Feedback needed! First drone short-film: Mini 3 Pro

[Captain Filmmaking]

Hi Everyone!

I’ve posted this link already in my first “Welcome Message” and now I’m looking for your specific feedback on framing, editing, sound-design and to the making of this short film!

I appreciate your comments and looking forward to improve my drone-filming based on your critic!

Used equipment and settings:
- Mini 3 Pro (with RC controller, standard battery)
- (yet) no nd-filters
- D-Cinelike profile, 4k, 24p
- Cine-mode with very slow gimbal-speeds. Active track and Quick-shots used.
- editing and color-grading in FcpX
- POV B-Roll shots and timelaps added with GoPro Hero10
- Music and sound-effects from epidemic sound

Thanks for watching and commenting!
FerdinandS

 

[Saladshooter]

Looks excellent. Good pacing, good exposure. Tells a story.

 

[Captain Filmmaking]

Looks excellent. Good pacing, good exposure. Tells a story.

Thank you!

 

[FLDave]

Before even watching the view I like your technical details in the posting. I also like that you included non-drone video clips. There's more to good videos than just a bunch of drone video clips.
Now I'll watch the video.

 

[FLDave]

Ok, now I've seen it. It's an impressive short film although I wouldn't call it cinematic. I think the word cinematic is way over-used to sound impressive. Cinematic to me is quality suitable for cinema and large audience viewing, like a long video.
In any case it shows extreme planning in this video. (Most videos I've seen here show very little planning of short meaningless clips). You have a nice plan and it took a lot of effort to take all the shots. Adding yourself and your activity to the video ties all the clips together. The narration is another aspect that is great.
I saw that you also uploaded in high quality; that's good. So many videos are only uploaded in low quality. A great video deserves your approach of quality for the viewer.

 

[YVRGUY]

FerdinandS…nicely done

 

[Deleted member 165681]

We need to start a conversation about using D cinelike with the mini 3. Bravo

 

[Captain Filmmaking]

Ok, now I've seen it. It's an impressive short film although I wouldn't call it cinematic. I think the word cinematic is way over-used to sound impressive. Cinematic to me is quality suitable for cinema and large audience viewing, like a long video.
In any case it shows extreme planning in this video. (Most videos I've seen here show very little planning of short meaningless clips). You have a nice plan and it took a lot of effort to take all the shots. Adding yourself and your activity to the video ties all the clips together. The narration is another aspect that is great.
I saw that you also uploaded in high quality; that's good. So many videos are only uploaded in low quality. A great video deserves your approach of quality for the viewer.

Thank you! I tried to put the story first and support it with the visuals.
And yes, that “cinematic”-term became a bit of an overused marketing-thing in recent days, so maybe we should get over it again..

Concerning the d-cinelike: I found it way easier to getting the colours right in post, compared to the standard picture profile, which is a bit too saturated for my taste. But nevertheless I still had to be careful during the color grading, because at some point the picture started to fall apart.

 

[Greekislandlover]

I started to watch with no sound, and I could see there was a story. So went back to the start, and watched it properly. I loved it!

The only thing I'd say is the sequence where you assemble the tent sort of jars, because the rest of the film is so smooth. I like the idea of the tent assembly, and I'd certainly use it, but I'd possibly do it with smooth transitions.

Well done!

 

[Yogi053]

Excellent video clip!

 

[mark.pinskey]

Hi Everyone!

I’ve posted this link already in my first “Welcome Message” and now I’m looking for your specific feedback on framing, editing, sound-design and to the making of this short film!

I appreciate your comments and looking forward to improve my drone-filming based on your critic!

Used equipment and settings:
- Mini 3 Pro (with RC controller, standard battery)
- (yet) no nd-filters
- D-Cinelike profile, 4k, 24p
- Cine-mode with very slow gimbal-speeds. Active track and Quick-shots used.
- editing and color-grading in FcpX
- POV B-Roll shots and timelaps added with GoPro Hero10
- Music and sound-effects from epidemic sound

Thanks for watching and commenting!
FerdinandS

Absolutely beautiful….. the location and composition is really spectacular…. Well done

 

[wsteele]

I guess I don't care whether you call it Cinematic or not, it's a really great video. The length at slightly over two minutes is perfect. I loved you used slow and fast dissolves between takes. Only criticism is when you dissolved to black near the end I thought the video was over and then another shot came back on.

