In the video “100+ Drone Moves From Beginner to PRO,” Jeven Dovey takes you on an exciting journey to elevate your drone videography skills. By emphasizing the importance of planning your shots and using a systematic approach, you’ll discover how to transform your footage from average to extraordinary. The content is neatly divided into three sections: the first explores the four main factors—height, speed, distance, and gimbal rotation—that influence the feel and tone of your drone shots. By mastering these elements, you can significantly change how your footage looks and feels, offering endless possibilities for creativity.
As you progress through the video, you’ll encounter a range of common drone shots that can enhance the storytelling aspect of your visual projects. From establishing shots to reveals, tracking shots, and fly-throughs, Jeven shows you how these classic techniques can be employed to engage your audience. Additionally, the video acts as a comprehensive library, categorizing drone moves into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. No matter what type of drone you have, by mastering controls and understanding camera settings, you can successfully implement these moves, allowing you to tailor your visuals to support the narrative rather than just capturing beautiful scenes.
How can you capture better footage with your drone? This technique will help you consider your drone moves strategically before it takes flight.
△ Drone Filmmaking Beginners Guide: • Drone Filmmaking Beginners Guide – Ho…
△ More Drone Moves: • 10 DRONE Moves I Capture With Every F…
△ DJI Mini 2 Beginners Guide: • DJI MINI 2 Beginners Guide – Start Here
△ 9 Drone LUTs: https://geni.us/n8Xr0
LEARN HOW TO BE A CREATOR IN MY ONLINE COURSES
Step 1: Creating Video Ideas and a YouTube Strategy: https://geni.us/jia93G
Step 2: How to Use Any Camera: https://geni.us/useanycamera
Step 3: Video Editing Beginners Guide: https://geni.us/dkNlQnp
Step 4: Creative Color Grading – From Beginner to Pro: https://geni.us/kNsrG
More Creator Courses to Expand Your Skills: https://geni.us/JBQq9m
CREATOR RESOURCES
△ Tool I Use To Help Grow My YouTube Channel: https://www.tubebuddy.com/jevendovey
△ Better MUSIC for your VIDEOS: https://geni.us/CreatorMusic
△ My LUTs for FAST Color Grading: https://geni.us/n8Xr0
△ Easy way to Sell Your Footage as Stock: https://geni.us/Stockfootage
△ Gear I Use To Make My Videos: https://geni.us/cUqGj
△ Business Inquiries: https://www.jevendovey.com/contactme
Disclosures: All opinions are my own. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Understanding Drone Videography Basics
Importance of Planning Shots Before Flight
Before you even think about hitting that take-off button on your controller, taking the time to meticulously plan your shots can make all the difference in the world. Planning ensures that each flight is efficient and purposeful, significantly improving the quality of the footage you capture. When you know exactly what you want to achieve with your drone, you’re better equipped to handle unexpected changes such as weather conditions or lighting. By visualizing the sequence of shots in advance, you can maximize battery life and avoid unnecessary maneuvers, making your flight both cost-effective and creatively rewarding.
Fundamental Controls and Camera Settings
Understanding the fundamental controls and camera settings is essential for successful drone videography. Familiarize yourself with your drone’s controls, including speed settings, gimbal rotation, and altitude adjustments. Cameras on drones have settings similar to traditional cameras, such as ISO, shutter speed, and white balance. Mastering these allows you to shoot with better exposure and clarity. Practice adjusting these controls in different scenarios, and you’ll find your confidence—and footage—improving markedly.
The Four Factors Affecting Drone Shots
Adjusting Height for Impact
The height at which you fly your drone dramatically influences the perception of the shot. When your drone hovers just above ground level, it builds intimacy and detail. As you soar higher, the perspective becomes more expansive and can be used to communicate the vastness of a scene. Whether you want a bird’s eye view or an eye-level shot, changing the altitude alters the story your footage tells and immerses viewers in a different experience.
Speed Variations and Their Effects
The speed of your drone has a pronounced effect on the resulting footage. Faster movements capture energy and excitement, suitable for action-packed scenes, while slower speeds can evoke tranquility or grandeur. Cine mode, normal mode, and sport mode provide different speed levels, each suitable for a variety of scenes. Playing around with speed during practice can help you determine what best fits your intended narrative.
Exploring Distance to Modify Scene Composition
The distance between your drone and the subject influences the focal point of your shot. Close proximity highlights details and specificity, facilitating a connection with the subject. A wider distance captures the entirety of the environment, offering context and scale. Consider whether the focal subject or the surrounding scene is more critical to the story you’re telling, and adjust the distance accordingly.
The Role of Gimbal Rotation in Shot Dynamics
Gimbal rotation provides dynamic shifts in perspective, allowing you to explore a 360-degree view of the scene. From tilting up for dramatic effects to angling down for a comprehensive overview, manipulating the gimbal can transform a mundane shot into a captivating one. Experimentation with angles can help elevate the storytelling aspect by highlighting different elements within the scene.
Exploring Common Drone Shots
Capturing Effective Establishing Shots
Establishing shots are quintessential in setting the scene for your audience. These shots provide context, showing the larger picture before focusing on specific details. Use your drone to shoot high-altitude, sweeping panoramas or wide-angle views that orient viewers and set the stage for the unfolding narrative.
Mastering the Art of Reveals
Reveals serve as brilliant narrative devices to transition and unfold stories. Whether you’re moving from a tight frame to a broader landscape or sliding out from behind an object, this technique captivates and surprises viewers. Practice using reveals to uncover hidden aspects of a scene, significantly enhancing the storytelling potency of your footage.
