Tips for cinematic drone filming

Back in the day, you needed a private jet or helicopter to capture aerial footage for corporate video.

Not any more.

With a drone, it has never been easier to take to the air with a video camera. Flying a drone is relatively straightforward, although capturing stunning drone footage for a corporate video isn’t quite so easy.

You want to give customers a breathtaking bird’s eye view — but where do you start? How do you rise above the competition?

In this article, we’ve set out some useful tips for spectacular, cinematic drone filming.

Know the rules

While it’s tempting to take to the skies immediately, please be careful. If you’re using a drone to record images for commercial use, you’ll need permission.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published a plain-English guide — Introduction to drone filming and the UK rules — which sets out everything you need to know.

Here’s a quick rundown:

• You’ll need to register with the CAA if the drone has a camera, or weighs 250g or more.
• You must get permission from the owner or manager of the land used for take-off and landing.
• Keep the drone at least 50 metres away from people, buildings, vehicles and vessels.
• In congested areas, or places with crowds, that increases to 150 metres.
• The maximum height is 400 feet above the ground, and you must always keep the drone in sight.
• You can’t fly in airport flight restriction zones without permission.

In addition, familiarise yourself with privacy laws. Capturing footage where people can expect privacy — in their gardens, for example — is likely to break data protection laws.

Start in beginner mode

Most drones have a beginner mode. It limits the drone’s speed and distance from the pilot.

If you’re new to flying we recommend you start in this setting because, handily, it also activates collision sensors. While drones are cheaper than they used to be, you won’t want to crash into a solid object within minutes of take-off.

Find an open space and practise flying forwards slowly and steadily, avoiding any sudden jerky movements.

Most beginners make the mistake of flying too fast. It’s actually the slow, steady speed which produces those classy cinematic shots you see on all the best commercial videos.

Practise your piloting skills

As you become more adept with the controls, try out a few piloting moves. These will add professional finesse to your drone videography.

For example: 

• Flying backwards for a great perspective, and to prevent prop shadows coming into shot.
• A flyover, where you maintain focus on a single subject on the ground as you fly over it.
• Side-slide, which is filming a subject at a consistent altitude as you pass by.
• Tracking shots, filming a moving object either from behind or from the front.
• The orbit, circling a subject in the centre of the shot while maintaining the camera’s focus.
• The lift-off where you hover close to the ground then reveal the landscape by flying up to 400 feet.

With each of these techniques you’re after smooth, deliberate movements — no sudden changes in speed or direction.

Find your location

Now that you’ve practised and perfected your flying skills, it’s time to find a filming location.

A few places will immediately spring to mind — iconic landmarks in your city, for example, or above your company HQ to give a comprehensive view of its scope.

But how will this actually look from the air?

Google Earth is a great resource for this. It provides an aerial view of the landscape, and you can measure distances to make sure they’re far enough away from obstacles, busy roads and places where you don’t have permission to film.

Visualise and plan your shots

Think ahead. Take a really good look around, planning the locations for the beginning and end of your shot.

What’s the best angle to come in from? How many shots will you need? What’s the size of the area? Will the battery last long enough to capture everything you need?

Most drones can fly for a maximum of 15 minutes before the battery runs out — and when you’re filming, it’s easy to lose track of time. Set a timer for 10 minutes so that you have enough time to land safely.

It’s always worth creating a flight plan and storyboard. This clarifies the vision of what you want to capture, before you start capturing it. The flight plan is a literal map showing where the drone will take off, its direction of travel and landing spot.

A quick guide to exposure settings

Your drone’s camera settings control its exposure to light. If it’s cloudy, you’ll want more exposure and if it’s sunny, you’ll want less.

The exposure settings vary according to the drone, but they generally include:

• Shutter speed — How long the shutter remains open and exposed to light
• Aperture — How much light the camera lens allows in
• ISO — The camera’s overall sensitivity to light
• White balance — The colour balance, or how warm or cool the colours look

Most drones come with both manual and automatic settings. At first sight, auto seems ideal for a beginner. It automatically balances the exposure settings to prevent under or overexposed frames.

However, there’s a problem. During flight, the drone is bound to encounter sudden, significant changes in ambient lighting conditions — clouds on an otherwise sunny day, an area which is in deep shadow.

As the name suggests, in auto settings, the camera automatically adjusts. As a result, you’ll end up with abrupt changes and inconsistent, unprofessional looking footage.

Use manual settings

We suggest that before take-off, use the auto settings to work out the best exposure parameters. During filming, always use the manual settings.

Manual settings make for a more cinematic looking video. You have full control over the camera settings, and can adjust them to get the perfect shot.

Invest in an ND filter

An ND (natural density) filter acts a bit like a pair of sunglasses. It limits the amount of light entering the camera lens.

Why is this important? It’s down to the shutter speed.

Drone cameras tend to have very fast shutter speeds. It’s what creates those sharp, realistically clear images. You don’t necessarily want this for your video.

For that cinematic, slightly blurry look which creates movement, you want a slower shutter speed. It should be roughly twice the frame rate of your video. The trouble is, with a slower shutter speed you risk overexposure — something that’s nearly impossible to rectify when editing your footage.

An ND filter prevents too much ambient light reaching the camera sensor, therefore reducing the risk of overexposure.

And, still on the subject of light…

Film at sunrise or sunset

Filming at midday, the light can be too harsh and colours wash out. A midday shoot also limits your opportunity to make dramatic use of shadow.

With drone filming, sunrise and sunset are known as the `golden hour’. The light becomes warmer and softer, and it falls at an angle, allowing you to make the most of the landscape contours.

Watch the weather

In theory, most drones can handle winds of up to 30 mph. In practice, even relatively light winds of about 10-15 mph make it tricky for the drone’s gimbal to stabilise. You’ll probably end up with wobbly footage.

Moisture is also a problem. If it’s raining, misty, foggy or humid the moisture can seep into the sensitive electronics and at higher altitudes, it can freeze.

Ideally, you want clear skies with light to medium clouds and little wind.

One other thing to bear in mind when it comes to weather. In extremely hot or cold temperatures, the battery in your drone is likely to drain more quickly.

Conclusion

Using aerial footage within your corporate video is incredibly effective. It’s an eye-catching way to showcase the breadth of your offering, raise the bar and impress an audience.

Having said that, these shots must be used sparingly, and in the right context. Drone footage should always add something meaningful to the story, rather than be used for the sake of it. Equally as important, your video must be technically flawless.

If you’d like some friendly experts to take the hard work off your shoulders, Videofrog’s aerial filming producers would love to hear from you. Get in touch and we’ll talk you through how we can help.