Drone Filming and Photography Services. Salisbury and UK

We are based in Salisbury in Wiltshire, UK.  The Central South. Perfectly placed for jobs in Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire and other locations in the South  of the UK. We are able to fly across the UK according to Civil Aviation Authority Rules and Guidelines.

The best drone is the one you have with you that you can fly safely and legally where you are. 

As of April 2023, with legislation in the UK and other parts of the world clamping down on what can be flown, the best drone for the vast majority of people, will be one that weighs less than 250 grams. 

There are a number of models on the shelves right now but from experience I would have to go with the DJI Mini 3 and it’s successor the Mini 4. They are both sub 250 grams and are by far the least toy like of anything on the market in this category. I consider them to be the best bang for your buck, especially the Mini 3 now the prices are dropping with the new Mini 4 out. 

There are many airspace restrictions concerning where you can fly in the UK and U.S. In general you cant fly close to an airport or airfield.

The fastest way to find out  is to use the app “Altitude Angel” 

Based on the above recommendations:

You can buy a basic drone, controller and battery for under £500, spend a bit more to get the fly more package with extra batteries. Of course if you want a larger more capable drone the prices will be higher.

In the UK, once you get your drone you should register it with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). You pay a small fee and get issued an operator and flyer ID #. You are now set to fly!

There are a few guidelines you must acknowledge when you get your flyer ID. These simple rules will help you fly safely and minimise risk to your drone and other people and property.

Check out this guide on UK drone laws and how to fly legally in the UK.

Remember it is your responsibility as a pilot to be safe and not to risk the safety of other people.

This one totally depends on what you want to film and whether or not you can fly a drone there. Personally, I like coastlines and landscapes. On a sunny day when the water is deep blue or early in the morning when a valley is misty and the shadows are long. It really is down to you as a creative and how you want to use a flying camera.…

The cameras on reasonably priced drones like those mentioned above and larger more capable ones like the DJI Air 3 or DJI Mavic 3 can handle a wide range of lighting conditions from low light to strong sunshine (if you use ND filters). Think about what lighting you want for your footage. Is a landscape better at dawn with long shadows and a golden glow? Does the water have a nicer colour with a polarising filter at midday? Start to think of a drone as a regular video camera and use the same filming and cinematography mindset as you would when filming on the ground. Remember also that landscapes can appear flat when viewed from above and so consider having the sun lower in the sky so that any relief in the land casts a shadow.

Use the 180 rule to ensure your shutter speed is twice that of your frame rate. If shooting at 25fps then set your camera to 1/50 sec. If shooting at 30fps then set it to 1/60. This will allow there to be the right amount of motion blur between frames making the footage look natural. You will find that you need to use ND filters to drop your shutter speed down that low. There are plenty of after market 3rd party options available, consider also getting polarising filters to enhance clouds in the sky and water.

Cinematic drone footage is also about flying smoothly. No jerky movements. Everything must flow. This is down to practice and actually calming your drone. Many models now have a “cine mode” which is a lot slower and smoother. Check out this blog post on the best settings.

After the initial cost of a drone it is really just down to you to fly in areas that offer the best visuals. There is free editing software available so the actual cost is minimal. An editing computer is of course an added expense and so too is travel to a site and time spent producing the video.  Our day rates start at £400 for flying and filming. Contact us for a quote.

If the video is for a commercial purpose it is advised that you have drone specific insurance to cover for any accidents.

Most standard frame rates are good, 23.97, 24, 25, 29.97, 30. Just as long as you observe the 180 rule, you’ll be fine. If you’re filming fast action consider jumping up to 60 or even 120fps if you’re looking for slomo.  When you’re shooting for a feature film the most common is 24fps. For TV in Europe, 25. If in the U.S then 29.97 or 30fps is the standard.

Grainy footage usually comes from the ISO being set too high. Either you are shooting in very low light or you are using an ND filter too strong for the light conditions. Check to see what ISO you are on and what ND filter you’re using.

Smooth drone footage comes from smooth flying. Avoid quick adjustments and jerky moves. Use the “Cine mode” for your drone. Increase gimbal smoothness in the settings on the app for your drone. Read this article for more information.

