--
By Stephanie Ornelas
No question, drones are impacting the way many filmmakers approach cinematography today. Whether in television, biopics, documentaries, or shorts, drones in more recent years have allowed artists from all walks of life to capture amazing shots.
But perhaps the question isn't: How are drones impacting the art of cinematography? Maybe it's more: How are artists using this advancing aerial technology to further tell their stories? A couple of recent Sundance films come to mind.
In a 2021 interview with The Film Stage, Radu Ciorniciuc, director of Acas , My Home (2020 Sundance Film Festival), talks about what drove him to use drone shots early on in the film - a feature in the documentary that has been praised by festival programmers and film critics.
In the film, two parents and their nine children, who lived in perfect harmony with nature in the wilderness of the Bucharest Delta, are chased out and forced to adapt to life in the big city. Ciorniciuc explains in the interview that it was clear the film was going to be a family story, which is why he decided to go for an observational look while still creating the feeling of intimacy and of being at home.
The drone shot came during the pre-research interviews, Ciorniciuc says. The NGO (non-governmental organization) responsible for the park's management had their office on top of the high buildings close to the delta. We looked over their window and saw the striking contrast between the grayness of the city and the vast green park. It was such a dramatic image, and we chose to shoot it with a drone, not only for the spectacular look, but because we felt that it would reveal an essential part of the film's plot, he explains.
Still, many in the film industry argue that drone shots are so prevalent that filmmakers often get tricked into thinking that drone shots equate to great cinematography, so it's important to not oversaturate a project with aerial footage. But when used strategically, drone photography can play a crucial part in telling a story.
For viewers, drone footage can also serve as contrast from more intimate cinematography, allowing breathing room to process challenging or difficult subject matters, such as interviews, explains Sundance Film Festival senior programmer Basil Tsiokos.
In this way, aerials can function as (literally) elevated B-roll. While drone footage can be (and has been) overused, ultimately it's become another storytelling tool at a filmmaker's disposal.
Referencing the 2022 Sundance Film Festival Award Winning film The Territory, Tsiokos explains drone shots can help bring more opportunities to a film when used with purpose. In the documentary, the Uru-eu-wau-wau and their allies use drones to surveil their land for encroachment and environmental destruction by outsiders.
It depends on the needs of a given film or story approach, but aerial footage can help open up a film both literally and thematically, allowing participants in a film to gain access to different perspectives that can contribute to a broader understanding, he adds.
Another point Tsiokos makes is that drones are allowing for more opportunities for emerging filmmakers and cinematographers who may not have the means to create traditional aerials within their projects.
Drones have opened up a sense of scale to filmmakers who otherwise might not have been able to achieve it easily or cost-effectively, explains Tsiokos.
Back at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Utah-based Jigabot, provider of robotic devices, co-hosted a panel about unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). At the time, the company made headlines when it announced its new product, AIMe, a robotic camera auto-framing system that can be mounted on UAVs, making it even easier for independent filmmakers to craft their stories on a small budget.
In essence, for the first time ever, independent filmmakers will now have the ability to shoot a scene without a crew for operating small cameras, microphones, or lights, said Jigabot co-founder Donna Root in a press release. AIMe points your camera, so you can be in the moment.
Although drones have become a common fixture on movie sets, including high-budget productions, it's important to remember quality over quantity. As Tsiokos says, each project has its own unique needs when it comes to the feature. The fact that drones make achieving aerials much easier for filmmakers doesn't mean a film should be overloaded.
After all, too much of anything is never a good thing.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...
01/07/2026
Nectar360, the Retail Media, Loyalty and Insights business of the Sainsburys Gro...
01/07/2026
9.2 million streams on RT Player between 11 and 28 June
Reach of 2.9 million viewers during Group stages of FIFA World Cup on RT 2
23 million video views acr...
30/06/2026
Could your journalism reach an international stage?
Entries are now open for the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2026, one of the most prestigi...
30/06/2026
As Brazil's only way for fans to see all 104 matches, YouTube channel proves the power of digital...
30/06/2026
Brings together saturation & lo-fi effects
Following on from the release of their Voxcraft vocal-processing plug-in, UJAM have announced the launch of Retro...
30/06/2026
New IR reverb engine, Juno-inspired chorus & more
The latest version of Rapid Flow's hardware-emulation synth plug-in expands on its predecessor with a ...
30/06/2026
Excels at heavy-handed VCA compression
For their latest release, Shy Audio have recreated the crunchy' sound of a rackmount compressor that found its w...
30/06/2026
Component scarcity drives cost increases
Shortly after Apple's CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that cost increases would soon be inevitable , the company hav...
30/06/2026
Statement regarding GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign
30 June, 2026
Media releases
The GetUp Save Our SBS' campaign is an independent initiative. SBS ...
30/06/2026
Hitachi and Bank Pekao S.A. have completed the installation of the first Hitachi...
30/06/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
MainStreaming, the award-winning and innovative Edge Video Delivery Network, today announced that it has been selected by ITV to support the delivery of ITVX, I...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
When Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! needed to upgrade their wireless communications system, they turned to Clear-Com FreeSpeak wireless for their iconic televi...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Other World Computing Launches New Atlas Core Line with 256GB CFExpress 4.0 Type...
30/06/2026
DaVinci Resolve Studio Used for Taketoshi Sado's Perfume Cold Sleep -25 year...
-- 
