(upbeat music)
- This video is gonna go through 13 different ideas on how
to get creative looking footage using your DJI Mini 2.
Now, when I fly my Mini 2, I fly completely manual.
I don't use any of the automation tools
because the automation are great the quick shots.
However, when you use them, it only centers your subject.
And a lot of times when you wanna create footage
that's engaging that helps progress your story along,
you'll don't always wanna just center your subject.
Now I'm gonna show you how
to perform these moves on the controller
and I'm using the standard joystick configuration
that comes on most drones right out of the box.
So let's just get right into it.
Shot number one is a mixture of a pullback
and a curve or orbit.
So essentially when you're doing this shot, the idea
for the shot is not only creating a motion backwards
where you're following your subject but also curving around
so you reveal more of the scene behind them.
So how you perform the shot is on the right thumb stick
you wanna pull back and to the right.
Now that's gonna create kind of a directionality backwards
where you're able to follow a subject
that's moving towards you at the same time moving away off
to the side.
Now with the left joystick you're gonna curve to the left.
Now this is gonna create the arc
that's gonna follow your subject.
And in this shot, I specifically pushed more
and less depending on what was happening in the frame.
So at the beginning I was pushing a little less,
but then as the second Jeep starts
to move through the frame I started to push more
to be able to curve faster and follow that vehicle.
This is why you wanna shoot completely manual
because you're gonna wanna throttle
these motions depending on what's happening in the scene.
Now, the second move is much easier.
This is just a simple dolly shot.
So I put it into Cine Mode and on the right joystick,
I push right and forwards at the same time.
This creates a directionality
that's not just horizontal or forwards.
It's kind of as an angle.
And then in this first shot I'm pretty far away
from my subject so I'm letting the landscape kind
of drifts slowly by
and you can see the action plane out on the trail.
Now in the second shot, it's the exact same move
however, I'm following a subject.
So the Jeeps are staying in the center
of the shot the entire time as I'm moving
in this same directionality.
Now the third shot is an orbit.
Now you can use your quick shot modes to get this same shot.
However, like I was saying
when you draw the box using the quick shot it centers
in on your subject.
So if you wanna show this landscape behind
what you're filming it's not necessarily gonna work all
the time because it's gonna center versus being able
to choose how much horizon you're seeing in the background.
So for this shot, I'm pushing left on the right joystick
and I'm pushing right on the left joystick.
Now this allows me to create this orbit arc
but why I shoot this completely manual is
that I can tilt my camera up
and I can get this expansive shot of the landscape
and keep my subject the very bottom.
And also while you're flying manual
you can completely control it,
so you might speed it up at the beginning
and then slow it down.
It's just a lot easier to do this once you practice
and learn how to do these moves without using quick shots.
Now, number four is another style of orbit,
although it doesn't seem like it's an orbit
it's the same pattern with the hands.
So I'm pushing left on the right joystick
and I'm barely pushing right on the left joystick.
So I do get this archy motion
and this is something I use in a lot of shots.
However, because I'm shooting a big landscape
it creates a different feeling,
it doesn't feel like an orbit.
However, you still get a little bit
of dynamic parallax happening
between the two mountain ranges
with these two motions in unison.
Number five is another easy shot.
All we're doing is a push up with the drone.
So just take your left joystick and push up.
Now the key for this shot to make it look interesting
and dynamic has to do with your subject.
So what you wanna do with these types
of shots is have something happening
in the frame where you're revealing the scene behind
or something comes into your frame.
So as in this shot here, the Jeeps are coming into frame
as the drone is flying upwards.
So you get this dynamic shot of revealing the scene
in the trail while the Jeeps are driving through it.
Number six is another simple shot.
Not everything has to be complex to be able
to tell your story
and make a more engaging piece of content.
So this one is just a dolly from left to right.
So just one direction we're just going right.
However, again it's how the subject moves
through your frame.
So in this shot specifically
the Jeeps are coming towards me on the trail,
dolly shot just creates the sense
of motion in the foreground.
When you create these subtle motions left, right,
forwards, back, up, down.
It can just gives your footage more of that dynamic look.
Number seven is another complex shot.
So I'm using my right joystick to push forwards
and to the right that creates this directionality
that follows the Jeeps but at the same time also pushes off
to the side.
And then I use my left joystick to again push left
and control how much that orbit is happening
so that I'm following my subject in a dynamic way.
