How Drones Are Being Used in the Film Industry

- by Cris Mark Baroro

Drones are being used more and more for filming movies. As technology improves, film directors are using them because they are more flexible and easier to use than traditional cameras, can get effects that previously required a great deal of money, and allow you to be in places where you could very well get killed. Examples of popular films that use drones are James Bond: Spectre, Jurassic World, The Expendables, The November Man, and many more. The surge in drone usage has got people wondering how they work and what the future of the device is.

Here are four major ways drones are being used in the film industry and how they're changing filmmaking.

Drones are used to capture scenic shots

As drones become more and more accessible, they are also becoming a common sight in TV and film. Drones are

used to capture scenic shots that would be impossible to get from any other angle—from the air, in particular.

Drones can also be used to add a sense of realism to the world of film which can be used to heighten the suspense of a scene. For example, if a scene takes place in the woods, it would be easy for a director to simply film his actors walking through the woods and call it a day. But with the help of a drone, he could capture shots that make it look like they are actually flying through the forest rather than just walking on foot.

Because drones are small and can move quickly, they allow filmmakers to create dynamic action scenes that would be impossible to achieve with a larger camera.

Scenic shots are a great way to capture the beauty of nature and can help you create a video that's more dynamic and interesting. However, these shots can often be too large for your purposes and will take up too much space for what you want to do with them. If this is the case, then you'll need to compress them down into a smaller file size so that they will work better in your video.

There are two different ways that you can compress scenic shots: an mp4 compressor or a video compressor. Each has its own advantages, but ultimately it all depends on what type of equipment you have access to and how much time you want to spend on editing. If you want to get started right away, try using an mp4 compressor first and see how it works out for you!

Drones can help film crews get in close to a subject

If you’ve seen a movie recently, you've probably noticed them: a tiny drone hovering above the scene, zooming in for a close-up shot. The camera attached to the drone can capture a wide range of shots that are difficult (if not impossible) for human operators. For example, you might see a drone fly up high above the scene so that it's level with an actor's face and zoom in on his or her reaction to something happening below.

One example of this is Director Jon Turteltaub choosing a unique way to open Red Notice, his action-comedy starring Dwayne Johnson. In the sequence, Thurber flies the audience over a bridge and straight into an eye-level shot of Johnson as his Agent John Hartley character. From the flight to the door to a museum, the camera never appears to cut, offering an added level of immersion for the audience. As Thurber explains it, this seamless transition was made possible thanks to new technology.

"Thank you for noticing. Yeah, those are very, very special shots," Thurber explained, as seen in the interview featured in the above video. "In fact, those shots that you're talking about had never been done before in the history of cinema, because the technology that we use to achieve those shots, you know, was invented about six weeks before we used them."

Drones make it more affordable to complete more complicated shots

Hiring a person to operate the drone was expensive and time-consuming.

However, nowadays, there are companies that have developed software that allows drones to fly autonomously. These companies allow filmmakers to complete more complicated shots by allowing them to program a flight path for the drone and letting it run on its own. The software also lets filmmakers shoot from angles that would be impossible for a human to reach. For example, they can program the drone to fly off of a cliff or high building and capture footage as it falls.

Also, drones can now be used as a stand-in for helicopters in aerial shots. This saves production companies thousands of dollars in fuel costs and allows them to complete a shot much faster than if they had to wait for a helicopter crew to arrive on set. In addition, they don't have any of the noise issues associated with helicopters—making them ideal for filming scenes that require silence, like those in a music video or documentary about wildlife animals who live near humans (such as bears).

Drones are used to capture shots that are too dangerous for humans to film

One of the most common uses is for capturing shots that are too dangerous for humans to film. For example, if you're trying to capture footage of an animal in its natural habitat, you might want to use a drone so that you don't disturb the animal or put yourself in danger. Additionally, drones can assist in obtaining better shots than you could get with a helicopter or other manned aircraft.

Another common use of drones is to provide aerial shots from angles that would otherwise be impossible. This could mean getting a bird's-eye view of an actor on set or following a character through an entire scene. Drones allow filmmakers to give their audience a new perspective on what they're watching and make scenes more immersive than they would be otherwise.

Conclusion

Drones are being used more and more in the film industry, but it's not the hardware or software like film and video editors that filmmakers are enticed by. It's the freedom that comes from having all of these shots at hand. They don't have to plan for it, secure locations, or spend a lot of money. That sort of freedom is invaluable to anyone working on a large movie or a television show. Or on a smaller scale, any kind of production where watching a nearly perfect take is crucial. Drones are changing the game for filmmakers everywhere, and for good reason.