Top Tips for Amazing Cinematic Drone Footage

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

If you liked this video and would like to see more please consider supporting me on Patreon www.patreon.com/jonathanjscott

[@LUPONELLASTEPPA]

Landscape World league: You, Ben Brown, Yuri Palma, Neumannfilms, Timestorm.

[@itstheBMAC]

This video provided some great insight into such simple film concepts that are so often overlooked with drone cinematography. Thank you for bringing light to them! 👍🏼

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

hey, no problem, glad you found it useful. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Cheers 😀

[@robnelsonfilms]

Great tips! It's nice to see it coming from the perspective of a filmmaker!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@RoyHessey]

Thank you Jonathan. I benefited heaps from your video. I am an old "hack" amateur, but love making videos. I have subscribed and also downloaded your video to watch again. We smile when you talk about a sunny day in England. Man, here in Australia the light is harsh on a fine sunny day. I like shooting in the golden hours. Thanks again

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

hey no problem, glad it was useful for you and thanks for the nice comments and appreciation. Happy shooting.

[@LifeinDigitalFilms]

Walking with drone in hand and using it's gimbal, genius! You sir are very, very sharp!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

thanks man 😃

[@keefetography7655]

This video blew my mind! It made me think of drones in an entirely different way!!

[@DavidHDennis]

Love the filmmaking perspective, this short video is definitely worth a watch :).

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

David Dennis thanks David 👍👍

[@DavidHDennis]

Come visit my channel for Miami by David, a recap of popular events halfway around the world on you :). Shot on Leica Q. Am thinking of getting a drone again, probably a Mavic.

[@kayumpawatiya9980]

Thanks so much for the video. Loved the Reveal Tip and the tip of using the drone as a hand held camera. God bless you.

[@bryan1057]

Another great video with good advice. Like the idea of using the gimbal to film while walking behind the subject.

[@mrdanvant]

Great insight into making footage look amazing. Just got a Phantom and looking forward to creating these types of short films.

[@ArpiPap]

some of the greatest advice I've seen about cinematography and drones.You're cool. And thanks for this.

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Arpi Pap thanks man 👍👍

[@MagnumVideos]

Great video, Jonathan. I never thought of using the Phantom as a steady cam. Great idea! One thing I wanted to ask. In your long shots, with the far distant horizon, it looks like your horizon does downhill to the right in each scene. Is your gimbal out of adjustment, like your IMU needs to be calibrated? I just experienced this on my Phantom and it fixed it when I recalibrated it. If it was intentional, please ignore my statement.

[@DrDoinks]

Beautiful shots in the intro, definitely shows that you know how to get those shots!

[@salbers13]

Thanks for taking the time to make this, throughly enjoyed as I just got my phantom 3 a couple months ago

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

no problem buddy, glad it was useful.

[@JunaidHassan-junaidslife]

Pretty good video mate. Interesting how you mentioned new drone users come from an RC background and hence can't visuals the ariel photography shots very creatively. Subscribed! :)

[@robjackson9364]

Holding the phantom and walking with it? That's so genius!!! Never heard or seen that before. With two operators you could pull off some amazing shots! Got me thinking and I'll try it and see what comes out. Good & free option vs Osmo or DSLR on gimbal. I use a glidecam for my DSLR but this is great if I go backpacking and only take this. THANK YOU!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

+Rob Jackson No problems, yes it produces surprisingly decent results. Have fun with it.

[@yusufkarriem246]

Now this is what I call professional tips, Thanks Johnathan. Yusuf

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

+Yusuf Karriem No, thank you for the kind comment.

[@TheYorkshireTourist]

really good video jonathan, just what i was looking for! can't wait to get my hands on one now!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

thanks for the kind comment Dan, and glad it was useful, have fun when you get yours!

[@TheYorkshireTourist]

Jonathan J Scott Films i sure will, thanks a lot!

[@RocketLR]

Really good video m8 with excellent points! You nailed the best cinematic drone footage tips video IMO!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

+RocketLR Cheers, glad it helped you

[@SchwalmPictures]

Combining drone shots with ground shots...I think I have to do that more in my videos for my channel. Thanks for your great work!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

cool, have fun and fly safe.

[@truenorth365]

Really helpful tips! Will soon start drone-filming with a DJI Mavic Pro and trying to learn as much as possible before first take-off. Thanks for sharing your experience! (thumbs up)

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Magnus Persson thanks Magnus

[@shennachie]

Great advice - thank you - will def incorporate this in the future - just getting started with the Phantom 3 here on Skye .... !

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

no problem, enjoy flying you have a fantastic location for it. :-)

[@Jase86]

that's a good video! to the point, clear, and informative. nice work.

[@greyjustice]

Thanks for the tips, I'm just starting out filming with a p3s so your video has really helped.

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

that's cool to hear, have fun and safe flying.

[@AlexanderSchubert]

A lot of good and useful tips. Thanks for sharing

[@mileshebden]

Great tips, thanks.

[@robertsmith1071]

Great video dude! ive got a Mavic on order and cant wait to get some shots on the mountain bike. you explain it really well and ive picked up some really good tips! cheers bud, please do more :)

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

robert smith thanks very much, more stuff to come so if you haven't already make sure you subscribe. Happy Flying.

[@seahippies]

Thank you from Australia Jonathan. Your brief video was an answer to many questions we had *especially about using the drone as a hand held platform. Now on our large monitor the video is 'chugging' Is this because the video was shot in 4 k and our computers are not capable of this technology? Is it a PAL/NTSC issue? Im sure many will say the video is not good when in fact their viewing device is not up to the technology. Cheers

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Darryl Hetherington what spec is the pc/mac you are using to look at the footage

[@SrengLim2023]

Great Tips . I just start flying my first Drone 2.

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

cool, have fun and fly safe.

[@PalmaMultimedia]

Xlent, well scripted, short and to the point; none of the usual ' Waaaasup KZbinrs welcome to my channel........'

[@chmith27]

this is a really good video. i came to a lot of these conclusions after using the drone for a while, and would have benefitted from seeing this before 'reinventing the wheel'. good job.

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

thanks, glad it was useful even if was a bit late ;-)

[@MinelabGold]

Again another great Video JS, well executed mate. The main issue I am having with my new P34K and I see all these other Vids on YT regarding ISO and Shutter etc - and the best settings in DJI for the camera, D Log, Custom -2 -3 -2 then when I film and go to post I am finding it hard to get the video quality to look the way I want. It feels I cant get that balance of Brightness and Contrast with vivid colors correct in post no matter how much I try. Maybe its just me being too picky - my footage looks good but it could be better I think. Where as with my JVC GC PX-100 I can get it almost perfect from shoot. Any info would be greatly appreciated, Cheers M.G

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Minelab Gold have a look on my channel, I did a video specifically about what cameras setting I use when filming with the P3. 👍

[@MinelabGold]

Thanks JS, I will check it out - went out today and had brilliant light 1 hour before sunset. The shot I captured below the tree canopy wasnt the best, which was expected as there wasnt really much color to produce a great shot anyway, very dry bushland because its the end of our summer. Then when I went back out into open grounds with a lot of contrast and colors throughout the grounds, various dirt piles of different minerals/rocks, I managed to get a pretty amazing reveal shot. From the Ground starting low and then forwards and climbing above the tree line to reveal the mountains in the distance with the sunset. Thanks for your Vids mate, they have added another level of inspiration. I got more from watching 2 of your video's than watching 50 or so others. ;)

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Minelab Gold good stuff, thanks for the kind comments and happy flying.

[@KickTracks]

Amazing! That's really cool. Thank you for this vid.

[@davidcruztoribio2297]

super cool man ... i hope you make more of this videos

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

thanks, I have a few more drone ones (post production techniques), you can find them on my channel.

[@kristianmuthugalage5650]

I got a lot of ideas from this video, really helpful !

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

no problem, glad to help.

[@twylafox]

Great tips! Very clear and easy to understand. Thanks!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

no worries, glad you found it helpful

[@ElementofKindness]

I never thought to CARRY the drone for a shot! That's pretty dang smart!

[@DevonFlair]

Love this! I'm heading out there after work for a 15mile trail run. Always out over Sharpitor and Sheepstor etc. What's the ridge featured in that end sequence, please? Not taking the drone with me today due to rain forecast later, but want to get some similar shots and that ridge looks perfect! Is it North/North East of the reservoir?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Thanks man, have a good run. The ridge is just behind Sharpitor towards the reservoir.

[@DevonFlair]

+Jonathan J Scott Films perfect thanks! Weird seeing it from a different perspective! I spotted it last night as I was returning to the car. Keep up the good work :-)

[@premierdrone-brasil4532]

that amazing landscape

[@marksurry]

Some great advice given there, thanks.

[@Rubenirez]

This vid is pure GOLD!

[@plasrobin]

This is golden ! thank you!!!

[@YoungBlaze]

i like this guy, he knows what the fuck is up!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

haha! thanks, I try my best.

[@YoungBlaze]

i have a question for you, but have you notice when your filming people, their not as sharp as they should be, mayhbe because the settings in the camera with reduced with sharpness? and i just bought some ND Filters! do you use those cool guy?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

+YoungBlaze Of Chitown Yep i do use ND filters, great for bright conditions. Not sure what you mean about the sharpness I'm afraid.

[@YoungBlaze]

Hey you know what i would love to see you do one day, a video with the dji using the 1080 slow motion 60 frames with a subject running or something, well which ever is better for slomo , i just got my dji and im learning from your vids!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

+YoungBlaze Of Chitown Yes I have shot a few things to test out 60fps, but the resolution at 1080p is a little too low on the Phantom, unfortunately the picture quality really takes a hit. Glad your having fun with your Phantom, enjoy! Any further questions just ask my friend.

[@TheAnvil1971]

Outstanding tipps. Thanks a lot!

[@bukinibee4062]

Great video and great tips. Just got my first drone.......thanks

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

no problem, enjoy.

[@SimonBurkarl]

Oh geez it scared the heck out of me at 3:26 when they were driving in the opposite side of the road. Not used to that - phew!

[@rayflanagan9970]

Excellent tips. Thank you. The one thing I would add (coming from a musical background myself) is using the RIGHT music for your background to set the mood/tempo of the shot(s). Nothing worse than watching a soothing calm drone shot with death metal music as the backdrop.... Put as much effort into the music for your video as you do in MAKING the video.

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Ray F yep, definitely, good call. 👍

[@tshi8766]

Great tips. When you did the whole pull back method and you started going backwards did you set your speed manually like that ?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Tshibonda Mpoyo yep, everything is controlled manually in this.

[@lalodeviaje]

hi jonathan, i have a cuestion, why my drone fligth only 500 mts. to the remote control :/ i have phantom 3 professional

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

it's the altitude limit set by DJI in the app.

[@ed1nh0]

Nice video! Very enlightening. Thanks for sharing!

[@merowsProductions]

wait a min, how did u made the dolly zoom effect on phantom? 1:19

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Done in post production by digitally zooming out.

[@merowsProductions]

Jonathan J Scott Films gooooooood

[@AWESOMEAUSSIEFLYOVERS]

simply stunning ty for sharing

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Thanks for your support

[@eddietang68]

Great tips! Thanks for making this tutorial :)

[@AI4QT]

Great tips! Thank you for sharing!

[@MJPamuru20]

Hi, great helpful video! I'm hoping to buy a Phantom 4 soon, aiming for approx. December/January and I'm feeling really enthusiastic about it. Could you give me some advice? I have a shot in mind that will focus on two actors before tracking away and ascending, I'm just curious as to how you would mic' actors in this scenario? Without it being visible on the actors? Also, how well does this drone handle a diagonal decent whilst remaining focused on an actor? I.e. From max altitude to approx 4/5 foot from ground level in a smooth diagonal line over about 1/4 to 1/2km?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Having visible mics is not a problem, just use lapels and hide them in clothing, what you will have a major problem with is the noise the drone makes, they are not quiet in anyway, the type of shot you describe will be near impossible without using ADR. The second shot is also quite difficult but not impossible but will require a lot of practice, it will be difficult to make it look smooth, with a constant rate and angle of descent, what will be a lot easier is to do the reverse and do a pull out shot and then reverse it in post. Good luck.

[@MJPamuru20]

That's great, thank you for your response :)

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

no problem my friend.

[@markhaitch7482]

Enjoyed your tutorial very much...how you enjoying your c100 mk2? I got myself a beaten up c300 and enjoying it very much. I think I will dip my toe into drone filming. Think I'll drop for the phantom 4 and hopefully can film in a flat profile and post correct...thanks for the advice

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

c100mk2 is great, haven't used one in a while but great run and gun cam. c300 still holds up very well despite only being 1080. You may want to watch my video on picture profiles for the P4 and P3 (it's on my channel). Typically I do not recommend log on these cameras as the image it produces is mushy and lacking detail.

[@markhaitch7482]

i currently have an awful lot of un-edited C-log footage on my hard disk from the C300. But it creates lovely 50Mb/s cinematic footage...I wonder now if inspire 1 might be way to go so I can swap camera out with osmo in future.

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

+Mark Haitch the Inspire with x5 camera produces great imagery, but still highly compressed. The X5R shoots raw at a data rate of 1.8Gbps but a setup will run somewhere in the region of £5-6K plus all the headaches of post with raw video, storage etc....

[@markhaitch7482]

Aye. You are right of course. Whilst I always shoot raw for stills its impractical for motion. Maybe 18 months in the future? 1080 is great and why I paid something of a premium for this battered c300. Its just a very usable camera/system. Something people tend to forget. They seem to look at the 4k/RAW badge. It brings an awful lot of baggage with it as you rightly suggest.

[@zephir]

thx for sharing those helfull tips, how did you make the background/foreground text effect?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

just a bit of motion tracking in after effects.

[@zephir]

ok thx

[@Heli4213]

Just subscribed to you and saw this video from you. Wow great tips I already learned a few things. Keep them coming. Any ideas of the Phantom video settings and do you use any ND filters or anything? Thanks

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Heli4213 glad you liked it, I've made a video on phantom picture profiles and one on accessories for drones where I talk about ND filters, both are on my channel so check them out.

[@Heli4213]

Ok watched some of your videos and will watch more later awesome. Besides film do you use ND Filters for Drone still photos? I know you talked about shutter speeds and the way video looks without a ND filter and I see that in my videos. Does the shutter automatically adjust when you install a ND filter? Do I need a special adapter to put the filters on ? Also most important want to buy a few online ASAP PLEASE what do you recommend to buy for the 3 Professional? I will take your advise and buy what you tell me. Sorry for the few questions but if you answer them you will really help me out !!!!!!!!!!! Thank You Bob

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Heli4213 don't use them for photos, only for video. I always have a manual shutter speed and set it accordingly for correct exposure, generally you want it to be double your frame rate for video. I use polar pro filters

[@Heli4213]

I'm not great at this editing and film like you yet so sorry ran into a small issue. Ok here goes. 1. Shot some video in 4K resolution at 50 frames second. Sunny day used a ND filter as always 2. Put footage just on my computer, and yes a "4K monitor," and wow the small 30 second video clip is so clear I cant believe it. 3. Put it into Sony Vegas Pro 13 and just did a render on that small clip to see what it would look like but I only see a choice for render in 4K at 30 frames a second. 4. I did that because I did not see a choice for 24 FPS and the video clip does not look as good as being on my computer. 5. Does rendering at 30FPS make a huge problem because it wasn't 24FPS like this or is this something else? 6. Finally get to where I can video perfect after years and now I cant edit it or render it where it looks good. 7. Here is what exactly it says when I go to render and pull up the menu, " 8 Mbps HD 1080-30P Video 4K 30 FPS 100 Sharp" This is what I rendered in. 8. Also noticed my file that looked awesome was about 240 megabytes for the 25 seconds. When it was rendered it was 39.2 megabytes ????? Is this part of the issue losing the file size?????????????????? PLEASE HELP Bob

[@simistef]

Very nice shots from Romania :)

[@jp99575w]

Very informative, What video editing software do you use?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Adobe Premiere

[@DouArtShi]

Great video. Thanks for the tips.

[@satoraypon7282]

how did you shot 1:19 ??

[@topcatskk]

Great video - very practical helpful advice.......! Tom - Ireland

[@Dancefloornation]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@mugy2k]

hello, are some of this filmed in eastern europe,because some shots like the church and housesand evem the landscape ,look just like there?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

yeah, some of them are from Romania, I have a couple of short videos of there if you check my channel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bp7aoYV8qrl0la8

[@WeBeYachting]

Awesome video , you just got one new subscriber !

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

thanks man, feel free to share with others if you like. :-)

[@yusufbey9634]

Where did this video take place?

[@vandelayindustries2971]

As far as I know, the DJI Phantom doesn't have optical zoom. However, I noticed that sometimes the scenery was moving away while the parallax stayed the same. Is this some kind of flying technique or did you just zoom out in post-production?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

yep, you got it, no optical zoom on phantom, but shooting at 4K means the ability to crop/zoom in post for HD delivery.

[@vandelayindustries2971]

Yeah, I figured. It's a really cool effect, too bad my drone records in 1080p which is also my export resolution.

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

You might be able to get away with a small zoom say up to about 10%, give it a go and see what it looks like. Cheers.

[@vandelayindustries2971]

I'll give it a go, thanks!

[@alexdunlop3925]

Cool, thanks. Helpful stuff.

[@LeeHanyoPhoto]

Nice video, thanks for the tips!

[@fenderman21guitar]

Really good vid thanks for the tips! Shame we couldnt see your cut with the golden hour lighting they looked interesting

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

fenderman21guitar check out my other drone videos on my channel, lots of golden hour shots 😀

[@fenderman21guitar]

Jonathan J Scott Films certainly will, ive done a couple of short edits myself my next one im aiming for the golden hour!

[@ariefhalisaputra1391]

for taking shoot backlight,are u using auto or manual exposure? if auto,what compensate do u use? examplev+3 or -3?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Always manual, never shoot in auto as you will have exposure changes in your footage. If a shot is backlit, i.e. you are shooting directly in to the sun, you'll need to drop the exposure (increase shutter speed or use ND) to expose for the detail in the sky and silhouette your subject.

[@gj677]

i like you! You are smart to use it as gimbal too!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

John Cloud thanks pal

[@kevinsink3799]

Great suggestions!

[@rj540]

Good tips. Thanks.

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

RJ's Video Channel you're welcome my friend

[@MkmeOrg]

Well done!

[@kalkimovie]

Gr8 stuff, thanks for sharing

[@world-ri6ws]

Great video...learned a lot.

[@claudineygontijo614]

Great tutorial! Thanks

[@hotchi1566]

Very useful tips. Thanks a lot.

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

my pleasure

[@anthonyb97]

What's the text called that says background. How do you do it so it shows up like that?

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

it's motion tracked and rotoscoped in After Effects.

[@ValentinosLoucaides]

Great work thank you!

Thumbs up ere', really enjoyed that, some great tips and you have a new subscriber :-)

[@FKfilmphotography]

very good informative video.

[@welshray1]

You can actually buy a "handle" on Ebay, that attaches to your drone via the motor threads where you would attach the props, effectively turning your drone into a handheld steadycam, and there is a tablet mount on the handle :-) I think it was just under £20....

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

welshray1 thanks, didn't know that.

[@welshray1]

No problem i only found them yesterday myself, I think for that price it's worth buying just to try it out lol, it's on my list Anyway..

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

welshray1 yeah why not, although I have an osmo and other gimbals as well, but for a cheap and easy setup it could be good

[@welshray1]

Yes definitely, I've got my eye on the Osmo Mobile & Tripod + Extension Rod kit, but i've only just forked out for a Phantom 3, so i'll wait a month or two & replenish my gadget fund first hahaha...

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

welshray1 😀😀😀

[@fastfix.indonesia]

thanks for your tips..

[@overviewvisuals5900]

Some good advice!

[@co.agmusic]

Very good information

[@MarcosMediavilla]

Great idea use the drone as handeld gimbal! xD

[@greyjohnson4124]

fukthegoog but the camera isn't good

[@indigestoso]

thankyou ! very helpful.

[@voyageruk2002]

Great insights there, thank you

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

no problem, can I ask where you found my video, did you search for it on KZbin or did it come up as a recommended video or did you find it elsewhere? All of a sudden its getting a lot of views and comments. Thanks.

[@voyageruk2002]

+Jonathan J Scott Films KZbin recommended it to me, after viewing tutorials on the Phantom 3 Standard

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

+voyageruk2002 Thanks

[@adventureswithchristian6967]

Great content I just subscribed. thank you

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

no, thank you my friend

[@chesleywrobinsonjr7001]

Pretty cool thanks !!!!!

[@DroneMinds]

great tips! :) Thanks a lot! subscribed!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

no problem, that's for the sub 👍

[@tweakedculture1]

Awesome video!! Got my sub. Thanks again for the tips. New pilot incoming!

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

tweakedculture1 thanks for your support. Happy Flying

[@patrick4912]

Great video

[@LarioTus]

Useful tips

[@LuBiBochum]

Im number 100 :-) But I also liked the video. Thanks for these tipps.

[@TriniWeekes]

great advice

[@JonathanJScottFilms]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@droneviews5627]

great tutorial thanks.