Drone videography is here to stay as a go-to technique for more cinematic, high-production videos. But sometimes, less is more.
Not every video project needs aerial drone footage to tell the story and emotions. Striking the right balance requires a sensitive eye and an understanding of good video storytelling techniques. Learn more about when drone footage helps or hurts your video’s goals, with insight from a seasoned Rhode Island videographer.
The Benefits of Using Drone Videography for Storytelling
Aerial drone footage can dazzle your audience with sweeping views of places they’ve never seen before, or offer a new perspective on places they already know and love. Here are some of our favorite uses of drone footage in our client video projects.
Establishing Location and Scale
Establishing shots set the tone for your story and help your audience understand where all the action takes place. A quick overhead shot from a drone is one of the easiest, quickest ways to establish the setting – and it just looks plain cool.
Enhancing story transitions
Drone shots are the perfect tool to showcase the narrative moving forward. An arcing shot of locations can act like a bridge between different scenes for a seamless viewer experience.
Capturing Movement and Energy
If you want to inject raw energy into your video project, few things can do the job quite like drone footage. Whether it’s an overhead shot tracking a speedboat at a marina or panning footage showing the size of crowds at a block party, the drone's unique perspective creates visual excitement.
Adding Local Flavor
If you’re a locally owned business, drone footage of local destinations can connect your brand with your hometown and establish instant familiarity with your viewers
Documenting Progress Over Time
Imagine a shot panning from an open field to a finished building, ready for its grand opening. Overhead perspectives can give construction timelapses a more luxurious, polished effect. The aerial drone footage (literally) elevates the final project.
What Businesses & Industries Benefit from Drone Videography?
Videography projects in nearly any industry can benefit from a well-placed drone shot. But some business types lend themselves particularly well to aerial drone footage, like the following.
- Drone videos for real estate: Overhead construction timelapses and property flyovers are huge assets for real estate agents or construction companies
- Venue & Event Showcasing: Drone video recordings can give potential customers the full picture of your venue grounds and show them the liveliness of a packed event.
- Tourism & Destination Marketing: A flyover of natural landmarks or a new city can make potential vacationers eager to see the sights in person.
- Corporate Brand Films & Commercials: Establishing shots of your headquarters or a new addition can lend a sense of scale, differentiating your company from smaller businesses.
When Drone Videography May Not Be the Right Choice
If drone footage is a hammer, not every video project is a nail.
We sometimes find that clients want to include drone footage because they think it will add a more professional or cinematic quality to their project, when, in reality, it’s only a distraction from the story they want to tell.
Here are scenarios when we might suggest steering clear of drone footage with our clients.
Interviews & personal Interest Stories
When your video project centers more on personal stories and interviews, overhead drone footage can actually create a sense of detachment and break the emotional connection.
Tight Urban Environments
If you're filming on a packed city street with obstacles like power lines and skyscrapers, drone footage might not give you the impact you’re hoping for, since your drone pilot might not have enough room to conduct a proper flyover.
Low-Budgets without Clear ROI
Drone video services are still doable for low to mid-budget shoots. But if you don’t have a clear vision for how aerial drone footage will enhance your final video or tell your story, your budget might go to better use elsewhere.
Indoor or Intimate Settings
While it is possible to fly smaller drones indoors, it’s not always practical or necessary. You can often get a better shot through standard video equipment, like a gimbal – or even a ladder- in a low-budget production.
A Strategic Approach to Drone Videography
At the end of the day, aerial drone footage can give your video projects a new perspective and cinematic quality that ups production values. But it’s only successful when it’s also serving a greater storytelling goal in your video project.
If the drone shots aren’t serving a clear narrative goal – or worse, distract from it – then they belong on the cutting room floor. By having a clear storytelling vision guiding your video project, you can end up with a stronger final video that has just the right amount of “wow” factor.
About Sean McVeigh Media
Sean McVeigh is a Rhode Island Videographer who creates story-driven videos for businesses and brands across New England.
We’re proud to have created content for some of the region’s most prominent universities, nonprofits, and healthcare organizations, as well as globally recognizable brands like Apple and Jaguar. All of our videos are filmed and edited with one goal: To reach your key audience and tell your brand story.
Get in touch to share your vision, and we’ll let you know whether our videography or drone video services are a good match.
