Aerial Perspectives: The Rise of Drone Videography

An exciting new aerial technology has changed what most people know about the video-making world.

Although it’s a new term, drone videography isn’t a buzzword. It’s an innovative form of videography and photography involving remote-control aircraft.

This description makes this practice even more interesting, right? Well, the truth is that its exciting implications and the endless benefits it offers to many industries have driven the popularity of drone videography.

However, many things remain to learn about this innovative form of videography and why businesses should embrace this technology.

Do you need aerial footage? Do you want to make sure you always capture high-quality drone videos? Read on to find all the information you need!

Understanding What Drone Videography Is

Before delving into the basics of this new technology, it’s essential to answer this question: What is drone videography?

In simple terms, it’s an emerging technique allowing creators to capture video footage from the sky using a drone.

This technology is often used to film huge spaces, special events, and impressive landscape stretches from a bird’s eye view.

Essentially, drone videography is the art of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UVAs) to get a unique, exciting, and fascinating look at a space, subject, or scene that wouldn’t be possible to achieve with traditional methods.

This type of aerial photography and videography offers many benefits compared to ground-level technologies. When you fly drones, you can see things that are impossible to spot.

Drones aren’t as expensive as many think and are so easy to fly once you get used to these tools. Additionally, they’re safer alternatives to common aerial photography methods, including those involving planes or helicopters.

Getting Started in Drone Videography

Are you considering becoming a drone videographer? Do you want to enter this world but don’t know how to start? Let’s go over each consideration.

Choose the Right Drone

This isn’t as easy as searching for the “best drone for videography” online and buying the first option. If you want to choose a suitable drone, you should consider your needs and skill level.

Also, the drone you choose should suit the video footage you want to capture.

Drones come in multiple shapes, weights, sizes, and prices. Furthermore, each has its own set of features and imaging capabilities.

You can buy a professional drone with interchangeable lenses or one that can be flown with FPV (First Person View) goggles if you want to start or scale your videography business.

However, a tiny drone might be a better option if you’re on a tight budget.

Do you want to know if an option can help you capture the type of drone video you have in mind? Answer these questions before buying your equipment:

• Do you need to capture high-resolution cinematic video?
• Can you rely on your current skills to maximize the potential of your drone’s features and imaging capabilities?
• Are you on a tight budget? Or are you willing to spend much money to buy a professional drone with top-class features?

After answering those questions, you can choose the right drone for your needs, preferences, and skill set.

Learn to Use the Camera

Learning to fly a drone isn’t difficult, especially if you loved flying remote-controlled planes as a kid.

However, you should always be careful and learn the basics of your drone’s camera operation.

Ideally, you should pay attention to the following elements:

• Video recording codecs and formats
• The configuration of the camera’s manual settings
• How to control the aperture, ISO, or shutter speed
• Available frame rates

Once you master all the features and options on your drone’s camera, you can capture impressive and compelling drone videos.

Is It Worth Buying a Drone?

Not all drones are expensive, but buying one involves investing significant money in your equipment.

Also, you’ll likely need to buy other accessories, such as memory cards, propellers, batteries, cases, gimbals, and more. These items may require an even higher investment.

Is it worth it? Can drone technology benefit your business or personal brand?

Drones are fascinating. Many people want to buy their UVAs to record stunning, high-quality videos from the sky or take impressive photos in remote locations that were previously inaccessible.

However, if a drone might be your best idea, it’s totally up to you. This decision will depend on your plans, where you live, your goals, and how much money you will invest in this technology.

Benefits of Drone Videography

Taking pictures and making aerial shots of beautiful landscapes and places with impressive quality is possible thanks to drones.

However, this technology offers many more benefits than just taking impressive drone shots. Find the most important ones below!

Provides Unique and High-Quality Video Footage

This is the most apparent advantage of drone videography, but it’s worth mentioning again.

With this technology, you can record breathtaking aerial video footage and offer an innovative, unexplored perspective on a place, activity, or event.

Facilitates Data Gathering

Drones are excellent tools for gathering information from high altitudes. Many industries can benefit from this technology to collect essential data for disaster preparation efforts or future strategies.

Helps Save Time and Money

Recording aerial footage isn’t easy when traditional methods are implemented. The process often involves using expensive equipment and paying high fees.

However, drones eliminate these challenges by providing high-quality, cost-effective technology.

While you can find expensive drones, many are affordable. In addition, they’re highly efficient, helping you record footage in less time.

Saving time by recording aerial videos also helps you reduce operating costs and maximize your investment.

Produces Less Disturbance

Drones operate more quietly than the methods commonly used to record footage at ground level. Additionally, since they have excellent zoom capabilities, most options produce little to zero disturbance.

Whether you’re filming a documentary or capturing photographs for the news, drones won’t disturb people or animals below.

Can Be Used in Multiple Ways

Through drone videography, filmmakers can record high-quality footage for their films. Businesses can also use drone shots to make outstanding promotional videos.

However, you can use drone technology in multiple ways, including the following:

• Geographic mapping of areas, lands, or locations that were previously inaccessible
• Precision crop monitoring
• Information collection for disaster management
• Aerial photography and videography for journalism
• Law enforcement and border control surveillance
• Building safety inspection
• Event security monitoring from a safe distance
• Storm tracking and prediction of weather conditions
• And more!

Disadvantages of Drone Videography

Although drones offer many benefits, there are some drawbacks that you should consider before investing in this technology. These are:

• There are potential safety hazards if drones fail or are operated by inexperienced people.
• Existing regulations and restrictions on drone operations can make capturing aerial footage difficult.
• There are privacy concerns about who could be captured in a drone video without their consent.
• Some drones make significant noise, so you have to make sure you’re choosing the right one.
• Extreme weather conditions could impact drone operations.

Tips to Become a Skilled Drone Videographer

Do you want to get started in drone videography and succeed? Consider the following tips:

• Understand the local rules, including where you’re allowed to fly your drone.
• Practice manual flight proficiency.
• Gain mastery of your drone’s automatic or intelligent flight modes, but learn to fly your equipment manually.
• Study the basics of photography and videography.
• Plan your flight shoots, considering airspace planning, gear preparation, safe landing, flight path, and other vital aspects.
• Start and finish your flight path before your intended shot to have more editing room and achieve better results.
• Choose the right editing software to optimize the post-production process.

Final Thoughts

Drone technology is an innovative way to capture aerial footage and is shaping the future of the videography world.

These types of UVAs offer many benefits to video makers, but you should consider several aspects to determine if they can favor your business or personal brand.

In addition, you should be careful when choosing and operating a drone to make the right choices.

Frequently Asked Questions