Hi all, I'm scott. I'm a brand new Mavic owner and am in the process of learning the in's and out's of this fantastic bit of kit. My mate and I bought it to add to our photgraphic/videographic arsenal. We shoot DSLR, GoPros and now the drone to give us plenty of good options to get great footage. We shoot mostly sports stuff, mountain biking, surfing, windsurfing and snowboarding in particular. I'll post up new stuff as we do it. We are always keen for feedback, suggestions tips and tricks so feel free to let us know.

Anyway I've attached our first movie. I was a little disappointed with Active track to be honest. I found it dropped the subject pretty easily. This may be due lack of contrast on some subjects but I'll have to check. I also found that you could easily get out of shot with it and it would lose the subject. Even when set up directly behind the subject if he took off too fast (a guy on an mountain bike) active track was very slow to get moving and would often lose the subject. I'm keen to see how much control, if any, I have with active track engaged. I think it might be a good way to start the drone moving earlier or to keep station better. Anyway all that said I was pretty happy with the results in general and I'm super keen to get back out and shoot some more.

I hope you enjoy the movie.

Wow. Totally awesome. Action, action, action. Very god camera angles. Super editing. Love the black and white sequenses. Super  music. Nice with close up of the athletes. Top notch.

Really nice, had me watching all the way through. Great mix of shots and pace.

Some of mavic shots do look very blurry - Edit - maybe not, youtube slow today

Well done.  Fun to watch. Looks like a great course.

Uhhhhhhhh....not sure what help you need with angles, moves, etc. on the camera.  Looks professional to me...and you say your a beginner?!?  HAHA, I think your a bit of a comedian.  Yes, you had me watching the entire time, totally brings back kid memories for me riding my bike, going off jumps, only...we never wore helmets.
Loved the video, good job.

Wow, obviously not a NEW photographer/editor.  Great video.  Question for you -- with your GoPro experience, why the Mavic?  Rather than something you could mount a GoPro to?  Many people seem to think the Mavic camera is not "professional" enough -- I didn't care, as it is just for my own use -- but you obviously are a PRO.

Matt-and-Riley Posted at 2017-5-19 02:39
Really nice, had me watching all the way through. Great mix of shots and pace.

Some of mavic shots do look very blurry - Edit - maybe not, youtube slow today

Cheers mate, I think it might be youtube like you say, you had me running to the tv to check but on my wide screen it looks pretty sharp a little over saturated for sure but I think it's sharp. Thanks for the comments

fansc2962bbc Posted at 2017-5-19 02:27
Wow. Totally awesome. Action, action, action. Very god camera angles. Super editing. Love the black and white sequenses. Super  music. Nice with close up of the athletes. Top notch.

Thanks mate, that's what we are going for.

Cheers Scott.

ProQuad Posted at 2017-5-19 02:58
Uhhhhhhhh....not sure what help you need with angles, moves, etc. on the camera.  Looks professional to me...and you say your a beginner?!?  HAHA, I think your a bit of a comedian.  Yes, you had me watching the entire time, totally brings back kid memories for me riding my bike, going off jumps, only...we never wore helmets.
Loved the video, good job.

Honestly we are not pro at all, we both have a passion for this stuff which helps I think. It just shows how good the MAVIC platform is. That was literally our first shoot with it. I'm super excited to do more now I've tweaked the settings a little and think we'll be able to get some really crazy stuff as we learn more about it.

Cheers Scott.

EsPeGe Posted at 2017-5-19 14:07
Honestly we are not pro at all, we both have a passion for this stuff which helps I think. It just shows how good the MAVIC platform is. That was literally our first shoot with it. I'm super excited to do more now I've tweaked the settings a little and think we'll be able to get some really crazy stuff as we learn more about it.

Cheers Scott.

Scott,

I have been flying for a little over a year now and this video I did recently did with my mavic, P4P, & Osmo.  This is as good as I have gotten so for but I would say if this was your first then I am super impressed.  

