How to improve the drone videos?

[Jack43]

Hi all,
The problem with most of the drone videos is that they contains "only" aerial views and most of these shots are wide shots. Such videos can become boring even if they are short!
How can one obtain more interesting videos? Well it´s easy! In a drone video we should also shoot plenty of various "ground-shots" to show the subjects from another angle as from above!
Important: we should shoot lots of medium-shots, medium long shots and close-up shots. Close-up shots are the salt in the moviemakers soup! A saltless soup tastes rather stale/bad, the same happens with a movie which contains only aereal wide shots! It is rather boring to watch!
I am working on a "fall-video" which will be salty in a couple of week it will be done and I will post it here!
this were only my two cents

cheers and have a good weekend,
Paul

 

[Phantomrain.org]

If there was 1 change I would like to see in the videos posted is some Voice input explaining the Video / Subject and Purpose of the flight so we can be constantly be learning about different flights. A little voice would go a long way. As you mention B roll is nice to have as well.

I find quite a few videos that I enjoy , looking forward to yours.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Mavic in the Rain and Float on Water.

 

[Jack43]

If there was 1 change I would like to see in the videos posted is some Voice input explaining the Video / Subject and Purpose of the flight so we can be constantly be learning about different flights. A little voice would go a long way

That would be a good idea, but my video will not be a commented one. There will be music and of course original soundtracks.
What do you mean by: A little voice would go a long way? I am a german speaking Swissman, and my english is unfortunately not perfect

cheers Paul

 

[Dale D]

Hi all,
The problem with most of the drone videos is that they contains "only" aerial views and most of these shots are wide shots. Such videos can become boring even if they are short!
How can one obtain more interesting videos? Well it´s easy! In a drone video we should also shoot plenty of various "ground-shots" to show the subjects from another angle as from above!
Important: we should shoot lots of medium-shots, medium long shots and close-up shots. Close-up shots are the salt in the moviemakers soup! A saltless soup tastes rather stale/bad, the same happens with a movie which contains only aereal wide shots! It is rather boring to watch!
I am working on a "fall-video" which will be salty in a couple of week it will be done and I will post it here!
this were only my two cents

cheers and have a good weekend,
Paul

Hi Paul:

Apropro your suggestion, ALL of my videos incorporate multi-media, e.g.: not only Mavic 2 Pro drone footage, but a mixture of still images taken with a DSLR, timelapse, motion timelapse (e.g.: camera doing timelapse on a moving rail), Osmo Pocket, Osmo Action, and iPhone video. I have thought of voice-overs but have never actually done one.

For examples I refer you to my Vimeo website.

Dale Davis,M.D.

Advanced amateur photographer, world traveler, and avid enthusiast of time lapse photography.Also, retired M.D. ophthalmologist.

vimeo.com

Dale
Miami

 

[Jack43]

Apropro your suggestion, ALL of my videos incorporate multi-media, e.g.: not only Mavic 2 Pro drone footage, but a mixture of still images taken with a DSLR, timelapse, motion timelapse (e.g.: camera doing timelapse on a moving rail), Osmo Pocket, Osmo Action, and iPhone video. I have thought of voice-overs but have never actually done one.

a voice-overs would be a good idea Dale! Just try it in your next video
cheers Paul

 

[Dale D]

a voice-overs would be a good idea Dale! Just try it in your next video
cheers Paul

At 82 years old I don't want to buy a good microphone! Geez, at 82 I don't even buy green bananas.

 

[Jack43]

At 82 years old I don't want to buy a good microphone! Geez, at 82 I don't even buy green bananas.

Dale you don´t have to buy a microphone! You can use your DSLR or Osmo Pocket, and even the micro of your iPhine would be ok to record a good voice-over sound! I use my Sony Camcorder when I have a voice-over to record
cheers Paul

 

[Dale D]

Dale you don´t have to buy a microphone! You can use your DSLR or Osmo Pocket, and even the micro of your iPhine would be ok to record a good voice-over sound! I use my Sony Camcorder when I have a voice-over to record
cheers Paul

Of course you are right. Maybe with the next video. I just submitted an old video (Zambia-Madagascar- dating to September 2019 which has probably not been seen by more recent members. I had the Mavic Air 1 (red) on that trip but was only allowed to use in Madagascar and not in Zambia due to disturbing the wildlife.

 

[Harro]

Any cheaper usb mic will do the job, you don't need a high quality mic for voice only.