I hate videos that are too long (4 minutes or greater) and repeat the same scene over and over again from slightly different angles. I hate videos that just slam the takes one after another with no thought of transitions and I'm a big fan of dissolve transitions. It's the only thing I use. I do tend to use higher contrast but your color grading was excellent and something I can aspire to.

Not only did I not fast forward to the end, I watched the video three times. Thanks.

 

[JoelP]

This an impressive video as several others have said. It tells a story and nicely blends your shots. While this may be your first posting you seem to be an experienced videographer.

If I were to give any constructive criticism it would be the suggestion to improve your audio ducking to enable your voiceover track to be more easily heard above the music track. Keep up the great work.

 

[GFields]

Hi Everyone!

I’ve posted this link already in my first “Welcome Message” and now I’m looking for your specific feedback on framing, editing, sound-design and to the making of this short film!

I appreciate your comments and looking forward to improve my drone-filming based on your critic!

Used equipment and settings:
- Mini 3 Pro (with RC controller, standard battery)
- (yet) no nd-filters
- D-Cinelike profile, 4k, 24p
- Cine-mode with very slow gimbal-speeds. Active track and Quick-shots used.
- editing and color-grading in FcpX
- POV B-Roll shots and timelaps added with GoPro Hero10
- Music and sound-effects from epidemic sound

Thanks for watching and commenting!
FerdinandS

I've seen this video before. Maybe on your YouTube channel. Anyway well done.

 

[PaJi]

Gave me one more reason to want to visit Austria. Well done!

 

[Dale D]

Hi Everyone!

I’ve posted this link already in my first “Welcome Message” and now I’m looking for your specific feedback on framing, editing, sound-design and to the making of this short film!

I appreciate your comments and looking forward to improve my drone-filming based on your critic!

Used equipment and settings:
- Mini 3 Pro (with RC controller, standard battery)
- (yet) no nd-filters
- D-Cinelike profile, 4k, 24p
- Cine-mode with very slow gimbal-speeds. Active track and Quick-shots used.
- editing and color-grading in FcpX
- POV B-Roll shots and timelaps added with GoPro Hero10
- Music and sound-effects from epidemic sound

Thanks for watching and commenting!
FerdinandS

Ferdinand S:
Your film was wonderful and quite inspirational. Your use of multi-media gave it an extra dimension. I like the scenes where the drone follows you, and of course, my absolute love are the timelapse scenes, of which I have a special interest.

My only critique is that at around about 1:34 the music overpowered your voice over. I could not hear your words due to the crescendo in the music track.

Great work!

Dale Davis
Miami

 

[fguthrie]

I really looked for flaws - had a difficult time finding any. Great video - really enjoyed - very well done! I liked and subscribed. I agree with @Dale D though, around 1:34 to 1:40 the music is too loud and over powers your narration. A simple tweak to correct. That's all I've got! Beautiful work!

 

[Dale D]

This an impressive video as several others have said. It tells a story and nicely blends your shots. While this may be your first posting you seem to be an experienced videographer.

If I were to give any constructive criticism it would be the suggestion to improve your audio ducking to enable your voiceover track to be more easily heard above the music track. Keep up the great work.

I think you made a typographic error- not ducking-I think you meant to say dubbing? Neverthesless, I agree with the comment that the music over powered the voice/narration.

 

[Captain Filmmaking]

I guess I don't care whether you call it Cinematic or not, it's a really great video. The length at slightly over two minutes is perfect. I loved you used slow and fast dissolves between takes. Only criticism is when you dissolved to black near the end I thought the video was over and then another shot came back on.

I hate videos that are too long (4 minutes or greater) and repeat the same scene over and over again from slightly different angles. I hate videos that just slam the takes one after another with no thought of transitions and I'm a big fan of dissolve transitions. It's the only thing I use. I do tend to use higher contrast but your color grading was excellent and something I can aspire to.

Not only did I not fast forward to the end, I watched the video three times. Thanks.

That’s a great compliment - thank you!

 

[Captain Filmmaking]

This an impressive video as several others have said. It tells a story and nicely blends your shots. While this may be your first posting you seem to be an experienced videographer.

If I were to give any constructive criticism it would be the suggestion to improve your audio ducking to enable your voiceover track to be more easily heard above the music track. Keep up the great work.

Thank you Joel for your feedback - I’ll try to be more precise on the audio the next. Of course the best voice over won’t deliver its message, when not clearly heard.

In fact it’s my first drone and therefore my first drone-video. Besides a couple of some random GoPro clips during the last years, I’ve just started out - so I’m open to for every advice I get!