W.T. Foxtrot Posted at 2017-5-19 05:22
Wow, obviously not a NEW photographer/editor.  Great video.  Question for you -- with your GoPro experience, why the Mavic?  Rather than something you could mount a GoPro to?  Many people seem to think the Mavic camera is not "professional" enough -- I didn't care, as it is just for my own use -- but you obviously are a PRO.

No we've been doing video and editing for a little while but we still have a lot to learn, we are certainly not pro by any stretch. As for why the MAVIC over a GoPro on another drone in the end it was a few things.

Firstly I did actually build a QAV400 from scratch a while back and used it initially for FPV with the aim to install a gimbal to do this stuff. It was great and a lot of fun to build but was a lot of work constantly rebuilding it as new parts etc became available. It also wouldn't do half the things the MAVIC does without a lot of dollars and time and I'd rather be out riding and filming.

When it came time to look at buying an off the shelf drone, even before the KARMA recall we were leaning towards the DJI as we already had all the GoPro stuff, chest mounted gimbal (FEIYU TECH) and DSLR stuff so we didn't need the flexibility of the KARMA system. We wanted a solid airborne filming platform that was easy to use, compact and with a good camera.

Also, and I might stir up some passions here, but IN MY OPINION the cameras on the MAVIC and OSMO are superior to the GoPro. That may come down to personal preference in the way they both present the image but I just like the image off the DJI stuff. The GoPro is really good and for the stuff on the bike for example there is no equal but for the scenic and follow cam stuff it's DJI all the way for me.

I can't see why some would say it's not "professional" enough for most applications. Obviously for the big bucks productions that can afford a big drone to carry their $50K 8K camera rig then it would not be the right bit of kit but otherwise I reckon it's the bomb.

Yogi123 Posted at 2017-5-19 02:42
Well done.  Fun to watch. Looks like a great course.

Thanks mate, it is a lot of fun there.

Cheers Scott.

ProQuad Posted at 2017-5-19 14:12
Scott,

I have been flying for a little over a year now and this video I did recently did with my mavic, P4P, & Osmo.  This is as good as I have gotten so for but I would say if this was your first then I am super impressed.  

Nice work mate. Easily watchable and tells a story well. I liked the shot from the ground where you can see the drone up there looking down as the tree is felled.

Thanks for sharing.

ProQuad Posted at 2017-5-19 14:12
Scott,

I have been flying for a little over a year now and this video I did recently did with my mavic, P4P, & Osmo.  This is as good as I have gotten so for but I would say if this was your first then I am super impressed.  

Another good video.  Interesting!  Thanks for sharing.

Nice video.....good downhill

Great video bud you looked like you had fun keep em coming

EsPeGe Posted at 2017-5-19 14:29
No we've been doing video and editing for a little while but we still have a lot to learn, we are certainly not pro by any stretch. As for why the MAVIC over a GoPro on another drone in the end it was a few things.

Firstly I did actually build a QAV400 from scratch a while back and used it initially for FPV with the aim to install a gimbal to do this stuff. It was great and a lot of fun to build but was a lot of work constantly rebuilding it as new parts etc became available. It also wouldn't do half the things the MAVIC does without a lot of dollars and time and I'd rather be out riding and filming.

I totally agree with you on the quality of the video.  I am NOT a fan of the fish-eye look of the GoPro's wider field.  Wish I could solve the AE mystery on mine, as I tend to fight correct exposure a lot, but other than that I really like the Mavic images.

Honestly, looks like it did a great job to me.

EsPeGe Posted at 2017-5-19 15:48
Nice work mate. Easily watchable and tells a story well. I liked the shot from the ground where you can see the drone up there looking down as the tree is felled.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks.  I thought that a cool shot too.

Yogi123 Posted at 2017-5-20 01:55
Another good video.  Interesting!  Thanks for sharing.

Yogi123, thank you.  I'm glad you liked it.

