Ever since videos became one of the hottest trends in digital marketing, companies have been looking for new and innovative ways to elevate their content. Some have turned to animation and whiteboard explainer videos to create standout content; others have focused on finding ways to make their live videos more engaging.
Professional drone footage is the perfect solution if you’re looking for a simple and affordable way to take your corporate videos to the next level. Drone shots capture unique, eye-catching visuals that can turn unremarkable videos into a memorable experience and give you an edge against your competitors.
Are you new to the art of using drones for video marketing? Keep reading to learn the benefits of using drone footage, the top methods for capturing high-quality videos, and how to integrate drone shots into your video marketing strategy.
Drone Camera Benefits
There are many reasons why drone footage has become so popular for video marketers. Here are some of the biggest benefits of using drone footage in your marketing videos:
- Originality: Because drones are small and agile, they capture scenes that traditional cameras can’t. From bird’s-eye views to fast-paced action shots, drone footage can add an original perspective to your videos.
- Quality: There are plenty of commercial drones available that record the same crisp, high-quality footage as the best cameras on the market. You can adjust your shutter speed, change your frame rate, and shoot videos in 4k with a drone, just like you can on the ground.
- Convenience: Drones are easy to transport, and you don’t have to hold or adjust them. Instead, you use a remote to control your drone’s movements as it records footage. Additionally, drones are less distracting than standard cameras—you can film an entire scene without anyone noticing.
- Affordability: You had to send a film crew up in a helicopter to capture aerial shots in the past, which was too expensive for most businesses to afford. Now, drones have made aerial footage accessible to anyone.
How To Take Good Drone Videos
Adding drone footage to your videos can be an excellent way to impress viewers and improve your production value, with one caveat—it needs to be good. Shaky, blurry drone footage won’t add the professional touch you’re looking for, and it can reflect poorly on your business.
Here are a few steps you can take to record high-quality drone footage:
- Know where you can and can’t film: Before you start making grand plans to record footage across your city, you need to know your restrictions. Various entities can designate areas as “no-fly zones,” including the Federal Aviation Administration and your local and state government. Additionally, you may have to apply for permits to film in certain locations.
- Adjust your settings: You should adjust your camera settings to get the type of shot you want before recording footage. The right settings can make your footage look worthy of a film festival.
- Focus on lighting: Lighting can change the tone and feel of your video footage, and it can also affect your process. Direct sunlight can make your video cheery and bright, but it might be challenging to get a clear shot. Determine the tone you’re trying to capture, and plan your recording time accordingly.
- Plan your shot: Pre-production is a crucial step in the drone video production process. You need to know when, where, and how you plan to capture your footage, as well as what you’re going to film. If you develop a clear, actionable plan and account for potential hurdles, the production process will go smoothly.
If you want studio-quality footage and you don’t want to worry about no-fly zones and drone licensing, consider partnering with a video production company. Experienced drone pilots know how to get the best footage possible, obtain the proper permits, and steer clear of restricted zones.
Things To Film With a Drone
Drones can capture various types of footage that work perfectly in company profiles, sizzle reels, product explainer videos, TV commercials, and more. These are some of the things you can film with your drone.
Aerial Footage
When most people envision drone footage, they think of aerial videos. This is because drones can fly high into the air and capture a bird’s-eye view or moving shot of a building, event, or landscape, which traditional cameras can’t do without a plane or helicopter. Aerial footage is perfect for showcasing large events or objects that you can’t fully capture from the ground.
Tracking Shots
Tracking shots are your classic “action shot”—you follow someone or something as it moves. Your tracking shot can follow movement on the same level as its subject or capture an aerial view. Drones are perfect for tracking shots because they can follow moving subjects seamlessly, unlike a cameraman on foot. Plus, the drone pilot can stay in one place while they fly their drone, making the process quick and easy.
Reveal Shots
The reveal shot is a dramatic way to introduce something to the viewer. For example, your drone could lift from the ground to slowly reveal a scene or zoom in from far away to get a close-up view of a person or object. Reveal shots allow you to build up suspense while you wait to show the viewer something important.
How To Use Your Drone Footage
Once you capture the perfect aerial, tracking, or reveal shot, it’s time to use your footage to promote your brand. Drone footage is a versatile marketing tool with multiple uses, including websites, TV commercials, and various corporate videos.
Drone Footage for Website Design
Your website is a digital representation of your brand. It’s often the first introduction to your business that potential customers see. High-quality drone footage can elevate your website, and a good company website can have a substantial impact on your sales.
There are many ways to incorporate drone footage into your site. You can first include it in company videos and then post those videos on relevant pages. Additionally, you can use drone footage as a design element across your site by adding it as a background or looping header on your homepage, “About Us” page, and product pages. Site visitors will see your footage first thing when they land on your website, which will immediately set your business apart from others in your industry.
Drone Footage for TV Commercials
Your target audience sees countless commercials every day. It’s not easy to create a commercial that catches their eye, keeps their attention, and leaves a lasting impression. If you want to make your TV commercial memorable, drone footage can help.
Drone footage is often found in car commercials, but it’s useful across industries. Tracking shots keep your storyline moving, and aerial footage can showcase large-scale projects, such as home renovations or new state-of-the-art facilities. The reveal shot is ideal for TV commercials because it helps you build anticipation before revealing an innovative new product or service offering.
Drone Footage for Corporate Videos
Corporate videos can help you attract new employees and generate leads for your business. Additionally, corporate videos can help you build trust with leads during the sales process and convince them to move into the next stage of the buying process. Adding drone footage can make your corporate videos even more effective than before.
Here are a few videos that can benefit from the addition of drone footage:
- Company profile videos: Profile videos often act as an introduction to your company, and your first impression can shape the rest of the buying journey. Using drone footage in your company video is a great way to impress viewers and give them a broad view of your facilities and employee base.
- Product and service videos: Potential customers want to know what they’re getting before they buy a product or sign up for a service, and videos can help them feel confident in their decision. You can incorporate drone footage that follows your employees as they demonstrate a product or perform a service. Drone footage can also highlight a large-scale product, like a new roof, a solar panel installation, or a commercial building.
- Case studies: Sharing past successes helps you build trust with future customers, and case studies are one of the best ways to share those stories. Recording drone footage of a project can help you demonstrate your progress and show how you turned a blank slate into a finished project.
No matter what type of corporate video you make, drone footage can play an essential role. Drones allow you to come up with creative and innovative ways to build your brand image and tell your story.
Need Drone Videography Services in St. Louis?
It doesn’t take much effort to add visual intrigue to your company video—all you have to do is collect some creative drone footage. Expertly filmed, high-quality drone footage can elevate your visual marketing strategy and directly impact sales. However, if you’re not an experienced drone pilot with extensive knowledge of no-fly zones, permits, camera settings, and video production, you might need some outside help to record Hollywood-caliber footage.
Whether you need aerial shots of your company campus for a corporate video or a custom TV commercial that highlights your products, Abstrakt Studios is your source for video production in St. Louis. Our licensed pilots use high-quality drones to film one-of-a-kind videos for companies across the region. No matter how ambitious your drone footage idea is, we can bring it to life. Don’t believe us? Check out our testimonials to see what our clients have to say about Abstrakt Studios’ unrivaled video services.
Get in touch today to learn more about our drone video services.
Backed by the capabilities of the largest marketing firm in town (and pretty soon the nation), Abstrakt Studios is the smart choice for St. Louis video production.
