Some Aerial Cinematography Tips
Aerial cinematography seem pretty simple at first. Simply set up, strap a lightweight camera to a drone you can control remotely, and begin recording. But truth is, it’s not that simple.
Though recent technological advancements have been made to make aerial cinematography more doable, it is still not an easy task. Besides, it’s not all about piloting a drone, it’s still about being able to produce high quality, stable videos. So to put you in the right direction, we have the most important aerial cinematography tips listed below for you.
Pick Your UAV Or Quadcopter
There a lot of really good brands in the market. Make sure you buy one that will meet all your requirements – be informed not only about availability, pricing and the model’s specs, it’s also good to read customer feedback or reviews and the extent of support the manufacturer can provide you.
Learn All About Your Settings
Not all models will have autopilot, GPS, the same controls, etc. So to make sure you are maximizing the capacity of your gears and cinematography skills, make sure you can fly your UAV automatically and manually and under both basic or more advanced settings.
Select Your Video Camera
It’s the same with buying a drone – do your research and gather enough information about the gear before buying one. Most likely, you already have some good camera options in mind, however, since we’re talking about aerial cinematography, it’s important for you to consider the weight of the camera – it’s advisable for it to be light enough so as to maximize your UAV’s battery life and/or flight time.
Don’t Rush
Here’s a simple yet vital tip: slow your quadcopter or UAV down. The slower and gentler you go, the better and more stable your shots will be.
Avoid Wind, Rain And The Sun
Try not to shoot into the sun as your propellers will likely cast shadows and warp your shots; also, direct sunlight can make dust and dirt on your lens will become visible on your shots.
When it comes to wind, it’s good to fly when the wind is less than 15-20 knots or 17-23 miles per hour. For best flying, the wind should be within 8-10 mph or 7-9 knots.
It is also advisable to not fly in precipitation – not all video cameras and drones are built to perform under the rain.
Direct Line Of Sight Should Be Established
If you’re not using an FPV system, you’ll find this very important. It’s always more convenient if you fly directly toward or away from where you’re standing as anything beyond that will require more advanced depth perception. So if you can use objects both far and near you to set up a direct, unobstructed line of sight and flight, then the better.
Suggested Post: his response