Aqmal Posted at 2017-5-20 02:38
Nice video.....good downhill

Thanks mate, it was lots of fun.

Aqmal Posted at 2017-5-20 02:38
Nice video.....good downhill

Thanks mate, it was lots of fun.

Brum Ken Posted at 2017-5-20 04:20
Great video bud you looked like you had fun keep em coming

Thanks mate, will do. I've been doing a lot of research on the best ways to film so hopefully next time round we get some gold.

Cheers Scott.

Song name now please.... lol That was amazing!!!!! Thank You for sharing!

Great video, at the 2min mark I see you holding a phantom controller, I thought it was a mavic video?

Great video, very enjoyable!

For active track shots, at the beginning I was expecting the Mavic to have the reaction of a quidditch snitch so I was also a bit disappointed...

Some tips:
- You need space, lot of space
- No trees nearby
- The quicker the subject, the farther you need to be so the Mavic can keep you framed and catch up
- Start slowly, give precise instructions to your rider (they never listen ;)
- No sharp movements (u-turns, hard break or acceleration)

Here's a example of a successful active-track (profil) of a motorbike. The Mavic flew up to 60kmh ( 37mph) to catch-up.

ars.fabula Posted at 2017-5-23 08:59
Great video, very enjoyable!

For active track shots, at the beginning I was expecting the Mavic to have the reaction of a quidditch snitch  so I was also a bit disappointed...

Wow mine won't do that in active track (1.2.9 firmware). Looks like they've perfected it.

OP video was great too.

jeebs-9 Posted at 2017-5-23 06:56
Song name now please.... lol That was amazing!!!!! Thank You for sharing!

The song is called Wanted Man by Roayl Deluxe.

DevonDrone Posted at 2017-5-23 07:16
Great video, at the 2min mark I see you holding a phantom controller, I thought it was a mavic video?

Damn that's a keen eye!!!!! Yep that's the only aerial shot with the Phantom. We ran out of batteries on the Mavic and the damn car charger that came with the kit wouldn't charge them!!! We borrowed a friend of ours Phantom to get a little more for the edit. Neither of us had flown it before but it was just like the Mavic so it was easy.

ars.fabula Posted at 2017-5-23 08:59
Great video, very enjoyable!

For active track shots, at the beginning I was expecting the Mavic to have the reaction of a quidditch snitch  so I was also a bit disappointed...

The reaction time you were expecting was pretty much what I was!!!! As you say it's about the set up and yep, riders DO NOT LISTEN!!!!

I found a tip on one of the videos I watched which seems to be a good idea. He mentioned using spotlight for active track then just hand flying it, that way the camera will still keep the subject framed. I'm keen to try it out especially from in front of the subject.  It seems you've got very little control over the drone in Active track trail mode but it seems you've got full control in Spotlight. I haven't tried this but from his video it looks like it might work.

jeebs-9 Posted at 2017-5-23 06:56
Song name now please.... lol That was amazing!!!!! Thank You for sharing!

Oh and thanks very much.

EsPeGe Posted at 2017-5-23 15:39
Damn that's a keen eye!!!!! Yep that's the only aerial shot with the Phantom. We ran out of batteries on the Mavic and the damn car charger that came with the kit wouldn't charge them!!! We borrowed a friend of ours Phantom to get a little more for the edit. Neither of us had flown it before but it was just like the Mavic so it was easy.

Excellent video!  Can I ask what editing program you used? IMHO what makes this video really good is your skill at editing. And the Mavic/Phantom footage. :-) I've struggled with the Mavic video focus and editing it. Also a great song to match the tempo of the video. All in all, a great job.

Great video, fun to watch. Thanks for sharing! Would you mind me asking which video settings you used and if you had any lens filter on?

EsPeGe Posted at 2017-5-23 15:43
The reaction time you were expecting was pretty much what I was!!!! As you say it's about the set up and yep, riders DO NOT LISTEN!!!!

