How do you make your film look cinematic? Well, there are a lot of factors that play a vital roll, like lighting and camera movement, and if getting those things right during a normal film shoot is hard, imagine how much harder it is to get them right in the sky while operating a drone. Flying drones can be tricky, but perhaps the most challenging thing about flying them is knowing how to operate it cinematically. In this video, Matti Haapoja offers up a bunch of tips that will get you get you shooting more cinematic aerial footage in no time.

Like I said, there are many different factors that play a role in making footage look cinematic, and Haapoja touches on a lot of the important ones. His list isn't comprehensive, but it will definitely help you start off on the right foot.

  • Shoot at the right time of day: Drone cameras don't have the best dynamic range. Try to shoot at sunrise and sunset (Golden Hour).
  • Use an ND filter: Using one of these babies will help you correctly expose your shot without having to mess with shutter speed or other camera settings too much.
  • Use slow movements: In the wise words of Gus Gus from Cinderella, "Riker reasy." Try to get buttery smooth camera moves by slowing down.
  • Color grade: If the color in your footage needs a little tweaking, have at it. Just remember, less tends to be more when it comes to grading.
  • Make sure the grade on all your footage matches: Otherwise it looks like crap.
  • Add a zoom: Subtle zooms can help draw your viewer in.
  • Cinema crop: Choose a "cinematic aspect ratio," like 1.85:1 and 2.39:1. You can download free templates here.

What are some other things that can help make drone footage more cinematic? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Travel Feels

dronesaerial cinematography
Cinematography & Cameras