So some of your moves are really gonna take some practicing
to be able to get these moves right
because it all depends on the situation
and how fast things are moving within your frame
so that you can control your drone
to push it in the right way
to be able to let these actions happen.
Now, I wanna give you one piece of advice when it comes
to editing this footage.
When you're working with Mini 2 footage, a lot of times
either my horizons just a little bit off like one degree
or my moves not completely perfect.
So this is the steps that I take
with most of my drone shots.
First, I'll go through and reframe
to put my subject where I want in the drone shot.
Sometimes it might be a little bit off center
and I wanted it center.
Now, I'll fix the horizon by using my rotation tool
usually it's a one degree or a negative one degree.
And then last is I add some posts stabilization,
so I just use the stabilization built into final cut.
Now in this little bit of stabilization,
smooth out the shot completely and makes it look perfect.
Now the next shot is a top-down shot.
Don't forget to get these top-down angles
when you're flying.
When I shoot, I try to get as many angles as possible
in this course of a battery, I don't do the same shot over
and over because once you get that shot once
what you're probably not gonna use again in the edit.
So when you're flying you wanna try to get multiple angles.
I always try to get the top-down shot,
and when I do this, I try to get different versions of it.
So when you're facing straight down
you can let the camera just chill and be completely still
or you can follow your subject
or something I really like doing is a rotation.
And this just creates a little bit of dynamic motion
in a circle while something is moving through my frame.
Now, number 10 is a push forward while dropping down.
So on the right joystick you're pushing forward
on the left joystick you're pushing down.
And this will bring you closer
to your subject while moving forward.
And it's kind of the opposite of the reveal.
So when you're revealing something,
you start on your subject and you go wide
to reveal the scene and this is the opposite.
You're seeing the scene
and then you're coming down onto your subject.
Now the next shot again is something simple.
This is just a push forward.
However, it's how my subject is interacting with the scene.
So in this specific shot
the Jeeps are coming into the scene.
So I just wanna be pushing a little bit
on the right joysticks so that it has this forward motion
and then let the Jeeps enter the frame
and I'm not following them, this is key.
When you do these types
of shots where it's just a subtle motion you just wanna push
on that joystick a little bit
but you don't wanna throttle it
as soon as you see your subject in the frame
because you're not trying to follow the subject.
You're trying to create dynamic motion
and then something moves through the frame.
Now the next shot is the easiest shot of 'em all.
It's a tripod shot.
Don't forget that you can use this camera as a tripod
but you can get these different perspectives
that are higher up in the sky.
You don't always have to be moving the drone
to be able to get good looking footage.
And I highly suggest like,
let the drone just sit there high in the sky and grab some
of these still looking tripod shots,
and let something move in the frame
or something happened in the frame.
Now, you don't wanna just always use tripod shots
but they're good to mix into everything that you're doing.
Now, the 12th shot is an orbit with a push.
So again, this is very similar to the orbit.
However, I'm pushing in a direction
and following my subject.
So on my right joystick I'm pushing left and forward
and on my right joystick, I'm pushing right.
And then I'm watching my subject
and following it as I curve around.
Now instead of letting the subject leave my frame
I'm trying to actually follow the subject on this move.
But I don't have to keep that subject center,
so the key is I'm trying to show the trail,
I'm trying to show the background
while also showing this vehicle moving through it.
So when you're doing these shots
before you perform the action
you wanna think through,
well do you want your subject to stay in frame?
Do you want it to leave frame?
Think through a little bit about what you want
to have happen and that's gonna help you craft better shots.
Now, number 13 is one of my favorite shots.
And this one is kind of a mix of a push forward while moving
in a direction left or right following a subject's pace
but not quite fast enough,
and that subject wipes the frame.
So I have this in sport mode on my right joystick
I'm pushing forwards and to the left slightly.
And I'm basically timing this right
so that the Jeep passes camera
and my drone can keep moving forward in the other direction,
and they miss each other
so you create this dynamic shot
where these two objects are moving in unison
but the Jeep is moving just a little bit faster.
So that the drone flies past the Jeep
and continues off to reveal the scene.
Doing these kinds of dynamic moves takes a little practice
and you really have to time things out, but when done right
it really creates a cool transitional shot.
So guys if you wanna see some other videos
that I've done all around the DJI Mini 2,
I highly suggest you check out these videos right here.
This is my entire Mini 2 playlist, and there is a ton
of info on how to fly drones and specifically the Mini 2.
But a lot of these techniques work
for any drone that you have.
All right guys, I'll see you over there.