 

[Jack43]

Of course you are right. Maybe with the next video. I just submitted an old video (Zambia-Madagascar- dating to September 2019 which has probably not been seen by more recent members. I had the Mavic Air 1 (red) on that trip but was only allowed to use in Madagascar and not in Zambia due to disturbing the wildlife.

where can I watch the video you mentionned Dale?

 

[Dale D]

where can I watch the video you mentionned Dale?

Hi Paul:

Here is the Zambia-Madagascar video. It is 24 minutes so plan for the time it takes. If you like this you can find others , like Iceland, Greece, Puglia,Italy, Gorillas in Democratic Republic of the Congo-Uganda-Rwanda on my video site.

Dale Davis,M.D.

Advanced amateur photographer, world traveler, and avid enthusiast of time lapse photography.Also, retired M.D. ophthalmologist.

vimeo.com

 

[karesz]

Great combination of recording devices

 

[Jack43]

Here is the Zambia-Madagascar video. It is 24 minutes so plan for the time it takes. If you like this you can find others , like Iceland, Greece, Puglia,Italy, Gorillas in Democratic Republic of the Congo-Uganda-Rwanda on my video site.

Hi Dale,
I did it! I watched the video The photos you shoot are all "top notch" There are some very nice drone shots..But in my opignon there are too many sunrise/sets!
My favourite clips are the ones at 10.40 with the lemurs. There are other good shots of course.
Question: why do people walk "Charly Chaplin" syle at 15.59? The shot at 16.22 I would not have used it, because it trembles!

I can imagine that the trip you have made was fantastic and as one can see on the different clips of you and your wife, you enjoy it ver much!

cheers Paul

 

[Dale D]

Hi Dale,
I did it! I watched the video The photos you shoot are all "top notch" There are some very nice drone shots..But in my opignon there are too many sunrise/sets!
My favourite clips are the ones at 10.40 with the lemurs. There are other good shots of course.
Question: why do people walk "Charly Chaplin" syle at 15.59? The shot at 16.22 I would not have used it, because it trembles!

I can imagine that the trip you have made was fantastic and as one can see on the different clips of you and your wife, you enjoy it ver much!

cheers Paul

Thanks, Paul, for watching the Zambia-Madagascar video.

15:59. The "Charlie Chaplin walking people" was a modestly sped up video (in Premiere Pro, I probably ran it to 150-200%) as the cars offloaded the crude ferry boat. I was trying to shorten the video a few milliseconds per clip. People get bored, but I thought showing the crude drive up ramp from the river was a great view of the third-world view of transportation system in this very poor country.

16:22. Timelapse sunset. A valid comment in removing it. At the very last second,. We had just checked in after a day long drive over terrible dusty roads. I was at the main lodge ( 5 minutes from my cabin and my camera and good tripod, and probably 5 minutes to run to get the camera and tripod-enough time to totally miss the sunset altogether for my only night at this lodge. So I used the old adage, "the best camera is the one you have with you." Alas, that was my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I leaned the camera against a flimsy support, the wind was blowing. The iPhone trembled a bit.

Now you have to watch the longer gorilla video from The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. One of the greatest travel experiences of our lives! No one can go to the Congo now. We got in and out in a narrow window of opportunity that no longer exists. They have ruthless rebels, and ebola, and have shut down the country for covid. If you watch you will note we had armed security guards with us at all time to try to prevent capturing us for ransom. they were armed with AK 47s. Also, we ran the famous Hollywood actor, Ben Afflack at our jungle lodge!

Dale

 

[Jack43]

Thanks for the interesting info about your trips to Africa. Can you give me the link to the Gorilla video please?
cheers Paul

 

[Dale D]

Thanks for the interesting info about your trips to Africa. Can you give me the link to the Gorilla video please?
cheers Paul

Dear Paul:
Thanks for asking. Here is the link. The video is 44 minutes! You can decide to watch it in sections, or set aside a time to watch and enjoy it. We saw both mountain gorillas, and lowland gorillas, as well as red monkeys in Rwanda. We purchased trekking permits for 5 days, but only did 4 days. Trekking permits now are very expensive in Rwanda ($1500 per person per day) and $400.00 per person per day in the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Nobody is allowed to enter the Congo now. it is very dangerous. We had armed (AK47s) guards with us at all times to prevent kidnappings for ransom! You will see them in the back seat of our vehicle, and along with us on all gorilla treks. Some of the guards were pygmies! Let me know your thoughts after your viewing.