Understanding Tracking Shots
Tracking shots follow a moving subject, maintaining dynamic motion and engagement in the footage. They are excellent for maintaining a sense of continuity and energy in sequences. Hone this skill to keep your subject framed perfectly while adjusting the drone’s speed and altitude to smoothly track the movement.
Executing Successful Fly-Throughs
Fly-throughs are visually thrilling and challenging shots where the drone passes through a narrow space. They offer an immersive experience and showcase the environment in an extraordinary way. Careful planning and precise control are critical here, as obstacles can pose a significant challenge. Practicing in open areas can fine-tune your skills to ensure success when the perfect moment arises.
Beginner Drone Moves to Get Started
Simple Hovering Techniques
Hovering builds foundation skills, teaching you to maintain a stable frame with minimal drift. This skill is vital in composing steady shots and is the basis for more complex maneuvers. Practice hovering at various altitudes and gain a better understanding of how slight adjustments impact stability.
Basic Forward and Backward Movements
Linear movements like flying forward and backward establish control over direction and speed. They are fundamental for creating engaging shots that pull the viewer into or out of a scene. Practicing smooth, deliberate movements enhances your ability to produce professional-looking, fluid footage.
Introduction to Basic Turns
Basic turns allow you to change direction gracefully and open up new angles. Whether executing a slow pan or a quick pivot, mastering basic turns gives your footage fluidity and broadens your creative range. Understanding how turns affect the framing and composition is a key step in developing your videography skills.
Intermediate Drone Moves to Enhance Your Skill
Combining Directional Movements
Combining different directions, like forward with a slight ascent or lateral moves while gaining altitude, can add a three-dimensional aspect to your shots. Practicing combinations enhances complex scene composition and builds spatial awareness.
Executing Smooth Yaw Turns
Yaw turns involve rotating the drone on its vertical axis, creating sweeping panoramic views. Mastering the smooth execution of yaw turns is ideal for transitional shots that maintain viewer interest by introducing fresh perspectives.
Integrating Tilting and Panning
Incorporating tilt and pan movements helps transition between various elements in a scene fluidly. This integration enriches your footage by dynamically adjusting the track of interest, hence maintaining engagement. Practice executing these moves in unison for effortlessly cinematic shots.
Advanced Drone Moves for Pros
Mastering Complex Multi-Directional Flights
Complex multi-directional flights involve combining several movements simultaneously, like flying forward while ascending and rotating. Achieving this level of control creates compelling, intricate footage. Practicing these maneuvers in open spaces with clear goals will ensure execution precision.
Perfecting the Orbit Shot
Orbit shots revolve around a central subject, maintaining focus while circling. This advanced move requires precise control of speed and direction to keep the subject centered. The resulting footage is both dynamic and captivating, excellently showcasing the subject in its environment.
Conducting High-Speed Flybys
High-speed flybys capture thrill and speed with precision. They demand pre-planned routes and clear execution, offering energizing shots that can transform action sequences. These shots are perfect for injecting a burst of movement and excitement into your footage.
The Role of Storytelling in Drone Filmmaking
Choosing Dramatic Angles to Enhance Narrative
Utilizing dramatic angles can evoke emotion and emphasize storytelling. Whether it’s shooting from a low angle to display power or a high wide shot for vulnerability, knowing which angle supports your narrative strengthens thematic depth. Experiment with varying angles to discover the best ways to visually express your story.
Utilizing Movement to Build Visual Interest
Movement draws the viewer’s eye and maintains interest. Skillfully incorporating movement, such as following a narrative through layers of action and environment, can deeply engage your audience. Honing this skill allows you to capture more than just footage—it lets you tell a story rich with visual interest.
Resources for Aspiring Drone Filmmakers
Online Tutorials and Workshops
Dozens of online tutorials and workshops are dedicated to drone filmmaking, offering a spectrum of skills from beginner to advanced. Platforms like YouTube or dedicated drone photography websites can be invaluable resources, offering step-by-step guidance and community support.
Books and Guides on Drone Cinematography
Books and comprehensive guides can be excellent resources for those preferring in-depth study and learning at their own pace. These often discuss techniques, best practices, and the theoretical aspects of creating compelling drone footage.
Courses Offered by Jeven Dovey and Others
Jeven Dovey and other experienced filmmakers offer specialized courses perfect for those passionate about advancing their skills. Such courses typically cover a wide array of topics from technical control to creative storytelling, providing intensive learning experiences.
Practical Tips for Improving Drone Footage
Understanding Weather Conditions and Lighting
Weather and lighting dramatically impact the quality of your footage. Flying during golden hours—morning and late afternoon—can yield the most striking visuals, while avoiding extreme weather conditions ensures safety and viability of your drone. Always check the weather forecast and plan flights accordingly.
Regular Practice with Varied Drone Moves
Repetition is key in mastering drone movements. Regularly practicing a wide variety of moves enhances familiarity and improves instinctive control. Mock scenarios that integrate various movements can prepare you for practical filmmaking challenges.
Analyzing and Learning from Professional Shots
Studying professional shots can provide inspiration and insight into effective techniques. Analyze how experienced filmmakers utilize height, speed, and movement to construct their sequences. Emulating shots you admire can help develop your own unique style.
Conclusion
Embracing Creativity with Drone Movements
The artistry in drone filmmaking lies in the creativity and diversity of movements. Each flight is an opportunity to experiment with new techniques and frame your world from unique perspectives. Embrace the endless possibilities that storytelling through drone videography offers.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation in Drone Filmmaking
Drone technology evolves rapidly, making continuous learning vital for staying current. Engage with new ideas, adjust your techniques, and always seek to enhance your skills. The world of drone filmmaking is expansive, and those who are eager to adapt and grow will find endless opportunities for creative expression.