When aerial footage adds to a video, and when it harms

Drone footage is the easiest thing to sell to a client and the easiest thing to overuse. The question is never whether aerial shots look impressive — they do — but whether they tell the viewer something the story needs.

How aerial footage supports a story

A drone is good at one thing above all: scale. The size of a factory, the extent of a forest, the setting of a property development, the distance a team covered. When scale is part of the message, one aerial shot replaces a paragraph of explanation.

Balance is the whole point

Aerial shots work as punctuation, not as the text. Two or three in a two-minute film is usually right; six turns the film into a showreel for the drone operator. The test is simple: remove the shot and see whether the viewer loses information. If nothing is lost, it was decoration.

Why our aerial shots look natural

Most aerial footage looks artificial because the movement is too fast and the camera is doing something a human never would. We fly slowly, keep the horizon level, and begin or end the move on something concrete — a building, a person, a vehicle. Movement with a reason reads as cinema; movement for its own sake reads as a hobby.

Cinematic movement comes from practice

A smooth reveal, a controlled descent towards a subject, a slow lateral pass — these are not camera features but learned moves. They also need rehearsal on site, which is why we plan aerial work before the shoot rather than adding it when there is time left over.

Safety and permits are not optional

In sensitive locations permits are required and we arrange them. We have filmed in places such as the Port of Klaipėda beside the LNG terminal, where the paperwork takes longer than the flight. Flying without that clearance puts the client’s project, not just the operator, at risk.

When an aerial shot is better left out

• When the location is unremarkable from above — a flat roof and a car park add nothing.
• In interview-led films — the cut away from a face breaks the thought.
• When the weather is wrong — grey, flat light makes aerial footage look lifeless.
• When it is used to fill a gap — the viewer senses that there was nothing to say.

What makes a flight lawful

A registered operator, an aircraft registered where required, insurance, and permission for the specific zone. In practice this is the producer’s job, not the client’s — but a client is entitled to ask how it is handled.

Frequently asked questions

Does every corporate film need aerial shots?

No. They are needed when scale is part of the message. In interview-led or product films they usually interrupt rather than help.

Can a drone be flown in a city?

In many areas yes, with the right registration and permissions, and not over crowds. Restricted zones require separate clearance, which has to be arranged in advance.

How many aerial shots should a video contain?

Two or three in a two-minute film. More than that and the film starts to look like a drone showreel rather than a story.