Whether you’re an indie filmmaker, or you produce corporate video marketing content, aerial cinematography can raise the bar when it comes to the quality of your visual content. Aerial cameras, a.k.a drones have become increasingly better in quality and affordability, making aerial shots a simple but super-effective way of adding captivating visuals to any production.
Aerial cinematography is one of the best ways to spice up a corporate video production. There are a number of different ways drones can be used to capture impactful visuals that are not only visually pleasing, but communicate some important ideas about your business or product.
Check out our drone footage reel, and see 5 ways to elevate your video marketing content with aerial cinematography.
Table of Contents
Toggle1. Establishing Shots
In film-making, the establishing shot is one of the most crucial elements of storytelling. It’s typically the first shot of a film or act, using a wide or all-encompassing shot of a location.
This shot instantly tells the viewer much about the setting of the story: the decade, city, region, season, time of day or year. An establishing shot can also set the tone for your entire video.
For example, an aerial shot of an Italian farm is a great way to start a video about finely crafted artisan cheeses from Italy – like the one we produced for Murray’s Cheese of NYC.
2. Large or Sprawling Structures
Aerial cinematography is a great way to show the breadth of a large operation, like a sprawling campus, a vast production plant, or a skyscraper towering over midtown Manhattan.
A drone shot like this offers an impressive look at the capabilities of your business, and instantly communicates the depth of resources, history and staffing behind your brand or business -just as it does in this overview for Jayhawk.
3. Farming, Agriculture and Nature
Nature and Landscape offer such visually rich options, as natural trees, plants and rock formations offer interesting visual qualities both close-up and from afar. Complement a close-up look at your business, product or operations with a birds-eye view that delivers a new and different perspective.
Not only does a shot like this deliver beauty, it delivers a quantification of resources that substantiates the value of your product. For example, an aerial shot showing thousands of acres of grapes being harvested to produce an award-winning wine supports the fact that the product is good and desired by so many.
4. Action-Packed Events
Drones are a great way to capture action-packed footage, especially in dangerous scenarios. Aerial cinematography has allowed us to fly the camera between two cars racing up a drag strip, or to float and hover the camera close to fast-moving stunt vehicles. Both scenarios help us to eliminate danger to a human cinematographer.
Not only can the drones get closer with less risk to human endangerment, they also operate with a high level of control. Today’s drones can achieve well-controlled heights, distances and flight patterns. This allows us to enhance the visual footage using the motion of the camera in addition to the motion of the object we are filming.
Check out the video below, produced for SpyDrive, where we used aerial cinematography to film stunt vehicles in action.
5. Filming Over Water
Here at Grey Sky Films, we’ve never claimed to walk on water. In fact, we’ll flat out tell you: we can’t walk on water. But, we can fly a drone out over water, allowing us to get amazing footage that may relate strongly to your business.
Aerial cinematography allows us to get great shows of boats, waterways, beaches, islands, ocean rigs and much more. For example, our aerial footage of Jenkinson’s Beach and Boardwalk allowed us to show the sprawling crowds enjoying a beautiful sunny day on the beach, as well as their boardwalk and pavilion facilities.
A video about all that Jenkinson’s has to offer just wouldn’t be as captivating, effective or exciting without this aerial shot.
Brainstorm Your Next Shoot
Start thinking about how aerial cinematography can elevate your own video marketing content. For example:
- Capture an aerial view of an audience or crowd at your event, fundraiser or festival.
- Get an aerial shot of the city or town where you’re hosting an upcoming event or conference.
- Use a drone to get shots inside a massive warehouse, showing the expanse of your operation.
- Capture cyclists, runners or other athletes in motion with a birds-eye view.
- Use a drone to capture footage of a massive building your company is building, installing or renovating.
- Use drone shots of various locations where your business operates, supporting your brand’s national or global reach.
We can help by planning out your next production with our team. We use a variety of equipment, including drones, to get footage that will tell your business’ story in the most effective and engaging way possible.