Improve Aerial Video in Post – Mastering Drone Footage – PART 2

by Sebastian WöberOctober 14^th, 2015

Low cost drones have revolutionized the way we think about aerial video, but often the results are easily distinguishable from professional aerial shots. So how do you improve aerial video coming from a low cost drone camera? This was the question I asked myself when I edited my footage from the DJI Inspire 1. 

I spent a week filming with an entry level drone and I spent a lot of time figuring out how to make the best out of the footage I had. Here’s the second part of my 3-part video tutorial on mastering drone footage.

Also check out:

Part I – Shoot Aerial Video Like a Pro

Part III – Grade Low-Cost Aerial Video

These are the tips I would have needed when I started shooting. I wanted to get the best out of my drone footage and I didn’t find this knowledge elsewhere. Here’s how to make aerial video look and feel cinematic, how to raise the production value of your project with a few simple steps.

I hope you’ll enjoy these tutorials and they’ll help you get started. All 3 parts of the video series have some essential points I think anyone serious about aerial video can take something away from.

DJI inspire 1 compared to Sony FS7 high resolution screenshot

Working with the Inspire 1 drone

I already explained this in part I of the series, the possibilities of the DJI Inspire 1 were really impressive for me, very easy to use, very affordable and very powerful in terms of its ergonomics and the intelligent flight modes. I highly recommend using this drone if you consider going into aerial videography.

The screenshot above shows you the drawbacks of the DJI inspire 1 camera in terms of image quality in comparison to a Sony FS7 4K image (click open link in new window to see full resolution) as discussed in the video. Fortunately the Inspire 1 camera is upgradable so you can improve it with proper Micro Four Thirds cameras, the new Zenmuse X5 and X5R cameras produce much better quality.

As you can see though, just using the built-in 4K camera opens up a lot of possibilities for low cost shooters. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

Fly safely, edit tirelessly and let us know what you learned in the process. Best wishes from Seb at cinema5D.

Helpful Links:
adobe.com on CC Force Motion Blur
adobe.com on Time Remapping
animation in Premiere CC

Music by musicbed.com
Salomon Ligthelm – Bones