Tag Archives: content-creation

From Air to Story: A Practical Playbook for Drone-Driven Brand Films

What Drones Do Better (and When to Use Them)

Show scale and context: campuses, plants, job sites, logistics routes, retail footprints.
Clarify process: top-down passes and lateral tracking can explain workflows faster than VO and b-roll alone.
Transport the viewer: elegant reveals turn ordinary spaces into “arrival moments” that build pride and trust.
Reduce production friction: one aircraft can capture multiple angles efficiently when a scene is time-sensitive (pour, install, ribbon-cutting).
When not to use: tight, emotionally intimate scenes where dialog and micro-expressions matter—use grounded cameras and let aerials establish context.

The Story Framework: People, Place, Process, Proof

Tie every flight to one of these pillars:

People — leadership, makers, crews, customers.
Place — your footprint, access, safety culture, community.
Process — how you build, care, deliver, innovate.
Proof — outcomes, scale, quality, sustainability, reliability.

Design each aerial move to strengthen at least one pillar. If a shot doesn’t serve a pillar, it’s probably a vanity pass.

Pre-Production: Decisions That Make Aerials Work

Objectives & audience

Define the business outcome (conversion, recruiting, investor relations, PR).
Match deliverables to channels (16:9 web banners, 9:16 reels, 1:1 carousels).

Locations & permissions

Identify controlled areas, rooftops, loading bays, parking, helipad/TFR proximity.
Confirm landowner permission; schedule around peak traffic and critical operations.

Compliance & safety (commercial work)

Part 107-qualified crew, LAANC/airspace checks, site-specific risk assessment.
Establish emergency procedures, visual observer roles, and cordoned zones.

Creative brief

Story beats, shot priorities, must-have signage/milestones, talent/vehicles, wardrobe/PPE, hero times (golden/blue hour), and weather plan.

Technical targets

4K or 5.1K capture, 10-bit log profile, ND filters for 180° shutter rule, consistent white balance, waypoints for repeatability, RAW stills for hero frames.

Shot Design: Moves With Marketing Intent

Rise-Reveal: Begin behind a foreground (signage, product, machinery), ascend to reveal facility → strongest for “Place.”
Parallax Orbit: Slow, wide orbit around a subject (doorway, team, machine) to imply stature and activity → “People + Proof.”
Dolly Down the Line: Low, lateral track along a conveyor/assembly line → “Process.”
Top-Down Diagram: True nadir pass to turn a floor layout into a living infographic → “Process + Proof.”
Push-Through Transition: Start outside, transition through a bay door to the interior (with prop-guarded cinewhoop) → “Place → Process.”
Pull-Back to Scale: Begin close on a product, retreat to show the campus, trucks, or customer arrival → “Proof.”

Speed & altitude discipline

Exterior “hero” moves: 8–16 mph reads confident; indoor cinewhoop: 2–6 mph feels intentional.
Keep horizons level unless motivated (e.g., purposeful tilt/angle during dynamic sports or event shots).

Flying Indoors: How to Make It Cinematic and Safe

Aircraft: lightweight, prop-guarded platforms (cinewhoop-style) for hallways, labs, showrooms.
Path rehearsal: walk the route, mark hazards (sprinkler heads, signage, cables), and pre-light corners.
Crew roles: pilot, spotter, and floor safety—doors controlled, comms on discrete channel.
Lighting: continuous practicals plus soft fills; avoid strobing; lock exposure and white balance for continuity.
Sound plan: capture room tone and effects between flights; drones are loud—record clean dialogue separately.

Audio & Narration That Survive Rotor Noise

Treat drone passes as visual b-roll. Record interviews, VO, and nat-sound on separate takes.
Use cutaways (hands, machines, customer moments) to cover dialogue edits while the aerials establish space.

Post-Production & AI-Accelerated Finishing

Color pipeline: normalize log to Rec.709 with consistent contrast and skin tone handling; reserve heavy looks for campaign needs.
Stabilization & cadence: gentle stabilization; avoid over-smoothing that erases intent.
AI assists (used responsibly): object cleanup (cones, scuffs), plate extensions, subtle sky continuity, logo isolation for animated reveals, intelligent noise management, auto-captions, and multi-format reframing (16:9 → 9:16/1:1) while protecting composition.
Versioning: master cut (90–120s), 30s spot, 15s social, 6s bumper, plus 5–10 micro-moments for reels.

Distribution: Make the Aerials Earn Their Keep

Web: hero video with silent-first captions; LCP-friendly encoding and fallback images.
Social: platform-native aspect ratios; hook in first 2 seconds with motion or reveal.
Recruiting: campus fly-ins + people at work; pair with testimonial lower-thirds.
Sales enablement: loopable tradeshow edits; QR-linked facility tours.
Measurement: track view-through rate, dwell time on pages with aerial hero, CTR from aerial thumbnails, and assisted conversions on campaigns featuring the drone cut.

