Marketing Takes Flight with Drone Videos
Marketing clients often encourage us to let our imaginations take flight—as long as we keep our feet on the ground. Pesky things like practicality can quickly become gravitational forces holding creativity earthbound.
But now there’s one place where technology is letting us—and our clients—literally break free from these tethers: video marketing using drones. Shooting video with drones allows us to be more imaginative and innovative in our storytelling, incorporating shots and angles that just weren’t practical (or financially feasible) before.
A New View on Video
The timing couldn’t be better. According to the Cisco Annual Internet Report, online videos will account for 82 percent of all internet traffic by 2022. In a market this saturated, every company needs to offer compelling new perspectives if they hope to grab and hold potential customers’ attention. Drones to the rescue!
The ability to create high definition footage from any angle, while moving in any direction, opens so many possibilities. Videos shot with drones offer a variety of sequences that simply can’t be achieved by any other kind of video recording, from takeoffs and landings to flyovers, reveals, 360-degree shots, and tilts—all of which can help position a company’s message above the competition.
Drones on the Rise
In January, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) reported more than 1.7 million registered drones in the US. Drones have become so ubiquitous that more than 80 percent of major brands have already integrated some kind of aerial drone footage into their multichannel marketing initiatives.
When drones first appeared less than a decade ago, they were mostly used to provide a high-altitude perspective that was dramatically different from what audiences were used to seeing. Marketing agencies hired helicopters and handled complicated logistics to get sweeping shots of nature, soaring flybys of tall buildings, or bird’s-eye footage of sporting events.
The Angles Change for Drone Footage
Today, the approach to drones and the content they produce is getting more mature—right in step with advances in the technology. Modern lightweight, unmanned drones are equipped with software, cameras, and visual and sonar sensors capable of capturing high-resolution, professional-quality video both while flying high up in the sky and closer to Earth. And digital creatives are realizing some of the best footage is actually created at lower altitudes—allowing viewers to experience businesses, products, environments, or events like they never have before.
Combining the two approaches—aerial and closer to eye-level—really adds incredible possibilities to video storytelling. Imagine starting a sequence inside a building and ending up at 400 ft. altitude in one smooth, uncut shot! No other technology can do that.
How We Do Marketing with Drone Videos
Street Level Studio is thrilled to include drones in our range of video production services. We’ve incorporated drone footage in several recent videos, adding a unique perspective to our clients’ stories. Most recently, we used a Mavic Mini drone to shoot interior video of a high-tech dental practice in Highwood for our client Umbrella Dental Partners. Weighing as little as a smartphone, the drone is not only compact but exceptionally nimble and easy to maneuver, even when flying in narrow or confined spaces.
With Brian Fuller, our digital creative director and registered drone pilot at the helm, we captured stunning footage of what patients can expect to experience at The Smilelist’s brand-new office location. We took advantage of the drone’s sophisticated cameras and advanced sensors to shoot a fast-paced, experiential video that mimics a trip through the office and builds excitement for the new space. See for yourself.
We also used a drone to showcase the eye-catching City of Highwood light pole banners Street Level Studio designed for the Highwood Chamber of Commerce. With its easy-to-use controller and autonomous flight features, the DJI Phantom 4 Quadcopter drone we used was perfect for capturing the scope of the project, incorporating sweeping shots of the downtown streetscape with close-ups and pedestrian-level perspectives. Take the tour.
Are You Ready to Fly?
No matter your industry, size, or audience, you need to rise above the crowd. Whether used on social media, added to your website, shared on YouTube, a drone video can easily become the compelling marketing tool that delivers your message with cinematic impact. And today’s accessible, easy-to-use technology makes it more financially realistic and logistically possible to film in just about any location on just about any budget.
Street Level Studio’s creative team is ready to show you how it’s done. So, now you really can let your imagination take flight.
