Methodologies for capturing video ...

[Avocet]

(I'm cross posting from another forum).

I recently had a viewer compliment a video I put up "especially if you flew the mission manually". That was the responding poster's quote. Umm, hello ... digital autonomy, autopilots, mission planners, digital plotters (all the creations of humans btw) will always fly/perform rings around human control in 95% of flight ops. That's why they were created. I plan waypoint missions, etc. exactly because there is no way I (or most anyone else) could ever fly same with more precision, smoothness, dependability. A computer will calculate (AND EXECUTE) the necessary control inputs (for let's say a circular orbit around an object) with a level of precision not likely to be achieved with most manual "stick and rudder" attempts. If I wanted to become the best flyer of unmanned vehicles, I certainly would not have invested in flying cameras.

My video endeavors are almost always a combination of footage from 2 different drones flying both waypoint missions, pre-supplied flight ops (say, orbit or course lock, etc.) and manual VLOS flight, and only very occasionally some stills or stock footage. My style is to always emphasize AERIAL footage as we see many very accomplished video editors/content creators often use quite sparse aerial footage as they marvel us with their mastery of the editing tools and their creative process.

 

[AMGPilot]

Works great for mapping and surveys

Doesn’t work at all for Film and TV production

 

[MrTVR]

Try following a pair of high performance cars racing on a track at speeds in excess of 150mph.

Humans can do it with ease but no amount of pre-programming could even come close!

Like AMGPilot said, it’s excellent for mapping & surveys but utterly useless for film & TV.

 

[Eric Braun]

Works great for mapping and surveys

Doesn’t work at all for Film and TV production

Absolutely! Try telling a director... "Wait a minute... I've got to program this thing..." You'll NEVER get called again. You've got to just fly it. Skill is what it takes, not automation. So often productions are chasing the sun, either sunrise or sunset. They have other shots they want with other cameras too. There's simply no time to spend setting up waypoints.

 

[jakejhonson44]

It is very difficult for Filming and TV Productions

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

Lol, I’ve never NOT flown manually and RARELY fly a straight line. I find the automated system too cumbersome and way too limiting. Sure it’s great if all you want to do is orbit. But you can’t beat flying manually. I get way better shots orbiting while climbing and panning all at once.

Yes, it takes practice and coordination, but contrary to what you believe, a machine and programming can NOT fly better nor smoother than a human. You just don’t have the experience to know that. And now you’ve made an incorrect statement online to a bunch of guys that DO have that experience.

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

And is there a question n your post? It’s not really clear what your point is?

 

[jakejhonson44]

Lol, I’ve never NOT flown manually and RARELY fly a straight line. I find the automated system too cumbersome and way too limiting. Sure it’s great if all you want to do is orbit. But you can’t beat flying manually. I get way better shots orbiting while climbing and panning all at once.

Yes, it takes practice and coordination, but contrary to what you believe, a machine and programming can NOT fly better nor smoother than a human. You just don’t have the experience to know that. And now you’ve made an incorrect statement online to a bunch of guys that DO have that experience.

It is his idea

 

[Kestrel]

(I'm cross posting from another forum).

I recently had a viewer compliment a video I put up "especially if you flew the mission manually". That was the responding poster's quote. Umm, hello ... digital autonomy, autopilots, mission planners, digital plotters (all the creations of humans btw) will always fly/perform rings around human control in 95% of flight ops. That's why they were created. I plan waypoint missions, etc. exactly because there is no way I (or most anyone else) could ever fly same with more precision, smoothness, dependability. A computer will calculate (AND EXECUTE) the necessary control inputs (for let's say a circular orbit around an object) with a level of precision not likely to be achieved with most manual "stick and rudder" attempts. If I wanted to become the best flyer of unmanned vehicles, I certainly would not have invested in flying cameras.

My video endeavors are almost always a combination of footage from 2 different drones flying both waypoint missions, pre-supplied flight ops (say, orbit or course lock, etc.) and manual VLOS flight, and only very occasionally some stills or stock footage. My style is to always emphasize AERIAL footage as we see many very accomplished video editors/content creators often use quite sparse aerial footage as they marvel us with their mastery of the editing tools and their creative process.

Passive aggression sucks. That guy sounds every bit the troll, as the overt trolls with which we are all familiar.

 

[Avocet]

Lol, I’ve never NOT flown manually and RARELY fly a straight line. I find the automated system too cumbersome and way too limiting. Sure it’s great if all you want to do is orbit. But you can’t beat flying manually. I get way better shots orbiting while climbing and panning all at once.

Yes, it takes practice and coordination, but contrary to what you believe, a machine and programming can NOT fly better nor smoother than a human. You just don’t have the experience to know that. And now you’ve made an incorrect statement online to a bunch of guys that DO have that experience.

Other than this, I won't dignify this dribble with a response.

 

[Eric Braun]

Other than this, I won't dignify this dribble with a response.

Steve’s last two sentences are completely unnessesary and condescending. But on the rest of it he’s not wrong. I posted above about the impossibility of working with waypoints on set. We also tried Spotlight Pro during practice because when it worked it was really smooth. But about half the time my camera op would go, “Nooooo, no, no.... crap!” A 50% failure rate just wouldn’t work. Another problem with automation is the director will change his mind mid-flight while watching the downlink and call out direction. Breaking out of automation adds a delay and makes the craft bobble quite a bit. We would be unable to respond to a simple “Now cross over.”

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

Steve’s last two sentences are completely unnessesary and condescending. But on the rest of it he’s not wrong. I posted above about the impossibility of working with waypoints on set. We also tried Spotlight Pro during practice because when it worked it was really smooth. But about half the time my camera op would go, “Nooooo, no, no.... crap!” A 50% failure rate just wouldn’t work. Another problem with automation is the director will change his mind mid-flight while watching the downlink and call out direction. Breaking out of automation adds a delay and makes the craft bobble quite a bit. We would be unable to respond to a simple “Now cross over.”

Maybe my LAST sentence, definitely not the 2nd to last sentence. He clearly DOESN'T have the experience. People come to forums like this looking for answers and good information, not mis-information. If he doesn't have the experience, he shouldn't be making posts as if they are fact, or that he knows what he's talking about. The internet is full of mis-information already that gets people into trouble.