Sample Shot Lists by Industry

Manufacturing

Dawn campus reveal with trucks staging
Top-down line flow → robotic cell → QA station
Orbit of finished goods with brand mark foreground
Pull-back from product detail → warehouse scale

Healthcare / Campus

Approach along patient-arrival path (clear of PHI/people identifiers)
Roofline solar/HVAC for sustainability talking points
Courtyard orbit during shift change (faces controlled)
Interior cinewhoop: lobby → wayfinding → care areas (non-clinical zones)

Construction

Weekly waypointed progress orbits for consistent timelapse
Crane-level tracking of façade install
Nadir grid for site documentation overlays
Golden-hour hero of topped-out structure with crew wave

Corporate HQ / Brand

Signage rise-reveal with flag or kinetic element
Executive arrival and lobby energy pass
Product showroom push-through to collaboration spaces
Sunset pull-back to skyline for context

A One-Day Field Plan (Example)

07:00–08:00: Exterior hero passes (golden hour)
08:00–09:00: Nadir mapping/grid + parking/traffic coverage
09:00–10:30: Interior cinewhoop route (pre-lit)
10:30–11:30: Targeted process sequences (line, lab, showroom)
13:00–14:00: Leadership/photo ops; ground b-roll to match aerials
16:30–17:30: Sunset/day-to-night exterior closes

Risk, Access, and Brand Protection Checklist

Site permission, airspace review, NOTAM/TFR check
Part 107 crew, VO assigned, emergency plan posted
Indoors: path cleared, prop guards, spotter line-of-sight
PPE compliance (hard hats, vests, eyewear) as required
Data management: dual-card capture, checksum ingest, cloud backup same day
Release and signage plan (privacy-sensitive areas controlled)
Deliverables map: aspect ratios, runtimes, captioning, thumbnail plan

Why Partner With St Louis Drones

St Louis Drones is an experienced, full-service professional commercial photography and video production company with the right equipment and creative crew experience for successful image acquisition. We offer full-service studio and location video and photography, as well as editing and post-production, and our licensed drone pilots can tailor flights to your story, environment, and safety requirements. St Louis Drones can customize your productions for diverse types of media requirements. Repurposing your photography and video branding to gain more traction is another specialty—we are well-versed in all file types, styles of media, and accompanying software, and we use the latest in Artificial Intelligence across our media services for speed, consistency, and compliance. Our private studio lighting and visual setup is perfect for small productions and interview scenes, and our studio is large enough to incorporate props to round out your set. We support every aspect of your production—from setting up a private, custom interview studio to supplying professional sound and camera operators, as well as providing the right equipment—ensuring your next video production is seamless and successful. We can fly our specialized drones indoors. As a full-service video and photography production corporation, since 1982, St Louis Drones has partnered with businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies throughout the St. Louis area for their marketing photography and video. If you want aerials that don’t just look good but move the needle, let’s plan your flight path to results.

314-604-6544 stlouisdrones@gmail.com

Boost Your Brand: Easy, High-Impact Ways to Use Drone Services

Why aerial works (and when to use it)

Instant context: One five-second top-down shot can tell viewers where they are and why it matters—no lower thirds or exposition needed.
Authority on sight: Aerials communicate operational scale (campus, fleet, footprint) and safety culture—useful in B2B, construction, healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing.
Editorial contrast: Cut between ground-level human moments and elevated perspectives for a cinematic rhythm that keeps viewers watching.
Platform-native motion: Short, stable, looping drone shots perform well as LinkedIn headers, web hero banners, and vertical teaser reels.

12 easy wins you can deploy this quarter

Hero banner refresh – A 6–8s slow push-in over your headquarters or jobsite as the homepage hero. Export a lightweight, muted-loop MP4 and a still fallback.
LinkedIn loopers – 5-second orbits of your facility, fleet, or signage for use as pinned posts and profile covers.
Campus/plant flyover – Label major buildings with clean motion-tracked callouts; great for recruiting and investor relations.
FPV office walkthrough – Micro-drone tour of your lobby → production floor → team spaces. One take, big energy.
Product launch “reveal” – Start low behind an object, rise to unveil the product in context (rooftop solar, EV charger, retail buildout).
Event recaps – Elevated wide shots establish crowd size and layout; combine with ground reactions for sponsor-friendly social cuts.
Project milestones – Monthly “same-path” flyovers or top-downs to show progress for construction, civil, or energy projects.
Safety & training snippets – Quick aerial context at the start of a training video helps orient learners to site hazards.
Customer testimonial openers – 3–4s exterior establishing shot of the client location before cutting to the interview.
Map overlays & motion graphics – Animate routes, coverage areas, or service radii over aerial plates for sales decks and RFPs.
Short verticals (9:16) – Crop-safe framing for Reels/TikTok/Shorts; think “one maneuver, one message.”
Before/after showcases – Roof repairs, landscaping, facade upgrades—split-screen aerials make transformations obvious.

