Drone Power

Drones are an ideal, versatile tool to add production value to many projects.

Are you aware of the things aerial photo and video can bring to your production? Well, you’re about to find out!

Flying high… again

You’re probably already aware of how popular drones are for a million different things these days. Filmmaking is at the top of the list, and for good reason.

Something that I have encountered a number if times is that drones are only good for high altitude shots. Look anywhere online and you see a crazy amount of these sweeping shots of mountain tops, beaches and other landscapes. These are all fine and good but let’s be honest, they sure do get boring after a while.

Drones are the perfect tool for low altitude shots and even gives Indies the ability to get shots that would have been out of budget before.Think of drone cinematography in these instances, as sort of the difference in using a scalpel or a sledgehammer. 

With the right drone, the right skills, the right operator and the right planning, you can pull off some pretty cool stuff that you probably never thought possible.

Where’s My Crane?

The familiar crane shot is a great example. We have seen this shot used in countless films to reveal a scene by rising above the land based subject to reveal a sweeping mountain range in the background by rising. Or, to bring focus down to the activities taking place on the ground by lowering. 

One can only imagine the cost to rent a crane, hire the operator and all the other logistics that must be put in place to pull off this shot. Then, what about reset time? How many takes you want will require sometimes a lengthy reset time as well.

Now, think about how a drone works; 

- Quickly deployed, check. 

• Easily moved for different angles, check.

• Minimal reset time, check.

• Very low cost, check.

This list could get quite lengthy, but you get the idea.

Hello Dolly!

What about even more common shots such as tracking and dolly? These can be achieved pretty much the same way. With proper planning and organization, and a skilled operator, you can have the same benefits as we saw above.

And just for good measure, how about tricky indoor shots? Say, following an actor through a warehouse or up a flight of stairs? Yup, that’s a big ‘can do’ with a drone.

Down To Earth

Watch for upcoming features to explore all of these elements in deep detail to give you a better idea of what resources you have available to make your production killer! Each will give you more tips and pics to help you plan your shots effectively and how to find the right drone operator to maximize your production’s efficiency, safety and compliance.