No two neighborhoods are exactly the same, and a good flyover will do a lot of heavy lifting in setting the scene for a story. Photo by david henrichs on Unsplash
In the past aerial cinematography was only available to productions with budgets large enough to accommodate a helicopter rental and the pilot to go with it. But today, advances in drone and gimbal technologies are allowing independent filmmakers to utilize these kinds of shots in their projects for the first time. Better still, many of these drone-mounted cameras are increasingly capable of producing high-quality, cinematic footage, further increasing a cinematographer’s ability to elevate a project’s visual impact and quality.
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As church film teams begin to incorporate drone videography into their projects there are a handful of important shots that will help them create more effective ministry story, promo and recap videos. Let’s look at some of these essential shots and explore why they’re so effective.
Essential Shot #1: City Skyline Push In
One of the most powerful aspects of local church ministry is the way it focuses its efforts within a specific city or town. A drone shot that pushes in on a church’s city skyline is a powerful visualization on that unique scope, and works great for projects like initiative promos or vision videos. In order to nail this kind of shot it’s important that the camera frames the cityscape while also moving forward through space for a sense of motion. A parallax effect will be created by trees and houses flying through the bottom of the frame, so effective pilots will want to be sure not to fly the drone so high that they lose those elements.
Essential Shot #2: Weekend Worship Building Tracking Shot
Church buildings can be a powerful testament to the strength of the Gospel in the lives of the people who sacrificed to make those buildings possible. Conversely, churches meeting in repurposed spaces should be continually engaged in helping visitors make the connection between those spaces and the ministry’s mission of healing and hope.
... churches meeting in repurposed spaces should be continually engaged in helping visitors make the connection between those spaces and the ministry’s mission of healing and hope.
Drone shots that provide an elevated rotation around a single axis of the building where weekend worship takes place help to emotionally elevate the space--and portray it as something more sacred and engaging. These shots can also serve to build an immediate connection with a viewer sitting within that space.
Essential Shot #3: Weekend Visitor Flyover
One of the most intimidating aspects of visiting a church for the first time is how unfamiliar the whole experience can feel. With a single well-designed drone flyover shot, visitors can get an idea of what those first few minutes of getting from the street to the parking lot to the front doors of a church will be like. These kinds of shots are crucial for social media promos and can go a long way towards setting expectations for first-time visitors. A flyover shot can also serve as an effective visual representation of the point in a story where someone is taking a step towards God in his or her spiritual journey.
Pexels.com, Stephan Muller
With a drone flyover shot, visitors get a taste of what it's like to drive in, walk through your parking lot, and go in the front doors of your church.
Essential Shot #4: Neighborhood Flyover
Another flyover shot that harnesses the power of local ministry is a flyover of the specific neighborhood a story or recap is set in. No two neighborhoods are exactly the same, and a good flyover will do a lot of heavy lifting in setting the scene for a story. These shots also help viewers see stories of everyday people from a deliberately new perspective. With both the neighborhood and weekend visitor flyover shots, be sure to keep the drone low enough to maintain that human connection. Flyovers can lose a lot of their power when people begin to look like specimens in an ant farm.
Flyovers can lose a lot of their power when people begin to look like specimens in an ant farm.
Essential Shot #5: God’s-Eye View Tracking Shot of a Story Subject
Life-change stories are one of the most effective types of projects church film teams can make, and an elevated tracking shot of the story’s main character can help reinforce the perspective that God is watching over each of us. When creating a tracking shot make sure to keep the drone equidistant from the subject as they walk, run, bike or otherwise move through space. A great twist on this shot is tracking a character as they drive a car or ride in an ambulance, assuming these shots fit within the narrative.
When creating a tracking shot make sure to keep the drone equidistant from the subject as they walk, run, bike or otherwise move through space.
Tying it all together
As even the most casual hobbyist will attest, drone cinematography can be a lot of fun when just starting out. Once that initial rush wears off though, serious filmmakers will discover whole worlds of cinematic possibilities if they stay engaged in the process of growing and learning.
In order to achieve those new levels of artistry, drone filmmakers will want to proactively stay creative. For example, check out this summer’s "Mission Impossible: Fallout" for some incredibly dynamic uses of drone cinematography. Get together with some fellow producers, give it a watch, and take some notes on shots to crib for your next project.
Next, stay narrative with your drone work by waiting until after you’ve locked your story edit to decide which kinds of aerials will best support the story. Keep your shots beautiful by filming your drone footage during "magic hour," usually the last 60-70 minutes of daylight.
Keep your shots beautiful by filming your drone footage during "magic hour," usually the last 60-70 minutes of daylight.
Stay legal by registering your drone with the FAA and getting your pilot’s license, which is required for flying commercial (which applies anytime you’re getting paid for your footage). Most of all, stay safe with your drone work by following best safety practices and making sure your drone has solid connections to GPS satellites before taking off.
Finally, remember that two or three well-designed and placed drone shots are far more effective in telling great stories than a dozen shots that don’t have any narrative connection to the project. When it comes to drone cinematography, less is usually more.
