...


Firstly, please take a look at our very own portfolio of drone footage produced by the Fullframe Creative team. Keep reading to learn about all the drone shots you see. Code for drone showreel.

I was recently watching The Rings of Power, The Lord of the Rings’s latest installment and realised how many wide open shots showing “jagged coastlines” they have in these films. (Schmidt, 2022) Not only does it show off sweeping landscapes, it also introduces new and familiar places within the world of the film. The overwhelming drone shots made me want to learn more about drones, and to share that knowledge with you. And I guess here we are. 

The Ostirith watchtower was CGI’d into Lake Quill for the series.

Drone shot of a lake, mountain and bridge from Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power.
Image of winner Fariba Hasimi in the Women's Road Championships that Fullframe Creative, based in Lausanne and Geneva, in Switzerland, produced drone footage for.

Beyond films, drones are multi purposeful. In films, drone shots of landscapes are establishing shots for environments within the world of the film.  Much like films, any type of video format, whether that is corporate or video ads, can benefit from drone footage. An example is for reporting videos or live events. In fact recently, Fullframe Creative provided drone footage for UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), where they held the Women’s Road Championships of Afghanistan in Aigle, an exception due to the conflict in Afghanistan. Drone footage, in events like this, can really break up the footage audiences are watching, and make it more interesting. In other words, it makes for more compelling imagery.

Keep reading to find out why and how incorporating drone videography into your video production process is the next big thing.

Drone footage as the best foot forward

1. Introduction
2. What is a drone?
3. History of drones
4. The benefits of drone videography
5. Rules & Regulations
6. Example Drone Shots
7. Final Thoughts

What is a drone?

Might as well start off with the basics right? In case you were uncertain, a drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that captures video and images remotely. In their article on drones, Aerial South East (2021) argue that as drone videography is “an engaging way to capture video footage […] It’s becoming increasingly common to capture different perspectives for event marketing.”  The key here is ‘event marketing’. Who knew that drones would become used beyond war? If you didn’t know that last point, let’s take a quick look at the history of drones. 

Ways drones were used in the past

The commercial and hobby use of drones is only a recent happening. Beyond military operations, it’s only been in recent years that drones have become key in businesses. 

The first use of drones was of course in relation to war. In 1849, the Austrian Navy used 200 incendiary balloons to try and capture Venice, as you can see illustrated in this image. 

Following Jackie Alkobi’s findings (2019), I will now list out some key dates and information in relation to drones and their history.  

Une illustration de drones autrichiens en 1849 utilisée pour un article sur les drones par Fullframe Creative, basé à Lausanne et Genève, en Suisse.

Key drone dates:

  • World War I – The first attempt at a self-propelled drone as an aerial target was completed in 1916 by A.M. Low.
  • World War II – Both allied and German forces used drones to train aircraft gunners and aid in missions.
  • 70s – Israel began using drones as decoys in the Yom Kippur War.
  • 80s and 90s – The U.S. military began heavily investing in the technology.
  • 2006: The first use of drones for non-military ventures started in 2006, the same year the Federal Aviation Administration issued its first commercial drone permit.
  • 2013: Drones become hobbies. After Amazon announced it would use drones for delivery, the general public really began to take notice.
  • 2015: the first legal delivery of medical supplies occurred in the U.S. The market for global medical drones is predicted to reach $947.6 million by 2027.

Now that you are aware of some key facts about drones, let’s get into the reasons why drone videography can benefit you and your business. As mentioned previously, drone footage can make your event be more engaging, with more creative shots in the bag. 

Take a look at these 4 BENEFITS now

1) Drones are cheaper and easier to fly than aircrafts like helicopters. Yes, helicopter shots can achieve the same quality as drone shots but it will cost you a lot more. And, you may even receive more noise complaints. 

2) That brings us to our next point. You’ll cause minimal disruption. You will be able to capture lots of video footage without disrupting people or the environment around you.

3) Drones are pretty easy to operate. That means that you’ll be able to quickly train someone on how to use a drone, or if you are working with a video production company, it will pretty much be the standard that one of their team members will be a competent drone operator.

4) Drones can fly to areas that are difficult to access. This means you will be able to record unique footage, putting you a step above your competitors.

Whilst the benefits can go on, keep in mind that without care, drones can cause damage to property and injury to people if not managed properly. This brings us on to a key section when discussing drone videography and that is rules and regulations.

Rules & Regulations

Drone shot of Blécherette airport by Fullframe Creative, based in Lausanne and Geneva, in Switzerland.

Part of being able to produce drone video footage is to understand the rules of the area. For example, as a company based in and around Lausanne, I may want to look closely at the rules and regulations of the area. A good place to look at these rules is an article written by EPFL on air safety – drones and model aircraft. 

According to the article written by EPFL, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has listed several key rules for the use of drones and model aircraft. Outlined are four essential rules:

  • The pilot must maintain permanent visual contact with the drone.
  • In principle, it is forbidden to use drones less than 100 meters from an outdoor gathering of people (that is more than 24 people).
  • The holder of a drone weighing more than 500 grams must contract a liability insurance policy for the amount of one million francs at least.
  • Drones are subject to flight restrictions in the vicinity of airfields. It is thus prohibited to use this type of aircraft at less than 5km from runways. 

Example Drone Shots

Whilst that may have brought your mood down slightly, you can now get excited again about all the drone shots that are available to you if you choose to go down this path of drone videography. 

Drone Genuity has detailed different types of drone shots. Take a look at their website to see the various types. 

Additionally, I have outlined three key drone shots you can use with examples of when you might use them. 

1) Ascending/pedestal. Within the first few seconds, you can see this type of shot illustrated in this Fullframe drone shoot of Lausanne. It really does feel like the city is being revealed to us.

2) Trucking/sliding. In this type of shot, the drone flies with a sideways motion to follow a subject. It can really create movement to a shot, but in a calming way. Take the end of this video by Fullframe Creative, where you follow the cows walking around. It’s as if the drone is imitating the cows.

3) Panning. Whilst it might not show your typical type of panning, take a look at this video we made for the International University of Geneva who organised a party on the roof of a beautiful hotel, and we captured it. Quick pans from left to right of the party and Geneva really capture the dynamic event in all its glory.

Final Thoughts on Drone Videography

So what does drone videography bring to the table? For one, it’s a video format cheaper than most that creates that same high quality footage you are striving for, for your events, corporate videos, and much more. Apart from rules on drone usage in specific areas, drones are a subtle solution to produce footage of your events that capture that same energy and professionalism. The endless creative possibilities with drone shots that we have laid out for you, drone videography is an appealing choice of video format.

Getting in Touch

Fullframe Creative provides a cutting-edge creative communication service: original concepts; clear, creative and concise content delivered competently. In other words, we help you get your message across through the following tools and services:

Fullframe Creative has 10+ years of experience, 100+ satisfied customers and 1,000+ successful productions.

We help you Spark up your Image. Let’s talk!

Spark up your Image!

Stand out for all the right reasons!

We help you communicate in a clear and creative way.

Contact us

Retour en haut

× Let's talk. Available from 07:00 to 22:00 Available on SundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday