First real video, open to feedback. Mackinac Bridge, Michigan

[rustysteel]

I mostly do still photography but this is my first real video. I still had yet to soften up some of the gimbal settings so future vids should be a little smoother.
Other than that, Id appreciate any feedback for improving future videos. Shot on Mavic 2 pro, edited in Filmora 9.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcPLGFDS_Fs&feature=youtu.be

 

[THE CYBORG]

Better than my first, nice one

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

I mostly do still photography but this is my first real video. I still had yet to soften up some of the gimbal settings so future vids should be a little smoother.
Other than that, Id appreciate any feedback for improving future videos. Shot on Mavic 2 pro, edited in Filmora 9.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcPLGFDS_Fs&feature=youtu.be

Pretty cool! You had a nice clear day. I thought you handled the wind very well. There's always a lot of wind at the bridge due to the topography.

I viewed your video in 1080p. What resolution and shutter speed did you use? I was thinking maybe the shutter speed was a little too fast causing jumping movement during some (not all) of the pan movements, OR NOT and it's maybe due to YouTube delay on my computer. Anyway I've had problems with lacking a smooth pan and just smoothed it out using Frame Blending.

Do some more video work and share it.

The last time I did the bridge, I took off from the Bridge View Park on the St. Ignace side. I didn't do a flyover of the bridge like you, just a crab side shot. Maybe next time I'm up there.

My bridge shot is in the first part of this video, and it is best played in 1080p, otherwise my transitions look awful! Take look, and ignore the rest because it's long.

 

[rustysteel]

Pretty cool! You had a nice clear day. I thought you handled the wind very well. There's always a lot of wind at the bridge due to the topography.

I viewed your video in 1080p. What resolution and shutter speed did you use? I was thinking maybe the shutter speed was a little too fast causing jumping movement during some (not all) of the pan movements, OR NOT and it's maybe due to YouTube delay on my computer. Anyway I've had problems with lacking a smooth pan and just smoothed it out using Frame Blending.

Do some more video work and share it.

The last time I did the bridge, I took off from the Bridge View Park on the St. Ignace side. I didn't do a flyover of the bridge like you, just a crab side shot. Maybe next time I'm up there.

My bridge shot is in the first part of this video, and it is best played in 1080p, otherwise my transitions look awful! Take look, and ignore the rest because it's long.

Wow, that was absolutely fantastic!! I watched the whole thing and enjoyed every second of it. I spent a lot of time in the UP but you got some amazing vid of some great spots, many I have never been to.
I love the blended transitions between shots, I will have to incorporate that into future edits. What program did you use?
Truly stellar work, sir!

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Wow, that was absolutely fantastic!! I watched the whole thing and enjoyed every second of it. I spent a lot of time in the UP but you got some amazing vid of some great spots, many I have never been to.
I love the blended transitions between shots, I will have to incorporate that into future edits. What program did you use?
Truly stellar work, sir!

Thank you. I thought it was too long and would lose the viewer's interest. It was produced primarily for my family.

For post, I use Final Cut Pro X on an iMac. I was too cheap to use Adobe subscription, but FCPX works pretty good.
It was all shot with a Mavic Pro Platinum, although I wish I had the M2P which can do a much better job. I shot in 4k 3840 x 2160 at 30fps. But I got lazy paying attention to my shutter speed so some of my water shots don't look realistic. You may have noticed that some of the shots were not focused properly, especially at Brockway Mountain Drive. I had a bad lens with a blurry area on the right side. It has now been replaced following my trip in the UP. That's the problem with the MPP, it is hit or miss with getting a good lens.

Regarding the UP, you should make a similar type of travel video of your experiences and share it. Include your great bridge shots. There is a lot more to see up there!

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Wow, that was absolutely fantastic!! I watched the whole thing and enjoyed every second of it. I spent a lot of time in the UP but you got some amazing vid of some great spots, many I have never been to.
I love the blended transitions between shots, I will have to incorporate that into future edits. What program did you use?
Truly stellar work, sir!

Do you think we could fly under the bridge??? Scary!

 

[bronze661]

Awesome. The kites were a nice touch and the up and out scene from the grill was spot on. You've got it down pat. Have you tried Litchi yet..........

 

[bronze661]

Do you think we could fly under the bridge??? Scary!

I'd say you could, and yes scary. With Litchi and google earth for sure.

 

[bronze661]

I mostly do still photography but this is my first real video. I still had yet to soften up some of the gimbal settings so future vids should be a little smoother.
Other than that, Id appreciate any feedback for improving future videos. Shot on Mavic 2 pro, edited in Filmora 9.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcPLGFDS_Fs&feature=youtu.be

I use Filmora also, I hardly ever read that someone does. $35 a year is worth it.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

I'd say you could, and yes scary. With Litchi and google earth for sure.

