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How do you make your Mini 2 drone shots stand out?

KentMichael

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Oct 6, 2020
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Drones are getting more affordable each day. and as a result, a lot are becoming drone enthusiasts. I am one of those newbie drone lovers and am trying to learn how to shoot cinematic shots with my Mini 2 (see how newbie I am!) Can you share some insights/tips on how I can level up my cinematic footages like filters, software, and all that stuff that I should be looking out for?
 
What you're asking is a lot like "How do I get to Symphony Hall?". Study, practice and more practice and more study. It's building process, and there is a lot to learn as you develop your own style and approach. I liken the process to "drinking from a firehose".

But to answer your question, you will probably want some neutral density filters. The "recipe" for shooting cinematic footage is to set your shutter speed at 2x the frame rate. The typical frame rate in the US is 24 fps, I think in Europe its 25fps. Close enough that you would want your shutter set at 1/50sec. If 30fps then 1/60sec. Leave your ISO at 100 unless absolutely necessary to bump it up. So, given that, with a fixed aperture of f2.8 the only way to control your exposure is with ND filters. Which will you need? See the guide below (courtesy of PolarPro).

Editing software? There is a lot out there, but if I had to recommend one program, hands down it would have to be Davinci Resolve. It's free, but it is truly a full featured editor... But there is a learning curve. You will grow into it but you will never outgrow it. It can look scary at first, but don't let anyone scare you away from it. Some folks might say "it's so difficult... yada yada". It's only difficult if you want to do fancy tricks right now. The basics are no more difficult than any other piece of software you aren't yet familiar with. There are tons of short tutorials when you need a specific task, they are right there, unless Putin is interfereing with the selection. Trust me. Even with the attention span of a Cocker Spaniel and some minor learning disabilities, I was able to put down my first project in 2 weeks from a standing start.

If you're asking to shoot cinematic shots I have to assume you are a new shooter as well [correct me if I'm wrong]. The one thing I would tell anyone starting out, is find things are visually interesting from any perspective and then find the new perspectives from the air. Secondly, always know what your point of interest is and fly/shoot to illustrate that point of interest. A good exercise to do regularly when preparing to shoot is to ask yourself "What is the reason I'm shooting this?". If you can't answer yourself with a satisfactory reason, then perhaps it will help you focus to find the reason, or skip the shot altogether. Think in terms of telling a story without words.

Lastly... LIGHT. The drone is almost exclusively dependent on existing light. A shot that looks cinematic just before sunset might look like amateur hour if that same shot were filmed at noon. Be aware of direction, light quality and the color of the light. Also, scout your scenes from all angles. You'll be surprised at what might look boring from one angle can really pop from a different one.

So that's it for now. I'm sure others have much more to add.
Filter Guide_SM.jpg
 
Rule of thirds for photos


and a polarising filter

 
Learn to edit. I see a lot of folks on here posting what could be great videos, ,if only they’d edited them properly. There are some great videos on YouTube on editing, and transitions.
 
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This will help - it’s. A great little video.

 
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