 

[Jack43]

Hi Dale,
as today I am not at home I will watch the video tomorrow Thanks for the link!
cheers Paul

 

[Jack43]

Dear Paul:
Thanks for asking. Here is the link. The video is 44 minutes! You can decide to watch it in sections, or set aside a time to watch and enjoy it. We saw both mountain gorillas, and lowland gorillas, as well as red monkeys in Rwanda. We purchased trekking permits for 5 days, but only did 4 days. Trekking permits now are very expensive in Rwanda ($1500 per person per day) and $400.00 per person per day in the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Nobody is allowed to enter the Congo now. it is very dangerous. We had armed (AK47s) guards with us at all times to prevent kidnappings for ransom! You will see them in the back seat of our vehicle, and along with us on all gorilla treks. Some of the guards were pygmies! Let me know your thoughts after your viewing.

Hi Dale,
I hope you don´t mind if I tell you my opinion about your video! Well, that was rather a slide show and It´s long ago since I saw a slide-show....Mostly they were boring! In your case there are surely many perfect photos. I like Gorillas, but in your video there are too many, sorry! For an onlooker the video is unfortunately way to long!
An example of a way too long shot are the gorillas from 16.45 to 17.54 They are eating leaves. After 15 seconds the watcher has seen it, but the shot lasts 69 seconds, a bit too long!
I dind´t count all the lodges, the hotels, the maps, the long texts, but there are way too many for an onlooker!
For example at 38.16 we see rhinos and a text, the problem is that the text lasts only one second, way to short, I had to pause the video to be able to read it! Who are Danielly Lowy and Jackie Stein? Such infos are not helpful for an onlooker.
Why the heck did you include the completely jittery waterfall at 36.52? Such shots devaluates a video!
However I had a good laugh about the "five legged elephant"

I hope that now you´r not mad at me because of my comments!
cheers Paul

 

[Dale D]

Hi Dale,
I hope you don´t mind if I tell you my opinion about your video! Well, that was rather a slide show and It´s long ago since I saw a slide-show....Mostly they were boring! In your case there are surely many perfect photos. I like Gorillas, but in your video there are too many, sorry! For an onlooker the video is unfortunately way to long!
An example of a way too long shot are the gorillas from 16.45 to 17.54 They are eating leaves. After 15 seconds the watcher has seen it, but the shot lasts 69 seconds, a bit too long!
I dind´t count all the lodges, the hotels, the maps, the long texts, but there are way too many for an onlooker!
For example at 38.16 we see rhinos and a text, the problem is that the text lasts only one second, way to short, I had to pause the video to be able to read it! Who are Danielly Lowy and Jackie Stein? Such infos are not helpful for an onlooker.
Why the heck did you include the completely jittery waterfall at 36.52? Such shots devaluates a video!
However I had a good laugh about the "five legged elephant"

I hope that now you´r not mad at me because of my comments!
cheers Paul

No Paul- Not at all. I have thick skin and I agree with each and every one of your comments. I must admit that I did get carried away by the gorillas. It was just such unique opportunity that I violated my own rules. The two girls we met at the gorilla lodge were inserted into the show there as a personal memorandum to my wife and myself for years after the trip so we could recall them. We had a great time with them at the lodge and I inserted their image so I'd have it for future years.

The jittery waterfalls was actually the amazing Murchison Falls of Uganda, one of the most awesome sights in Africa, but it was taken from a very rocky rowboat that approached dangerously close to the strong currents of the mighty falls. If it were taken from the land, the falls would have been too far to photograph. It was the only footage I had of the falls from the river viewpoint. So all of your good observations were right on point.

Travel in the DRC was quite a memorable experience. There were rebel armies north of us, as well as an ebola outbreak (!!) and hostage taking of tourists for ransom, so we even had armed guards with us at all times, as you saw from the show. Even on the gorilla treks, some of the men had AK 47's. The trek into a 750 feet deep jungle ravine was one of the hardest things I have ever done besides my Mt. Everest Base Camp trek. The angle of the descent was about 40 degrees and I had to be practically carried down and up each step of the way by the very able guides and porters to see the massive Chimanuka gorilla and his family. The jungle was so dense our porters had to hack away the jungle vegetation each step of there way!

Anyway, I go on too much. Thanks for viewing it and for your comments.

Best,

Dale Davis
Miami

 

[Jack43]

Anyway, I go on too much. Thanks for viewing it and for your comments.

Hi Dale,
I am glad that you´r not mad and you have accepted my objections I can imagine that when oen are standing in front of such wonderfull gorillas, tha camera runs and runs. Not easy to tidy out the shots!
Thanks again for your very interesting story about your unique trip to Africa! An incredible adventure!

have a nice day and cheers
Paul