Shot recipes that always look expensive (without being difficult)

Parallax orbit: Slow side-to-side movement around a subject; foreground elements create depth.
Top-down “blueprint” pass: 90° straight down; pause above key features for animated labels.
Reveal rise: Start hidden behind architecture or signage; ascend to reveal the full scene.
Leading line track: Follow roads, conveyor lines, or utility runs to guide the eye toward your CTA.
Indoor micro-FPV: Palm-sized, prop-guarded drones weave through tight spaces for dynamic tours—no post speed ramps needed.

Tech notes: Fly at 24/30 fps for cinematic looks; 60 fps only when you intend to slow-mo. Use ND filters to keep natural motion blur. Avoid harsh midday sun when possible; blue hour adds polish to glass and signage.

Funnel-first planning

Awareness: Short, emotive aerials (5–10s) for paid social and homepage hero.
Consideration: 30–60s overviews with animated callouts and on-screen stats.
Conversion: Case studies with aerial + interviews + graphics (2–3 minutes).
Loyalty/Recruiting: Culture-forward FPV tours and milestone updates.

Compliance, safety, and approvals (so your legal team sleeps at night)

FAA Part 107 licensed pilots, airspace checks, waivers where required, and documented pre-flight risk assessments.
Location permissions and site safety coordination (PPE, spotters, radio comms).
Privacy and brand control—no identifiable data in sensitive areas; review raw selects before anything leaves the site.
Indoor operations—FAA rules don’t apply indoors, but our own safety SOPs absolutely do.

Aerial + ground = the winning edit

Best-performing pieces pair a few surgical aerials with strong ground coverage. Consider this simple, proven structure:

0:00–0:04 – Aerial reveal (context + scale)
0:05–0:20 – Ground human moments (faces, hands, product in use)
0:21–0:35 – Aerial callouts (features/footprint)
0:36–0:45 – Social-ready tagline & CTA card

Post-production that multiplies value

Deliverable sets: 16:9 master, 1:1 square, 9:16 vertical, plus a 6–8s loop.
Graphics: Clean lower thirds, map pins, tracked labels; keep brand fonts and safe zones consistent.
AI assists: Noise reduction, smart reframing to vertical, object tracking for labels, speech cleanup on interviews, and versioning at multiple lengths for A/B tests.
Asset reuse: Turn one shoot into a site hero, three social shorts, a slide background, and a sales deck screenshot.

Measuring impact (so the work pays for itself)

Before/after benchmarks: Hero banner dwell time, scroll depth, and CTA clicks.
Social: Hook rate in first 3 seconds, average watch time, saves/shares.
Sales enablement: Deck adoption by reps and influenced pipeline tied to pages with aerial content.
Recruiting: Application starts following campus/plant tour posts.

Budget & timeline, simplified

Essentials (half-day): One location, pilot + camera op, 3–4 core maneuvers, 15–30s edit + stills.
Enhanced (full-day): Multiple locations or indoor + outdoor, aerial + ground crew, 60–90s edit, social cut-downs, graphic labels.
Integrated (multi-day): Phased construction progress, executive interviews, full graphic system, deliverables for web, social, and events.

Lead time for permits/airspace varies; we handle that paperwork while your team finalizes messaging.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Over-using drone shots (they’re seasoning, not the whole dish).
Flying at noon in harsh light.
Speed-ramping everything (feels gimmicky in B2B).
Skipping permissions or safety briefings.
Forgetting captions/alt text for accessibility.

Your quick-start briefing (copy/paste to kick things off)

Goals: What should viewers think/do after watching?
Audience & platform: Web hero, LinkedIn, trade-show loop, recruiting, etc.
Locations & sensitivities: Addresses, no-fly/sensitive areas, interior access.
Must-show: Products, signage, teams, partners, milestones.
Brand guardrails: Fonts, colors, lower-third templates, logo safe area.
Deliverables: Aspect ratios, durations, stills, captions, graphic callouts.
Timeline: Launch date and any permit deadlines.
Point people: On-site contact, safety lead, brand reviewer.

Why partner with St Louis Drones

St Louis Drones is a full-service professional commercial photography and video production company with the right equipment and a seasoned creative crew for successful image acquisition. We offer full-service studio and location video and photography, editing, post-production, and licensed drone pilots. We customize productions for diverse media requirements and repurpose your photography and video branding to gain more traction across channels. Our team is well-versed in all file types, media styles, and accompanying software, and we use the latest in Artificial Intelligence across our services. Our private studio lighting and visual setup is perfect for small productions and interview scenes, and the studio is large enough to incorporate props to round out your set. We support every aspect of your production—from setting up a private, custom interview studio to supplying professional sound and camera operators, as well as providing the right equipment—to ensure your next video production is seamless and successful. We can even fly our specialized drones indoors. As a full-service video and photography production corporation since 1982, we’ve partnered with businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies across the St. Louis area to deliver marketing photography and video that performs.