Seriously, I’m blown away by what I see on this forum. You folks are incredible!
I’ve got an Air 3, and my footage always ends up looking kinda jerky—probably because I keep fiddling with zoom and direction mid-flight. How do you all keep things so steady and smooth? I’d love any tips or advice to make my videos look more cinematic.
It really just comes down to practice.
If you think your pan is slow enough, slow it down even more. I’ve been doing regular videography for years, but just recently got into drones, and I learned quick that tiny stick movements are key. Same goes for the tilt wheel—barely touch it, just enough to start the motion.
@Fin
100% agree. Also, tweak your gain settings—makes a huge difference with smoother movements.
@Fin
That’s great advice, thanks! I’ve noticed some people seem to pick a route, set the camera, and just fly with no panning or tilting. I guess less is more sometimes.
@Fin
I’m practicing with a friend’s Mini 2 and totally get this now. Micro adjustments are everything, especially when trying to orbit or tilt the camera smoothly.
There’s a bunch of tricks that can help. Waypoints are super underrated—they let you plan your shots, get repeatable movement, and way more control overall. Takes more effort, but the results are clean.
Also, dive into your remote’s gain curves for smoother inputs. Lots of great tutorials on YouTube. And I use these cine sticks from Scotty Makes Stuff—physical add-ons that help with smooth movements. They’re awesome.
Did you just say ‘you people’? lol
Honestly bro, it’s all about editing. We all shoot shaky or weird clips sometimes. Just record a bunch of stuff and focus on quantity. Then when you’re editing, cut together the cleanest parts. You’ll end up with something nice.
You can make almost anything look Oscar-worthy with good editing. It’s an art. Mess around with speed ramps or time shifts—drone footage responds really well to those and can totally change the vibe.
Check out some basic shot techniques on YouTube—tons of quick videos that teach you good moves. Also try using MasterShots. That’ll help you a lot as a beginner.