I found a tip on one of the videos I watched which seems to be a good idea. He mentioned using spotlight for active track then just hand flying it, that way the camera will still keep the subject framed. I'm keen to try it out especially from in front of the subject.  It seems you've got very little control over the drone in Active track trail mode but it seems you've got full control in Spotlight. I haven't tried this but from his video it looks like it might work.

You need to test the active-track spotlight, but in my experience it locks the drone on a right-left / backward-forward course from the subject after you lock it. If your riders go in a straight line it's OK ;)

It's useful in some scenarios like if you are running around the Mavic.  It also useful when doing a flyby on a static subject while keeping it framed.

The opening scene on this video is done using spotlight:  

PartsGuy Posted at 2017-5-23 16:01
Excellent video!  Can I ask what editing program you used? IMHO what makes this video really good is your skill at editing. And the Mavic/Phantom footage. :-) I've struggled with the Mavic video focus and editing it. Also a great song to match the tempo of the video. All in all, a great job.

Thanks for the kind words. We use final cut pro X. I basically taught myself to use it with help from Lynda.com videos and youtube. As far as Focus goes I did have some issues but obviously didn't use them in the edit. I found it very easy to hit something on my phone screen when using the app that messed with the focus. I haven't done enough with it yet to know exactly what I did though. Sorry.

vmich Posted at 2017-5-23 17:19
Great video, fun to watch. Thanks for sharing! Would you mind me asking which video settings you used and if you had any lens filter on?

Thanks mate. We shot on 4K 30fps, auto ISO and no filter although I think a filter set will be the next purchase. I have noticed that the colour changes significantly when the clip is uploaded to you tube. I think it looks way over saturated on youtube but when I watch it through final cut it looks correct.

Cheers Scott.

ars.fabula Posted at 2017-5-23 20:46
You need to test the active-track spotlight, but in my experience it locks the drone on a right-left / backward-forward course from the subject after you lock it. If your riders go in a straight line it's OK ;)

It's useful in some scenarios like if you are running around the Mavic.  It also useful when doing a flyby on a static subject while keeping it framed.

Mate that's a great little edit. It looks like a super fun place to ride, I would love to take my CRF250 out there for a blast!!!!

So do you know if you can change altitude whilst using spotlight? From what you say I'm guessing not.

thanks ! Sardegna is great place to ride and to film ;)

In all Active-Track modes you can change altitude, but it sometimes has effect on the overall speed of the drone. In my video the sequence at 00:57 is also done with spotlight. Track your subject and then pull away and up, the Mavic keeps the framing. However I don't thing I could have done the same with a rider going down, because of to many trees.

EsPeGe Posted at 2017-5-24 04:05
Thanks mate. We shot on 4K 30fps, auto ISO and no filter although I think a filter set will be the next purchase. I have noticed that the colour changes significantly when the clip is uploaded to you tube. I think it looks way over saturated on youtube but when I watch it through final cut it looks correct.

Cheers Scott.

Thanks a lot Scott. What about your Style (sharpness, contrast, saturation) and Color (Normal, D-Log, TrueColor, etc.) settings?

Very entertaining once you got past all those titles.  Loved the footage, not sure on the use of BW, don't get me wrong, I love BW photos when done correctly to amplify the story's message/emotion, however I am not sure of the reason here other than cos maybe you could?  I feel it use when the riders where sat down would have been good to assist in the projection of a change in mood, from excitement to a more somber resting state (I hope I am expressing myself clearly).  
Best part for me is where the rider rides out of shot below the drone camera, then pops back in during a jump..  I was half expecting it, yet it was still such a cool touch.
Over all, I REALLY loved... and I have liked it (don't like much/everything).
The opinions above are mine and may not be shared by all (they are not a statement of an absolute right or wrong).  Just sharing my thoughts, it is up to you whether you agree or not.. :-)
For a first video, well I wish it was mine.. :-)
Thanks for sharing the video and your enjoyment.. cracking job!