By DJI Support

From dolly zoom to drone orbits, master these easy drone maneuvers and shots to create breathtaking aerial footage.

Have you ever thought about how drone enthusiasts capture stunning cinematic videos? Chances are you’ve watched a number of breathtaking videos and wondered how the footage comes together so naturally.

As a content creator, you can often run (or fly) into a situation where you struggle to find creative inspiration and your footage does not match your expectations. Whether you’re a beginner pilot or have already conquered the sky, master these drone maneuvers and shots to improve your aerial photography.

Note: The following flight maneuvers were performed using Mode 2 (default mode) on the drone remote controller.


1. Drone Reveal Shot
This simple drone maneuver is used in cinematic footage to slowly reveal a subject to an audience. This drone shot can be used to add suspense, introduce a scene, or simply add a creative perspective to your footage.

How to Take a Drone Reveal Shot

1. Start with your subject out of view and approach it slowly with your drone.

2. Fly past your subject to reveal a background scene or landscape shot.

3. To add more creativity to your shot, experiment with different flight speeds. Use different angles as you approach your subject to add different perspectives to your footage.

2. Tracking Shot
The tracking shot is a basic drone flight maneuver that is great for capturing your audience’s attention. This basic move is great while flying alongside your subject. It can also be used to keep focus on moving subjects, and given that most DJI drones feature ActiveTrack, this shot is a walk in the park.

How to Take a Drone Tracking Shot

1. Fly sideward, parallel to your subject.

2. Keep track of your subject as you perform this maneuver.

3. Panning Shot
Not to be confused with flying sideward, a panning shot involves rotating your gimbal along the yaw axis while the drone hovers. This flying technique is effective for showcasing multiple subjects in a scene and emphasizing the connection between them. Or simply, use this shot to focus on one subject.

How to Take a Drone Panning Shot

1. You can perform this move by pushing the left control stick to the left or to the right.

2. You can also choose to fly your drone in a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction.

4. Flying Upward
Fly your drone upward and move away from your subject, displaying the contrast between your subject and the background. You can also use the feature “Rocket” in Mavic Air’s QuickShot function to get this shot. This is a great way to add creative transitions to your footage.

How to Fly Upward

1. Start with the camera facing the ground.

2. Push the left control stick forward to make the drone fly upwards.

3. Try to keep your subject in the center of your frame.

5. Orbit
An orbit is a dynamic flying maneuver where the drone rotates around your subject while steadily gaining elevation. As the drone revolves around your subject, you can gradually reveal the scene to your audience. This adds dynamic motion in your footage, which you can maximize further by tilting the drone as it performs this maneuver. Orbit is a QuickShot available for Mavic Air, but you can also perform the shot manually.

How to Take a Drone Orbit Shot

1. To manually perform an orbit, push the right control stick to the right to make the drone fly in that direction.

2. Push your left control stick to the left, making the drone rotate around your subject.

6. Overhead Shot
An overhead shot is an excellent way to immerse your audience in your footage. This type of shot can be used to frame your subject inside a larger shot, giving your audience a better sense of scale.

How to Take an Overhead Shot

1. Fly your drone above your subject.

2. Rotate the gimbal dial until the camera is positioned directly above your subject.

7. Dolly Zoom
Available on the Mavic 2 Zoom, Dolly Zoom is a fantastic feature for storytelling and creating a unique visual effect.

How to Perform a Dolly Zoom

1. Push the right control stick forward.

2. At the same time, use the Zoom Adjustment Dial to zoom in and out.

3. You can also pull the right control stick backward and simultaneously use the Zoom Adjustment Dial.

Simple Drone Maneuvers
Try experimenting with these drone maneuvers and tips to obtain cinematic shots. Remember, practice makes perfect!

The content origins from DJI BUYINGGUIDES

Wonderful post with some helpful tips! Thanks

Thanks & its really nice tips for arial photography.

o_laparoto Posted at 7-30 00:29
Wonderful post with some helpful tips! Thanks

You are welcome!

Very good tips! Thank you!

Zubayer.Khan Posted at 7-30 00:40
Thanks & its really nice tips for arial photography.

You are welcome!

nilsonleow Posted at 7-30 01:51
Very good tips! Thank you!

Don't mention it.

This is a very good call, Panda!

DJI Panda Posted at 7-30 02:32
Don't mention it.

Lol! But thanks again!

Very good tips! Thank you, Panda!!

These are awesome!!

Very helpful tips...

Thanks for the tips.

Man, you beat me to the post. I was going to do the same thing. Great posting. Thank you.

Very nice post, useful tips and tricks. Thanks for sharing!

I need to try these moves!

Thnx for the tips

Thank you for the amazing tips! I will make sure to apply all of these techniques (except, perhaps Dolly Zoom, since I don’t have M2Z) to my flying!

Great post!  Thanks for putting this together.

NICE THREAD THERE....

Thanks DJI Panda,

These Tips are a great reminders on ways of creating cinematic shots. Most of us forget there are other  ways to shoot video  with just simple  drone maneuvers.

Very nice!

nice share tric's

Thank you the tip. Especially liked #1.

Great tips thanks for sharing

Very interesting and useful tips thanks for the post !!

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Ask if you should wear them. No, they're not fashionable. But they may help blood flow.
Nausea remedies.
If you're prone to motion sickness, ask about a nausea remedy or acupressure bands. Little scientific evidence supports these bands. But some people find them helpful.
Gas and diarrhea remedies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZCWRjK9frk
The increase in altitude on flights can cause intestinal gas to expand and cause discomfort. Avoid gassy foods before your flight. International travel may expose you to bacteria that can lead to diarrhea. Ask about a diarrhea remedy. Prenatal care. Depending upon the length of the trip, and the sambad resultsdecide if you need to get some prenatal care at your destination. If so, figure out who will supply it.
Destination medical care.
Ask for suggestions about names of doctors and hospitals at your destination, just in case. Your doctor may know a colleague there or be able to make recommendations.
Flu vaccine.
Ask if you need a flu shot before you leave.
Enjoy the views https://forum.dji.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=194546

Thanks & its really nice tips for arial photography.

very helpful,  thanks for sharing.

kingwala Posted at 9-7 02:58
Ask about:
Decompression stockings.
Ask if you should wear them. No, they're not fashionable. But they may help blood flow.

wait... what? 0_o

My first post, so patience is appreciated..

Is it possible to use active tracking, as in tip #2, to have a moving subject and take a still photo with the Mavic 2 Pro moving as well?
The goal is a blurred background, and preferable to grabbing a still from a video.

Have been unable to find anything on this technique in a post/tutorial/manual... hence my query.

Thanks in advance!

I like the look of the Dolly Zoom.  Just like in Jaws.
Shame I haven't got it on the Mavic Pro.

Aweosme tips, will try some of these on my new Mini!

Awesome. I love my Dji Spark because of the easy to use tap fly, active track, and quick shot modes. I will keep it for a while and then upgrade to a Mavic Air or Mini.

Very good tips!

ernie_e Posted at 12-15 17:41
Very good tips!

Great tips for a new Mini owner! One of the best ideas for getting people into drone with a great drone... then show then how to do great things period! Then you may want a professional drone in a year or two or in a week or two. What a sales genius!

Thank You for the professional Tips!!  Looking forward to improving my personal movies!
Keep these Great Post Coming !!

Thanks, these tips will come in handy.

Great tips. Thanks for sharing.

Very informative and super tips.  Will be very helpful.  Thanks for sharing this.