{"id":334,"date":"2021-09-03T07:20:25","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T07:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/editmentor.com\/blog\/?p=334"},"modified":"2024-09-05T05:45:01","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T05:45:01","slug":"aerial-shot-a-view-from-above","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/editmentor.com\/blog\/aerial-shot-a-view-from-above\/","title":{"rendered":"The Aerial Shot: How it’s Used in Filmmaking"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 5<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

The ability to take the viewer on a dynamic visual journey through storytelling and drama<\/a> is one of the advantages of filmmaking. The shots a filmmaker chooses do more than tell us about plot and action. It can immerse us in a story world or communicate subtext and nuance. The Aerial Shot<\/strong> is one of those uniquely cinematic shots in the filmmaker\u2019s toolkit that can do that and more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aerial shots can convey a sense of scale and geography through a high or elevated vantage point. Additionally, birds-eye-view or god’s-eye-view is another terminology used to describe this shot. Sometimes considered a point-of-view shot, they can convey an omniscient perspective. Acquiring an aerial shot requires deliberate planning and often special equipment. For instance, this equipment can range from planes, helicopters, cranes, and drones, to name a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Evolution of the Aerial Shot<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The desire to transport the viewer to great heights has been around since the early days of photography. Filmmakers captured early aerial shots from hot air balloons or specialized kite rigs.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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\u2018Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It\u2019<\/em> (1860) – James Wallace Black<\/strong>
One of the earliest American aerial photographs was taken from a hot air balloon featuring views of Boston. Two years earlier, French photographer, Nadar, made history taking similar views of Paris. Unfortunately, those photographs do not survive today.
Image provided by The Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a><\/sub>
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Examples of Cinematography in Aerial Shots<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aerial cinematography saw further advancements in the 1927 film Wings<\/em>, showcasing daring mid-flight stunts and acrobatics. However, aerial shots featuring action or subjects on the ground remained a challenge to capture. For example, engine vibrations and mid-air shaking often lead to unusable footage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest hurdle was solving camera stabilization in flight. The 1946 film, The Bandit of Sherwood Fores<\/em>t, reported using a custom-built helicopter with a camera rig. This shot featured Robin Hood\u2019s men storming the castle from above. However, it never made the final cut. Later, in the 1962 film, The Longest Day<\/em>, camera operator Roger Monteran devised one of the earliest stabilization rigs that dampened the vibrations caused by the helicopter.  Furthermore, this rig served as an early prototype for other filmmakers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using Cranes and Jibs for Aerial Shots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Having a plane or helicopter is not a prerequisite to capture an aerial shot. Perching the camera from a high position will also work. For example, you can achieve this with a Crane or Jib. These devices feature a camera mounted to an elevated arm that can achieve dynamic perspectives and movement. Some cranes even feature complex setups while attached to a vehicle or dolly track.<\/p>\n\n\n

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(Left)<\/em> Image features a professional Hollywood Hammer Crane <\/a>that can achieve complex aerial perspectives.  (Right)<\/em> The comparatively affordable Hague<\/a> Camera Jib is an alternative to the crane perfect for a lower budget production.  <\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How Drones Improve Aerial Shots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Aerial shots were costly ventures not always accessible to low-budget productions. However, advancement in drone technology has increased access to achieving these shots. Drones can be small but mighty. Some models feature gimbal stabilization and GPS-guided motion tracking and positioning. Accessibility to this technology is pushing rapid experimentation and growing the field of aerial cinematography.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Drone operator flies a DJI Drone for aerial shoot. <\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Drones are easier to acquire than a plane or helicopter. However, operators need to be mindful that they are subject to FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) regulations. The FAA restricts airspaces and elevations for safety purposes. Additionally, all drones must be registered with the FAA. Furthermore, professionals using them for commercial purposes need to undergo remote pilot certification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Use an Aerial Shot?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aerial shots look cool and can add production value. However, when grounded in narrative or emotional purposes for the film, they are better appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World Building<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Often Aerial shots are used for film openings or closings as well as scene establishing shots.  They can help to set up the audience in the story world, act as a resetting moment, or convey large scopes of information from a wide perspective. Certain genres of film gravitate toward aerial shot usage like thriller, action, and sci-fi films. Big budget productions often feature special effects on a big scale that can convey a sense of awe.<\/p>\n\n\n

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San Andreas <\/em>(2015) – New Line Cinema<\/strong>
Blockbusters often utilize aerial effects shots to showcase impressive special effects sequences like in this Hollywood disaster thriller.<\/sub>
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Less is More<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A single image can say so much.  In The Birds<\/em>, Alfred Hitchock uses an aerial shot to great effect in the scene with a gas station explosion. The shot functions on multiple levels. First, it gives the geography of the story world. Further, we witness the continued descent of the birds onto the bay and destruction in their wake.  In an interview with Fran\u00e7ois Truffaut about the film, he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“I didn’t want to waste a lot of footage on showing the elaborate operation of the fireman extinguishing the fire. You can do a lot of things very quickly by getting away from something.”<\/p>\nAlfred Hitchcock<\/strong>, Hitchcock<\/a> (Interviews with Fran\u00e7ois Truffaut)<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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