessible to everyone. Here are some examples:

Top view. The drone is hanging in the air statically with the camera directed vertically downward. This shot is good for reflecting the solitude of an object or a person against an empty background. It is also used for shooting people lying down in bed or elsewhere, creating a dreamy point of view, as if the stars were looking down at the person. Remember this famous shot from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?

Aerial long-distance shot. These are shots that work well if you need to highlight the majesty of a place, create a sense of scale of an event such as a battle, a wedding or a sporting event, or simply function as a transition by moving the viewer to another location.
Dynamic long-distance shot. These are long-distance shots combined with rapid movement of the drone and camera slightly downward at a 45° angle. Fast forward flight can be used to introduce a scene and create the impression of getting familiar with an area. The opposite movement is good for the outro, as it creates the effect of leaving a place.
Here’s one more cinematic shot. Start with a midshot of an object – a person or a car – that then starts moving forwards, away from the camera. Start lifting your drone up while keeping the object in the frame. As the camera gains altitude, the object becomes smaller, while its surroundings are emphasized by the dynamics of camera movement.

5. Use a pan shot maneuver

Panning is the smooth movement of a camera. An effective way to use panning is to combine two movements: camera movement and drone movement.

For instance, while the drone is slowly moving upwards, the camera makes a smooth downward movement from the horizontal position. The opposite – when the drone descends but the camera starts tilting up – is also cool. It looks particularly good if there is a large object in the frame.

6. Try a circular motion

Some drones can do a circular motion by themselves while keeping the main object in the frame. In DJI drones, it is called the active track function. If you’re skilled in drone maneuvering, you can try to reproduce this movement manually. You can also add smooth ascent and backward movement to a circular motion, which will create an impressive upward spiral motion.

7. Know your limits while editing

It is hard to give up parts of a video you’ve made with a drone – all the shots look so cool. But good editing means concise editing. Choose the best shots carefully: those with a terrific image, with no random light hitting or wind shaking your drone. Remember the 6-second rule – don’t get carried away by the long looks at landscapes that easily become boring if not edited correctly.

To keep these tips at hand, save the checklist we’ve made for you: