First Video…Dolphins at Ft Myers Beach, FL

NYRangers99 · May 8, 2014

First video I put together with my Phantom 2…not the best editing but check out the amazing footage caught by the Phantom 2 and GoPro 3 at the end of this video!

https://vimeo.com/94481990

NYRangers99 · May 9, 2014

First video I have edited…used Cinema Studio...Any advice? tips?

NYRangers99 · May 11, 2014

thanks...

wilso · May 12, 2014

I'm no expert in shooting/editing so take this with a grain of salt, but here are my random comments.

Add an intro title slide in addition to the video description. Adding B-roll is even better and maybe an outro. Something to break up the 4 minutes of dolphin footage, which BTW is really cool.
I use Adobe, can Cinema Studio do lens correction, i.e. remove the fish eye from the GoPro? I like to take most of it out but leave a little for effect.
I like to keep the horizon or something similar in the frame for point of reference. Looking straight down on just the ocean gives me a sense of vertigo.
Try to keep the light (sun) toward the camera's back, generally gives better color.
I don't like my quad to cast shadows, especially in nature shots.
I know its hard when the subject is an animal, but moving (the quad, not the dolphin) shots are better than simply hovering. Ascend, descend, pan, zoom(in post).
A little color correction could help if you didn't use any, but that's a whole other can o' worms.

Hope this helps, look forward to seeing more. I lived in Cocoa Beach for 3 years, kinda miss Florida a tiny bit.
Check out my posts to my videos and let me know what you think.

NYRangers99 · May 12, 2014

Thank you very much for your advice Wilso.. it is very much appreciated…this is the first video I put together so any advice is appreciated.
I know 4 minutes is a lot of footage of dolphins but again, just through something together real quick… I can tell you this much, trying to figure out where they are going to surface is basically a guessing game as i was standing on the beach trying to see them on my 7" Boscam monitor and judge how far out they were LOL…the water was kind of murky due to rain the nigh before so seeing them through the water was kind of out of the question for that day…I did use Cinema Studio to edit the video and I did use color correction but the water color was basically like that on that day…Thanks for the advice on removing the fisheye also, GoPro Studio does offer that option which i thought i checked off but realized after the video was done that it wasn't checked on certain clips..I do plan on making another video of more footage of the beach and sunsets and more flight…honestly just through this together because I was happy to get that footage of the dolphins especially the one chasing the bait fish…I do admit maybe a little to much dolphin footage, definitely needed to be broken up. Again I really appreciate you taking the time out to comment and give me advice.
I will definitely check your stuff out…I hear you about missing Florida…my place down there is just a vacation place for now, can't wait to retire and move down there, so sick of living in NY…I see you're in Texas now, I hear its great there, a fried of mine just got hired by San Antonio PD about a year or so ago…said he loves it out there!

wilso · May 13, 2014

I know how it is when you first get some nice footage. It's tough to balance the amount of editing time against just putting it out there to see what people think.
I was wondering why the water was so dirty there, rain will do that.

Try to get someone to be a spotter when you fly FPV, it's definitely safer for people or at least the quad if you're over the water.

lyonaerials · May 13, 2014

wilso said:
I know how it is when you first get some nice footage. It's tough to balance the amount of editing time against just putting it out there to see what people think.
I was wondering why the water was so dirty there, rain will do that.

Try to get someone to be a spotter when you fly FPV, it's definitely safer for people or at least the quad if you're over the water.

Water is not dirty, thats just how it looks on the Florida Gulf Coast!

NYRangers99 · May 15, 2014

Ft Myers Beach is at the base of the Calosahatchie River…its been pretty clear, just had a few windy days and rain the day before that video so stuff got turned up, It was clear when I first got there just no dolphins around LOL…Not true about the Gulf Coast, Ive been to Siesta Key beach and the water is beautiful…its even clear as you go down towards Naples...

TMAN1985 · Feb 5, 2015

I had the Sheriffs office called on me when I flew on Ft Myers Beach. I was out over the water. A Deputy showed up and asked what I was doing. "flying my quadcopter ." He asked for ID, called it in and told me to have a nice day. I'm paranoid now.

knuckles · Feb 5, 2015

Very nice video and good music choice I thought. It was amazing you actually were in air to film it chasing and getting a fish.

I was in California recently sitting in my hotel room in the morning looking out the window preparing to go fly when I saw a dolphin swimming by the beach. Never was able to get one on film.

Look forward to seeing some of your future videos