When I was flying the bridge, I thought about going under it. The bridge is huge, and care and planning are necessary for such a maneuver. The best or most interesting location would be the center span. It’s roughly 155 ft above the water. However, you would have to be over two miles out which challenges VLOS. I’m concerned about power consumption fighting the wind and signal lost. You would want at least a 600 ft RTH height, but losing signal under the bridge would be a disaster.
Because I was fighting a strong wind my conclusion at the time was don’t do it. I suppose one could go under the end spans but the clearance would be somewhat less.
Now how about flying through the suspension wires (which would violate the rules)? CRAZY!

 

[Thomas B]

I mostly do still photography but this is my first real video. I still had yet to soften up some of the gimbal settings so future vids should be a little smoother.
Other than that, Id appreciate any feedback for improving future videos. Shot on Mavic 2 pro, edited in Filmora 9.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcPLGFDS_Fs&feature=youtu.be

Looks good to me. Excellent first vid!

 

[RickinWaST]

Darn good. Good shooting technique and exposure.

Thought the bridge clip flyover was a little too long. Break it up with shorter clips using a few different camera angles (?). Knowing how long a clip to be is tough.

The pull back scene at the end... Try a different angle to eliminate the glare from the water.

 

[Smokieflies]

Yes good first job, thanks for sharing, and share more.

 

[PointJoe]

Really nice. No fear over water. Fun seeing humans enjoying life. It's a storied bridge so enjoyed seeing it from so far away ...

 

[rustysteel]

Awesome. The kites were a nice touch and the up and out scene from the grill was spot on. You've got it down pat. Have you tried Litchi yet..........

Thank you!
I have not tried Litchi yet... everything Ive done was hand flown.

 

[rustysteel]

Darn good. Good shooting technique and exposure.

Thought the bridge clip flyover was a little too long. Break it up with shorter clips using a few different camera angles (?). Knowing how long a clip to be is tough.

The pull back scene at the end... Try a different angle to eliminate the glare from the water.

Good points. I agree about the bridge shot, but honestly I was pretty proud of it which is why it went a little long, LOL!
The pull back scene was honestly not intended to be included. I was recording while showing my sister how the drone worked. It just ended up being a closure shot as it showed most of us all together.

 

[rustysteel]

When I was flying the bridge, I thought about going under it. The bridge is huge, and care and planning are necessary for such a maneuver. The best or most interesting location would be the center span. It’s roughly 155 ft above the water. However, you would have to be over two miles out which challenges VLOS. I’m concerned about power consumption fighting the wind and signal lost. You would want at least a 600 ft RTH height, but losing signal under the bridge would be a disaster.
Because I was fighting a strong wind my conclusion at the time was don’t do it. I suppose one could go under the end spans but the clearance would be somewhat less.
Now how about flying through the suspension wires (which would violate the rules)? CRAZY!

One scene that did not make the cut was one of the neighbors who was a retired judge, came over to tell me it was illegal to fly around the bridge. He told me that F16s were dispatched the last time someone was flying a drone over the bridge. Everyone has a story...
I had done my research before hand and was 99% sure there were no issues. I know the NE side of the bridge is in controlled airspace, and Fort Michilimackinac is a no fly zone as well as Mackinac island.

 

[LeRoytheBoy]

Great video and you excelled with your editing. The best part was the colors in your video.
If you used a lense filter, which one did you use.

 

[rustysteel]

Great video and you excelled with your editing. The best part was the colors in your video.
If you used a lense filter, which one did you use.

Thank you! As I mentioned, video isnt my forte so I likely just had everything set to "auto". No filters either. Just a rare beautiful weather day in Michigan!

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

One scene that did not make the cut was one of the neighbors who was a retired judge, came over to tell me it was illegal to fly around the bridge. He told me that F16s were dispatched the last time someone was flying a drone over the bridge. Everyone has a story...
I had done my research before hand and was 99% sure there were no issues. I know the NE side of the bridge is in controlled airspace, and Fort Michilimackinac is a no fly zone as well as Mackinac island.

I worried about the very same issue. I had heard that you can't fly within 1000 feet of the bridge, but in all my research I never found any hard facts regarding restrictions (notwithstanding the controlled airspace on the NE side). When I visited both the Bridge View park and the Fort parking area, I looked for any written regs and "no drone" signs. Never saw any. So I decided to do the fight.

I regret not flying over the tower as you did. I thought that was a great shot! I was a little apprehensive to do it during my flight as the authorities might take an interest. I was thinking about stopping at the State Police Post on the St. Ignace side near the park and ask if they are aware of any restrictions. Maybe next time I'm up there.

Notwithstanding the existence of restrictions, where you launched from was a great place, inconspicuous and non-public. After you get out a mile or so, who's going to see it? It's such a small thing relative to such a huge structure.