This fall The University of Iowa hired pilot Dan Augspuger, an intrepid person who had the patience to go through all the paper work necessary to be in compliance with university uncrewed aircraft policy to shoot video around campus. Here are some highlights of our shoots.
I have chaperoned Dan on three multi-hour shoots on campus. He is a great pilot, very professional, and easy to direct to capture desired shots. He recently upgraded his camera and the 4K is sweet!
Initially, I felt like communicating what we had in mind for a shot was pretty challenging. In bright conditions, I really couldn't see the preview screen to know what the shot looked like, so I had to trust Dan's instincts. Dan has done a lot of real estate video, so one thing we worked on was focusing less on a particular building, and more on people flowing into the building or the building in the context of the campus and landscape, not just in isolation.
In terms of camera moves, our editing team found that the least-usable shots tended to be the "tripod in the air 360 degree shots," where the drone is flown to a particular sky-perch and panned. The coolest shots we found were when the drone would fly one way along a feature like a building or walkway and the camera would pivot with or against the movement, making a dynamic, sweeping shot. Dan has really mastered this move!
Drones have become integral tools in video projects, with audiences gravitating towards the aerial perspective of the uncrewed aircraft. You can see the positive influence of these shots in our new 2017 TV spot.
Initially, I felt like communicating what we had in mind for a shot was pretty challenging. In bright conditions, I really couldn't see the preview screen to know what the shot looked like, so I had to trust Dan's instincts. Dan has done a lot of real estate video, so one thing we worked on was focusing less on a particular building, and more on people flowing into the building or the building in the context of the campus and landscape, not just in isolation.
In terms of camera moves, our editing team found that the least-usable shots tended to be the "tripod in the air 360 degree shots," where the drone is flown to a particular sky-perch and panned. The coolest shots we found were when the drone would fly one way along a feature like a building or walkway and the camera would pivot with or against the movement, making a dynamic, sweeping shot. Dan has really mastered this move!
Drones have become integral tools in video projects, with audiences gravitating towards the aerial perspective of the uncrewed aircraft. You can see the positive influence of these shots in our new 2017 TV spot.
Original composition and editing by Dana Telsrow.
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