Learning to fly a camera...

[DrChris]

So today was the day for my first two flights! First of all, I'm really impressed with the P3 all around! I've been taking it very slowly as I'm new to the Phantom world (not new to quads however).

After being behind the controls in real life today, ideas that I was developing were confirmed. As Phantom (specifically P3) pilots, we should be developing skill sets that have much more to do with cinematography than flying acrobatics. We should be developing the ability to turn incredibly smoothly and slowly, to pan around a point of interest, to compose shots in our minds and then execute them with the Phantom.

I've been thinking about some of these specific skills that we should be practicing but I'm sure that many of you have others to add to my list. So far, I'm working on or planning to work on:

- smooth radial pans around a point of interest
- reverse zoom out and up from a point of interest
- forward zoom in and down to a point of interest

What others would you guys add? Any specific practice exercises that you'd throw in? Are there settings that you use to make these kinds of maneuvers easier to pull off?

It's been great learning from all of you more experienced Phantom pilots! Thanks for all of your advice!

Chris

 

[envisionabove]

Don't fly high and spin....
Trimming is our best friend. Keep moving remember the rule of 3.
Setup your shot with a pause if your in the air (a marker for trimming)
8 seconds on most trims up to 18 if it's moving.

 

[DrChris]

Don't fly high and spin....
Trimming is our best friend. Keep moving remember the rule of 3.
Setup your shot with a pause if your in the air (a marker for trimming)
8 seconds on most trims up to 18 if it's moving.

By rule of 3 do you refer to the rule of thirds or is there something else I need to learn?

Chris

 

[envisionabove]

By rule of 3 do you refer to the rule of thirds or is there something else I need to learn?

Chris

Yes thirds soz

 

[CallMeAlan]

I agree with what DrChris says. My favourite types of shot are reversing and climbing at 45 degrees away from something interesting, and traversing along objects, i.e., flying sideways, maintaining the same distance from the objects, let's say a row of trees for example. It can be effective to transform into a climbing reverse and turn to look back at the trees at the end of the pass.

But the most important thing I've learned in order to get good video is: fly slower than you think you need to. What looks like an appropriate speed when you're aloft will often look too fast onscreen, and this is particularly true with yaws and turns, and even more important in 4K with its slower from rate.

 

[jhamby]

reversing and climbing at 45 degrees away from something interesting
traversing along objects, maintaining the same distance from the objects
fly slower than you think you need to. What looks like an appropriate speed when you're aloft will often look too fast onscreen

Things like these are gold to new pilots!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JdotB]

I found this interesting:
http://www.skillshare.com/classes/p...eative-Direction-for-Drone-Filming/1023605416
I found the link on DJI's Twitter feed.

 

[ebfoxbat]

Practice, practice, practice.

I have much better video results when I sit on the ground with the controller on my lap.

My parents have a 30-foot flag pole in an open area of their yard. I have about 2 hours of progressively better pans of the ball on top of their flag pole.

 

[ctp]

I found this interesting:
http://www.skillshare.com/classes/p...eative-Direction-for-Drone-Filming/1023605416
I found the link on DJI's Twitter feed.

That was a nice little course and a good investment of 45 minutes. I think a lot of my movements are already smoother, but maybe I should go back to my early p2v+ footage an eat some humble pie. The stability of the P3 continues to amaze me.