How to Produce Amazing Videos with a Drone
The production of videos has gained, in the last years, a great reinforcement: the drones. With them, the possibilities increased a lot and brought new breath to the area. Drone videos are increasingly common and are present in many types of production, from weddings and parties to real estate. Want to learn more about this new technology and how to use it to produce amazing videos? Then read on!
What is a drone?
In general, drone is the term used to describe an unmanned, remotely controlled flying vehicle. In the past, this term was used to refer to an unmanned military aircraft, generally used in exploration and espionage missions. Nowadays, the term has become quite popular due to the success of quad copters, small drones for civilian use. This type of device has been widely used by photographers and, mainly, videographers, since it provides a new angle of view, bringing more possibilities for the work of these professionals.
How does a drone work?
Some time ago, drone models depended heavily on a combustion engine, which made its value considerably high. Fortunately, technology has evolved a lot and, today, they are powered by batteries, which has reduced the cost of this type of equipment. The composition of a drone is relatively simple: a “minicomputer” (processor, memory, sensors, software and other components), engines and propellers (usually two pairs), camera, stabilizer, battery, boards and other controllers.
In addition to these parts, one of the main components of a drone is precisely its control. Most models offer the possibility of docking to cell phones and tablets, transmitting live images captured by the camera. This makes it possible to configure the image and video parameters. The drone controller is responsible for navigation commands, similar to a video game stick.
What are the tips for using a drone?
As passionate as the images made by drones are, it is necessary to keep in mind the need for a lot of training and practice to pilot them with mastery. To this end, below are 5 tips that will help you improve your drone videos:
1. Go slowly
Have you ever noticed how aerial shots are made in professional films and productions? You will hardly see a scene using a drone at full speed. In addition to losing stability and shaking the camera, high-speed drone footage ends up showing the propellers in the upper portion of the video, which is not pleasant.
2. Use the two axes of movement
Drone pilots without much experience tend to move the device one axis at a time. That is, to ascend / descend or fly laterally. Watch professional movies with a drone. Most usually vary their flight axes, with diagonal movements at constant speed, which gives a different face to the videos.
3. Explore the prospects
Just like the previous tip, try to avoid the obvious. Instead of showing landscapes with vertical flight shots, explore horizontal movement. Depending on your location, it is possible to bring greater interest to the video by "revealing" elements and features in horizontal shots.
4. Be careful with the wind
This tip may seem quite obvious, but we often end up forgetting about this important element that can disrupt drone videos a lot. Winds of more than 30km / h or even choppy gusts can ruin your material.
5 . Film at “Golden Hour”
As with “terrestrial” photos and videos, drone videos can take advantage of the best moment of outdoor lighting: the golden hours. It is those times closest to sunrise and sunset, which help to greatly enhance the colors and volumes of the images.
What are the most current models?
There are several models on the market, but it is important to highlight the main manufacturer of drones today: DJI . Check out some of the main options of the brand available today:
Perfect for professional productions, the DJI Phantom 4 Pro v2.0 records 4K quality video at 60 frames per second. In addition to being made of titanium and magnesium, which ensures greater lightness and durability, the drone reaches 30 minutes of battery life. It reaches an incredible 72km / h and has a long-range control of up to 7km.
Similar to the Phantom 4 PRO, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro stands out for its portability, being a smaller, but very powerful drone. The camera has similar settings to the DJI Phantom 4 Pro v2.0, but the device has a slightly shorter autonomy: 27 minutes. Its obstacle avoidance feature is a great plus, as this works through its omnidirectional obstacle avoidance sensors.
More accessible - and suitable - for the amateur audience, the DJI Mavic Mini impresses with its size, being the smallest of the three. With a little weight of 249 grams, the DJI Mavic Mini is quite suitable in regions flying heavy drones have been banned. Despite its light weight, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro can easily fly both indoors and outdoors due to its flight time of 30 minutes and a capture range of up to 4 kilometers.
Regarding the cost of each device, the same occurs according to the complexity of its specifications. The DJI Mavic Mini being the most accessible, it is suitable for the amateur audience. The Phantom PRO and Mavic 2 Pro models have much more advanced configurations, aimed at audiovisual professionals. This is also reflected in its price, the Mavic being only slightly cheaper than the Phantom PRO. However, for professional uses, all are very cost-effective, delivering images of the highest quality.
In conclusion, drones are currently taking over the market and have become an important tool for audiovisual production without a doubt. And as expected, there are diverse firms which use these drones today but if you desire the best, then iSky Films stands as a great choice.
iSky Films is made up of excellent professionals, and our focus is to provide you with the best gadgets to make your outdoors fun, memorable and easy.
