One of my favourite TV shows is Midsomer Murders; or “silly Midsomer” as we call it in this house, as, let’s face it, most (if not all) the story lines are a tad fanciful, and even farcical. But it is good escapist viewing, especially on cold winter’s nights.
But every time I see a shot in the series that starts out low and gets higher and higher, or what is obviously an aerial shot over something like a forest, I wonder how much it cost to get that footage?
Back when the original Midsomer’s were being filmed of course, drones as we have them today were non-existent to all intents and purposes, so helicopters and other aircraft were used to get this sort of imagery.
I’ve known a few cameramen who specialised in this sort of videography, and trust me, they have nerves of steel and are a different breed!
Today, you too can get a long shot of a forest, or a fly away from a character looking wistfully over a lake or the ocean, for as little as around $400 (with a DJI Neo 2), or full cinematic gradable footage with a Mini Pro 5, Air 3S or MAVIC 4 Pro. Or even the new Lito X1 for that matter. Or if you use the new DJI AVTA 360 you have effectively an infinite number of cameras to get different perspectives of the same shot!
It stands to reason that each of these drones has varying levels of excellence in their camera systems / firmware, with the MAVIC 4 Pro at the top and the Neo 2 at the bottom, but no matter which you use, there are some standard shots you need to keep in your kit bag.
Keep It Slow
First thought, I’ll remind you that s-l-o-w is best; take your time getting the shot, don’t race the drone through it but have the drone moving as slowly as possible when shooting, with no sudden jerks, speed changes or altering direction (unless of course the script asks for it), and practice, practice, practice.
And don’t stop shooting when you have got your shot – the best directors will always “fly through” the scene, getting seconds of footage from each side of it.
Also be mindful of the sun’s position and shadows. You don’t want the drone’s shadow in the shot (usually anyway).
Shooting Techniques
Many of the shooting techniques available to you are actually pre-installed, in DJI drones at least, as MasterShots. Make use of them, such as orbit or dronee. Here are those and some others that you might want to manually include if they are not automatically available.
Orbit
This lets you pick your subject and the drone will fly around it in a circle keeping the subject in centre frame. This type of shot was used a lot in “Sherlock” with Benedict Cumberbatch.
Dolly (also called dronee)
Get the drone close to the subject – but not too close – and either using the inbuilt dronee MasterShot or manually, fly backwards and upwards and away from the subject with the camera locked on to the subject.
Fly By
Simply fly your drone over or to the side of the subject. If your drone supports ActiveTrack, lock it on the subject prior to the fly past / over to keep it in the centre of frame. This type of shot is ideal for things like a cut away.
Panning High
Use this as an establishment shot; simply get the drone to a high altitude and pan the horizon using the left stick (usually) to slowly turn the drone while maintaining the height.
Fly Through
Not for the feint hearted! This involves flying the drone through a gap such as under a bridge, a hole in a wall or through a chasm. Best used with all collision detectors in full firing mode! Even better if you have propeller guards and is a very effective shot if pulled off successfully.
Follow
Again using Active Track, just select your subject and lock it on, then the drone will follow from behind or fly backwards from the front. Ideal for making a commentary for example.
These are just a few ideas, but again I stress, practice makes perfect!