Drone video

Cliff House Shack Stars in Drone Video

Locations often play big roles. Think of Casablanca, Sunset Blvd., and Mars. But location is rarely as prominent as in “Insane Driftwood Shack on California Cliff.” The filmmaker Nick explained the production this way: “We were hiking along the California coast in a spot familiar to us and I noticed something odd down on the…

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POV Drone Captures Action and Location in Skateboard Video

The main challenge of a skateboard video is to capture the action. In “Dreamy Skate Follow Cam” Benoit Finck masterfully accomplishes that task. His POV drone footage enables viewers to vicariously experience the daring moves of skateboarder Tom Erik Ryen. But there’s more here than action. Finck gives equal billing to the sad but intriguing…

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Drone Commercial Highlights Film Fest Location

The main draw of any film fest is its slate of films. But often the venue is part of the attraction. Think Venice, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and Park City. So it’s no surprise that the drone commercial promoting the inaugural Boyne Valley International Film Festival showcases the fest’s location. The place—40 kilometers north of Dublin—is…

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Why You Should Use Drone Shots in Your Productions

Drones are amazing. What seemed like magic only five years ago—an affordable, flying, radio-controlled camera—is now available to all film-makers on any budget. Yes, there are drones costing tens of thousands of dollars, which carry cinema-grade cameras on big productions. But with careful planning and a basic consumer-grade drone, filmmakers can add huge amounts of…

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Creating a Memorable Drone Travelogue

There’s something inherently astonishing about viewing the world from above. And now, thanks to the development of consumer drones, aerial photography has been democratized. But there’s nothing automatic about creating a memorable drone travelogue. As with every kind of moviemaking, success requires knowledge, practice, imagination, and dedication. The work of Finnish filmmaker Timo Oksanen is…

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Making Movies with Friends

Jacob Givens comes at filmmaking from the perspectives of acting and writing. Like many filmmakers, he’s developed his skills not in the classroom but in the field. Equally important, in the tradition of Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, and Federico Fellini, Givens has developed the habit of making movies with friends. This valuable method is available to everyone.…

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