Hello All,

I'm fairly new to using my drone. I just produced a video using Cyberlink Power Director 12. I know there are other products out there, but I am most familiar with PD, and I have a handful of questions, if anyone is so kind as to help me out, please? Thanks!

Aloha Erin,

     PD is kind of obscure, but most of the editing programs have similarities.  So, what are your questions?

Aloha and Drone On!

I have used PD in the past.   It is a very capable program that is currently at Power Director 15.    What are your questions.

I use PD15, happy to help if I can.

I use PD 15. Make your questions

Here are the YouTube links for tutorials on Cyberlink PD....
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Cyberlink+Power+Director+tutorial

Cetacean Posted at 2017-7-14 02:10
Aloha Erin,

     PD is kind of obscure, but most of the editing programs have similarities.  So, what are your questions?

Thank you so much! Drone flying has given my life new purpose!
I'll take it one question at a time if that is okay

I'm working with a great friend/landscape architect, putting together some before and after materials. These are not paying jobs, my friend is giving me an opportunity to gain some valuable experience/practice/training.  Here is my first attempt at this:


The first thing I noticed was how grainy the final production is. What settings and formats do you usually use for the best quality?
Also feel free to critique the crap out of anything else you see in this clip, I'm seeking real honest constructive criticism.

Thanks again so much for taking the time to help me!

Erin Bersch Posted at 2017-7-31 11:59
Thank you so much! Drone flying has given my life new purpose!
I'll take it one question at a time if that is okay  

Aloha Erin,

     First of all, your resolution is way too low.  When editing, you always start with resolution.  If you have been able to generate a higher resolution video, like 1080p, and tried to upload it to YouTube, then you need to learn how YouTube works.  Not everyone knows how YouTube works.

     Look at videos you like on YouTube and at the bottom right of the video is a gear icon.  Click on that gear icon and the resolutions will appear.  Choose the highest resolution you can, hopefully 1080p or better (HD).  HD means High Definition.  You should be able to easily generate 1080p videos.  If not, then your editor is inadequate for your needs.  You will have to find a better editor.  I doubt that PD will have a problem with it.  PD is a good editor.

     There are three parts to most editors; manager, editor and export.  They may have different names but they perform the same functions.  You can choose the video clip you want with the manager.  Move it to the editor where you can cut and piece together the video you want.  Then you move it to the export function which can be the most critical.  In Export (or share or some other name) you will choose the final resolution, frames per second and the bitrate of the final "cut".  When the editor moves the video to the export function, there are settings that you have to adjust for your needs.  Not all editing functions choose the highest quality you have videoed and edited for export.  So look for settings that may be available when the video is moved to the export function.  Export will also have settings for you to use.  You can usually adjust the settings as needed for different purposes of the export like phone export, YouTube export, High Definition TV export, etc..

     I have explained resolution already.  1080p and the less sharp 720p are considered HD.  The higher the resolution, the more demanding computer power is needed to process the video.  But, 1080p should be your minimum resolution considering the technology you are using.

     Next is frame rate.  The "flicker rate" of the human eye is 25 frames per second.  25 frames per second or lower will give a jerky, cinematic, effect to the video.  Above 25 frames per second, like 30 frames per second, will make a smooth video.  60 frames per second is extra smooth to the point that it can be slowed down into slow motion without inducing flicker to the video.  120 frames per second (and above) is "true" slow motion.  But, this is just editing we are talking about here.  There are also videography techniques that will allow you to generate smooth videos, like slow rotations.  I can post those later if you like.

     Finally, bitrate is a video term for how much digital information is included in each frame.  In photography, we have 12 megapixel photos and now the P4 Pro generated 20 megapixel photos.  Before DJI drones, 10 megapixel photos were all the rage.  Camera phones can and have generated between 8 and 10 (sometimes 12) megapixel photos.  Newer phones generate 12 megapixel photos now.

     Now imagine that each frame of the video is a 12 megapixel photo.  That is pretty amazing.  The video is crisp and clear when filmed with slow movements.  But, even a 12 megapixel photo will have smudges if the camera is moved too quickly during the snap of the photo.  (That is why slow smooth rotations are so important.)  So, think of the bitrate as how many megapixels are in each frame of the video.

     Now a new term, "CODEC".  Codecs are how all this digital information is put together and compressed to generate a video that can be sent faster over the Internet or stored on a storage device in less space.  Codecs are very important but that is getting too advanced for this discussion.  Suffice it to say that DJI, and the marketplace, are providing very common codecs that will do what you want for your videos under the current circumstances.

     Hope this helps!  Think of this as an overview for you to ask questions if you need to.

Aloha and Drone On!