6 Tips to Make Your Aerial Videography Stand Out

Do you sometimes find your aerial footage dull and wonder how you can give it a boost? Killer drone shots are not that hard to achieve. Below are 6 aerial videography tips to make your aerial footage stand out!

Combine Different Axis Movements

Your footage can hardly stand out when your drone only moves forwards or backward. To add more depth to your footage, you can try out different combinations of axis movements. For instance, simultaneously fly up and backward or fly sideways while flying up and forward. Make sure to be gentle on the remote controller’s sticks as slow and steady movements make your footage more cinematic.

Recorded with Mavic Pro

If you still need some time to get the hang of drone operations, we recommend you use Tapfly mode. This intelligent flight mode sends your drone flying steadily in the direction you tap on the screen so that you can focus on other operations, making complex flight combos easy to achieve. Just press and hold the target area on the screen and wait for the GO icon to appear. Then tap GO to confirm, and your drone will fly towards the target location. It’s almost like you have an experienced pilot assisting you.

Orbit

Circling an object can add a tremendous cinematic impact to your footage. You can navigate a circle manually by maintaining the target in the middle as you fly sideways while yawing the opposite direction.

Be aware it takes a lot of training to fly a perfect circle manually. Luckily, you can take advantage of the Point of interest intelligent flight mode. In this mode, your drone will automatically circle at a smooth rate, during which you can quickly adjust height and radius. However, note that there’s no obstacle avoidance when flying sideways. So, you’ll need to tap pause in case of emergency.

Fly at Low Altitude

Many people assume that aerial videography is all about gaining height. Though high altitude flying can accommodate an ampler shooting space, low altitude flying can show objects in detail and create an immersive experience. Additionally, when you speed up, you can easily convey an intense feeling to your footage. But pay attention to the flight environment, especially the changes of obstacle height, to ensure flight safety.

Follow the Subject from Different Angles

Following a subject from behind is a classic filming move. But since it’s easy to film from different angles with your drone, why not try them out?  ActiveTrack can assist you effortlessly keep the subject in the center of the frame no matter which angle you take. Trace mode will follow the subject as it moves away even if they change the direction. In Profile mode, your drone will fly parallel the subject. It will stay the same distance away from the subject. You can always adjust the framing of the subject by using the tilt dial. Consider different combinations to make your footage more interesting. Always pay attention to the flight environment when flying sideways or backward.

Sideways Movements

Want to reveal the surrounding landscape from another perspective? Strafing movements take care of that! Choose an object to start, then move to the side and let the subject slide across so you can show the landscape behind. Your footage will have a more intense sense of space when it’s shot with a wide-angle lens.

Avoid Sudden Movements

Don’t make sudden adjustments unless it’s for safety reasons as an unnecessary push of the remote controller stick may ruin a good shot, as demonstrated below. Maintain the preset direction and keep the gimbal motion smooth. Additionally, remember to tap the record button a few seconds in advance so that you won’t miss the ideal moment.

Do you find these shot techniques and maneuvers helpful? Try out some new maneuvers and share your stunning footage with us!

The content origins from: BUYINGGUIDES

Great tips!

Great tips in short format!

Good tips and with video.

Tip #7:  MAKE SURE your UAV is recording.  -I can't tell you how many times I tapped "record" and it didn't record, rather recorded every other clip where I was getting in position.  Make sure the video timer is rolling.  Don't miss that perfect shot.

Kuya Kano Posted at 2018-1-3 20:28
Tip #7:  MAKE SURE your UAV is recording.  -I can't tell you how many times I tapped "record" and it didn't record, rather recorded every other clip where I was getting in position.  Make sure the video timer is rolling.  Don't miss that perfect shot.

This is really important as well

DJI Grace Posted at 2018-1-3 20:29
This is really important as well

LOL, you'd think flying is the most difficult part of the operation?  

Thanks for the tips

Make sure you bring SD card! haha it almost ruin my Christmas vacation after I found out on site that my SD card is miles away from me, good thing there is a store in town that sells low class one. Got no option but to buy it and hope for the best.

Kuya Kano Posted at 2018-1-3 20:39
LOL, you'd think flying is the most difficult part of the operation?

every part is not simple for me since i am so new
so i always bring my friend with me when flying the drone

Roy C Posted at 2018-1-3 21:50
Make sure you bring SD card! haha it almost ruin my Christmas vacation after I found out on site that my SD card is miles away from me, good thing there is a store in town that sells low class one. Got no option but to buy it and hope for the best.

at least you got one at last!

Thanks for shatre !!

Thank you for sharing your tips. I will try to remember some of these manoeuvres when flying conditions improve. Currently blowing a hooley!

Colin G4GBP Posted at 2018-1-4 01:18
Thank you for sharing your tips. I will try to remember some of these manoeuvres when flying conditions improve. Currently blowing a hooley!

take care when flying!

Happy new year Grace and thank you for this very good new tutorial!

Great tips. I will use it in my next vid.

en posible bolar dod drons fiferentes de el mismo telefono?

Great tips thanks dji Grace

Kuya Kano Posted at 2018-1-3 20:28
Tip #7:  MAKE SURE your UAV is recording.  -I can't tell you how many times I tapped "record" and it didn't record, rather recorded every other clip where I was getting in position.  Make sure the video timer is rolling.  Don't miss that perfect shot.

YES!!! that happens quite often, if there is not real  good signal between remote and drone! its really important to build awareness of the information display panel on phone/tablet/screen!

Thank you for the interesting tips!

good to know

Again, great tutorial!

...good and short help for making my footage better - thank you DJI Grace

What else to expect, good tips and well documented. Thanks Grace.

Thank you!

Thank you!

great tips

Thanks for these tips!

DJI Grace, thanks for the great tips !

Very helpful, thanks Grace

JJLMSU Posted at 2018-1-4 18:05
Very helpful, thanks Grace

You are welcome!

M.C. Pilot Posted at 2018-1-4 15:21
DJI Grace, thanks for the great tips !

Glad to hear the tips helpful!

Dockater Posted at 2018-1-4 12:43
What else to expect, good tips and well documented. Thanks Grace.

Thank you for your kind comment!

Wachtberger Posted at 2018-1-4 02:58
Happy new year Grace and thank you for this very good new tutorial!

Happy New Year!

awesome thanks.  just got to get my movements mosre gradual

Top tips thanks

Combine Different Axis Movements is the key. I try that most of the time, but it takes some practice.

TIP 7 - get a devise on which the djigo app and updates work so that you have more time to spend practicing with your drone than you do trying to figure out app problems caused by updates. DJI recomended device list is a poor guide to which devices actually work.

Kuya Kano Posted at 2018-1-3 20:28
Tip #7:  MAKE SURE your UAV is recording.  -I can't tell you how many times I tapped "record" and it didn't record, rather recorded every other clip where I was getting in position.  Make sure the video timer is rolling.  Don't miss that perfect shot.

Or in the correct mode photo/video, i've take tons of photos before getting frustrated why it won't just start recording! Why on earth pressing the video record button on the remote doesn't automatically switch modes is beyond me!

Another great tutorial. Thanks for posting it!