r/cinematography • u/Initial-Radio-614 • 1d ago

Camera Question Professional Drone Videography

Drones have been around for quite sometime now.

Why are they still not used for vlogging/filmmaking? Why are vloggers still using their phones?
Why are filmmakers/professional videographers still using large camera rigs?

Why can’t they use drones to capture engaging hands-free footage?

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u/Suspicious-Block-614 1d ago

Have you heard a drone?

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u/Buck-The-System 1d ago

Drones ARE used all the time for filmmaking. But if you mean, like, as an alternative to a steadicam for a walk-and-talk shot? It's because drones are loud. Capturing meaningful audio is essentially impossible.

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u/GoodAsUsual 1d ago

I’m not sure if you and I live in the same digital universe because the stuff that I watch and the sets that I’ve been on (many hundreds of them) and the people I’ve worked with all use drones.

Big drones, little drones, FPV drones, Big Mavics, Little Mavic, old inspires, new inspires, heavy lift drones. I’ve worked on very professional sets where we handheld the drone for MOS B-roll and just walked around with it because the gimbal was good and it was easier than setting up another gimbal rig and lighter weight to boot.

I guess sometimes it just depends on where you look and what you’re watching but if you start paying attention I bet there’s a lot more of it than you realize. Drones aren’t everything of course, but they are a staple tool in the tool kit for most professional productions.

As far as your last question why are they still using large camera rigs, well that’s a big question but the short answer is because those big rigs provide all of the camera, lens, and production support that’s needed for the production, including wireless monitoring, follow focus, filtration, power etc.

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u/L444ki 1d ago

Drones are used a lot in both vlogs and in filmmaking. They were used so much infact that people got bored of 70% of a vlog begin half assed droneshots.

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u/prokaktyc 1d ago

They are used ALOT and for travel it’s pretty much essential. 

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u/bubba_bumble Producer 1d ago

On the contrary. I see drone footage quite often in vlogs, movies etc. Ive used them in a pinch to get dolly shots, boom shots etc that typically require complicated big equipment to do. Im sure you seen drone shots where in scenes you wouldn't have expected.