My first time using DJI Fly Pro mode in Video Editor - Looking for critique & advice

[ganderson]

Hi,

I've had my Mavic Mini for almost a year now. I used to take small clips on holiday and then post the whole video to my social media, but last week I had a go at editing a video when flying around Liverpool, UK.

The video is here:

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I like the speed of the video (1.5 original cinematic setting in the Mavic), and the smoothness of the scene-changing but some of the drone movement is jerky.

Looking for honest critique and looking to learn. Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

 

[manc54]

The video production isn't bad. There are other aspects of the video that I don't like but I'll keep them to myself.

 

[FLDave]

Since you asked for critique...
My first thought is that rotations are much too fast; limit to about 5 degrees/second would make it easer to watch. It seems that there was no plan of what you intended to shoot, like no story.
Yes, jerkiness, but that could be removed during edit. You could also just do smoother controls. I generally reject bad aspects during it so no one knows what the original footage looked like.
I never used the DJI Fly video editor; my choice is the free ShotCut editor where I can use full computer screen to get it right.

 

[DaveS]

Overall, good job. FLDave is right, slower moves, especially pans. 360 pans are tough to do. you could break that up into 2, 3 or 4 different segments and spread those pans out throughout the video. Yes, fly with purpose. Think story. Let's say in this case your story is about the arts district in your city. So, show just the library, then show just one museum, then another, then a theatre. In others words. focus on one place per shot instead of panning from one to the other. Your music was OK. Give the video a title, "The Arts District of..." Good start. Keep at it and keep sharing on this forum.

 

[ganderson]

Thanks everyone. This is really good advice.

 

[Lets Fly]

Hi,

I've had my Mavic Mini for almost a year now. I used to take small clips on holiday and then post the whole video to my social media, but last week I had a go at editing a video when flying around Liverpool, UK.

The video is here:

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For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

I like the speed of the video (1.5 original cinematic setting in the Mavic), and the smoothness of the scene-changing but some of the drone movement is jerky.

Looking for honest critique and looking to learn. Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

yes the 360, which you did twice are much to jumpy, (and I guess) what manc54 in post #2 was keeping to himself and I won't, was the flight over people and moving vehicles while just missing those tree limbs. You might want to watch that.

 

[ganderson]

yes the 360, which you did twice are much to jumpy, (and I guess) what manc54 in post #2 was keeping to himself and I won't, was the flight over people and moving vehicles while just missing those tree limbs. You might want to watch that.

Thanks. I suspect Manc54 doesn't like Liverpool as he's a Manc.

I take on board your comments however. That last flight was a little too low and I briefly lost sight of the drone.
I'll practice with the 360s but don't think I'll do many more of them.

Thanks again!

 

[Lets Fly]

Thanks. I suspect Manc54 doesn't like Liverpool as he's a Manc.

I take on board your comments however. That last flight was a little too low and I briefly lost sight of the drone.
I'll practice with the 360s but don't think I'll do many more of them.

Thanks again!

Yours was in 1080p. If you go to 4K and slow down, that should help, and I'll bite, being from the U.S. what's a Manc?

 

[manc54]

Thanks. I suspect Manc54 doesn't like Liverpool as he's a Manc.

I take on board your comments however. That last flight was a little too low and I briefly lost sight of the drone.
I'll practice with the 360s but don't think I'll do many more of them.

Thanks again!

Actually I live in Wirral yhe other side of the Mersey to Liverpool. Just didn't want to act like the drone police in regard to your flying !

 

[Yogi053]

Yours was in 1080p. If you go to 4K and slow down, that should help, and I'll bite, being from the U.S. what's a Manc?

I may be wrong as I'm from Scotland, but I would surmise that a manc is referring to someoe who supports Manchester City soccer team and there is a terrific rivalry between soccer fans from the cities of Manchester and Liverpool. As the OP has video'd sights of Liverpool then he might have thought the manc was alluding to that. Of course, I may be wrong seeing as how I'm probably thought of as a ' dumb jock' who knows nothing about football. Soccer to you that is.

 

[manc54]

I may be wrong as I'm from Scotland, but I would surmise that a manc is referring to someoe who supports Manchester City soccer team and there is a terrific rivalry between soccer fans from the cities of Manchester and Liverpool. As the OP has video'd sights of Liverpool then he might have thought the manc was alluding to that. Of course, I may be wrong seeing as how I'm probably thought of as a ' dumb jock' who knows nothing about football. Soccer to you that is.

I support Manchester United football club . My comments were nothing to do with the sights of Liverpool (actually love the city)

 

[Yogi053]

I support Manchester United football club . My comments were nothing to do with the sights of Liverpool (actually love the city)

I apologise manc54. I meant no disrespect to you or the cities. I understood your reticence ie drone police remarks. I was trying to inform the poster from Florida of possible connotations of manc meaning. Again I apologise and good luck to your supported club

 

[ICHOTT]

Actually I live in Wirral yhe other side of the Mersey to Liverpool. Just didn't want to act like the drone police in regard to your flying !

I think the OP doesn’t just want the advice, but needs it, it’s not policing, it’s advice so tell him what your thoughts are and perhaps he will re fly and get better results.

 

[manc54]

I apologise manc54. I meant no disrespect to you or the cities. I understood your reticence ie drone police remarks. I was trying to inform the poster from Florida of possible connotations of manc meaning. Again I apologise and good luck to your supported club

No problems no offence taken.

 

[adbetron]

Hi,

I've had my Mavic Mini for almost a year now. I used to take small clips on holiday and then post the whole video to my social media, but last week I had a go at editing a video when flying around Liverpool, UK.

The video is here:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

I like the speed of the video (1.5 original cinematic setting in the Mavic), and the smoothness of the scene-changing but some of the drone movement is jerky.

Looking for honest critique and looking to learn. Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

Not too scruffy at all mate! Petty good!

 

[Greekislandlover]

It's amazing what these little drones can do! Some excellent photography there! I think a lot of point's of mine have been made already, but I'll mention my basic editing rules.

Firstly, delete all jerky footage. It's distracting and can ruin the film.

Secondly, group the shots together on the timeline and zap duplicates. If there are several that are similar, choose the best one.

Thirdly, try and make some logical flow, or story out of the footage. For example, the statue on the pole. Start with some sort of reveal shot. Approaching from a distance, or ascending the column to reveal him. Then go for picking out details, or orbit type shots. Then move away and transition to another subject.

I'd say it's worth looking at the length of some of the shots. I think there is a tendency for drone videos to have very long shots. Because it's technically good, that doesn't mean it all has to be included in the finished film. One of the shots going along the road is smooth, goes jerky then smooth again. I'd have cut out the jerky bit.

Although this might not be appropriate, it's worth looking at other image sources for inclusion. For example, old archive photo's showing the then and now can be interesting. Don't be afraid to use still pictures in drone videos and sometimes it's appropriate to add information in titles. Again, the column ascending - you could have a title saying how tall it was whilst ascending, or the year it was built. My geography is anything north of the M4 is alien territory of which I know nothing, so a title naming what we are looking at sometimes helps.