A good quality drone as advocated above will come with a good quality gimbal mounted camera. This is the real revolution in drones. 3 axes of stabilisation ensure the camera remains level as the drone moves. Should you find the horizon is not level, land the drone and recalibrate the gimbal on a level surface through the app. If you are experiencing shaky footage check your props. If one is damaged it should be replaced immediately as it is probably causing vibrations due to not being balanced and also it may break and the drone will most likely crash.

If the video feed to your controller is choppy it is quite likely due to transmission challenges. This is often caused by interference from trees of buildings. A drone should always be flown within visual line of sight so ensure you can see your drone and the issue should stop. If it continues, it might be the processor in the phone, tablet or device that is struggling to run too many apps simultaneously. Try running just the flight app.

If the footage is choppy on playback then you have an issue with the memory card. It is probably not fast enough to write the footage being produced by the camera. A memory card with a V30 rating is about the minimum required.

In 2022, you do not need a specific license in the UK to sell drone footage. You however still need to register yourself and your drone with the Civil Aviation Authority. If you are flying a drone for commercial purposes then you do need drone specific insurance compliant with Regulation (EC) 785/2004.

I have found the best free software to be either the standard iMovie available on all Macs or the Davinci Resolve free version that is available for both Windows and Mac. iMovie is far simpler and intuitive for beginners. Davinci offers a far higher level of professionalism and if you choose to learn it, it will give you great insight into the world of Non Linear Editing (NLE).

You can download the latest free version of Davinci Resolve here.

Much the same way as you would edit footage from any camera. If you are interested in Premiere Pro specifically there are a multitude of tutorial videos on YouTube on the subject.

The only way to edit drone footage is to use the most interesting parts of your footage and don’t let each clip go on for too long. Edit your clips to maintain your audiences interest. Don’t use a clip just because you struggled to fly that day and it holds more of an emotional attachment. Use clips that are good because they look good and are interesting.

Don’t send your audience to sleep, unless of course that’s your aim.

Read this blog post on ways to edit Drone footage

The Mini 2 and 3 and most other consumer drones can be set up to record an automated already graded footage and this looks pretty decent straight off the card. However if your drone is recording with a LOG curve you need to grade it to bring out the best in it. Ensure the White Balance is set for the conditions. 

Generally, increase the contrast and saturation and lower the blacks. A general rule of thumb is to grade it, then leave it for 5 minutes. Come back and look at it again. If on first look it doesn’t look right then adjust and repeat. Our eyes can trick us so returning to footage and giving it fresh appraisal is a good way to avoid being too close to see it for what it is. See this guide on editing drone footage

Use the LUTS that are included in the editing software that are specific to your camera. See this article here for more information on using LUTS for editing drone footage

I find my music from a variety of sources. If you are editing for personal use without any distribution, find whatever music you have in your collection you like. If however you want to upload the edit to YouTube or use it commercially then you need a royalty free music source.

recently I started using artist.io for ease of use music tracks. It’s a subscription service so my advice would be to pay for a month, then download as many as you can in that month and stockpile them for future use. They have specific categories that fit with specific moods including one for Drones.

Yes, but you will need to get permission from whichever city council area you fly in and also apply for an exemption from normal activity  for the time you want to fly. 

Read this blog post for a full run down on getting amazing drone footage

A drone pilot is responsible for the aircraft, space to be flown in and to a degree people and property on the ground being flown over. It is up to the pilot to plan the UAV flight, assess the risk of each drone operation and to determine whether or not to fly in that location or to perform that job. If the risk is manageable and the flight can go ahead, the pilot must then fly according to the plan to minimise risk. 

Of course the pilot should be in control of the UAV aircraft and execute manoeuvres according to the scope of the flight whether it is aerial filming or aerial mapping with photogrammetry to construct a digital twin or orthomosaic of assets or property.

Then of course the pilot must land the aircraft safely.

There is more to the drone pilot’s job than just flying.

There are a large number of advantages. 1. Budget, they are much cheaper than a Helicopter. 2. Stabilisation, Cameras are mounted on gimbals for very smooth filming. 3. Less intrusive than a Helicopter, quieter etc 4. Portable. 5, Quick to set up for a spontaneous shot. 6. High quality cameras. 7. GPS and positioning data allows precise location of each photo for ultra precise maps and digital twin production.

See this article for more benefits and uses of drones.