How Fresh Tech is Taking Aerial Videography to New Heights

Imagine the iconic, opening scene of The Sound of Music–sweeping views of mountains, lakes and quaint villages, all shot from above. The expansive shots reach the far distances of the Austrian landscapes before zooming in on Julie Andrews as she twirls and sings at the top of a green hill.

Back in the 1960s, the only way to get such a shot was from a plane or helicopter, or perhaps a hot air balloon. The costs of time, money and coordination were significant, making that type of aerial cinematography accessible to only those filmmakers with the largest budget.

Today, filmmakers have access to drone technology that makes aerial shots much easier to accomplish. Aerial footage is no longer just about filming breathtaking landscapes—it’s about immersing viewers in action-packed sequences and seamless cinematic transitions.

Aerial capture of a forest with trees rising out of dense fog. — Even vast outdoor spaces can be difficult for a person, helicopter or plane to navigate. Drones allow you to capture those epic shots with minimal costs or safety risks. Still from Skillshare class Landscape Photography: Shooting From an Aerial Perspective by Michael Yamashita

You can take your viewers to heights and places that they could never see from the ground, and in ways they wouldn’t see from a plane. If you’d like to do a bit more reading on drone photography in general, check out these articles:

This article looks at the cutting-edge advancements in drones and artificial intelligence fueling the industry. The piece will highlight the trends, key players and emerging technologies driving this expansion.

Rapid Growth of Aerial Videography and Technology

The aerial videography that used to be reserved for the most epic scenes of blockbuster movies is now commonplace in documentaries and even YouTube videos.

The advancement of drones is, of course, a huge part of this. But just as vital was the 2014 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ruling that permitted film companies to fly drones. Before that, it was illegal to do so above people. Even now, the practice is heavily regulated for the safety of those on the ground and other aircraft.

Drones are essentially small, remote-controlled planes that house high-definition cameras that take stills and videos. In recent years, specific technological advancements have made drones even better at taking viewers where they couldn’t go before.

AI, FPV and Automation in Drone Technology

While traditional drones are incredible, artificial intelligence (AI), first-person view (FPV) and automation take things to a new level.

AI Drones

AI drones use machine learning and computer vision to recognize patterns, make predictions and interpret their surroundings. This allows them to adapt to their environments, make decisions and operate independently.

Machine learning is how AI gathers and analyzes data to “see” patterns and “learn” to accurately perform certain tasks. Computer vision, on the other hand, is how AI understands its surroundings and adapts to avoid running into objects while navigating a smooth path.

FPV Drones

FPV drones allow you to get a “drone’s eye view,” so to speak. Traditional drones are flown based on what you see from the ground–counting on spatial awareness and knowing the landscape. FPV drones use a camera to stream a real-time video down to another screen, such as your phone or a set of goggles.

Drone Automation

Automated drone flights require minimal human interaction. Using advanced flight controls and software, automated drones can follow predetermined flight paths, perform certain maneuvers and, in some cases, carry out complex tasks.

Real-World Feats in Aerial Videography

Whether it’s from a plane, helicopter or drone, aerial videography allows you to record from a special vantage point. It takes viewers out of the mundane and provides a whole new kind of context for your project.

Drones enable you to go further, finding angles and spaces that large aircraft can’t capture. Even better, you can do this in a wide range of industries and capacities.

Film

From settings like mountain ranges and big cities to hidden coves and deep crevices, drones allow filmmakers to include perspectives viewers won’t see elsewhere. Few other technologies can create such an immersive experience, no matter the height or depth.

Sports

Before drones, cameras simply couldn’t get very close to the action of a football game, figure skater or water sport without risking safety and interference with the event. Now, we see drones hovering over soccer fields and getting a close-up of everything from footwork to sweat on the brow.

Live Events

Weddings, concerts and your child’s important events can be recorded in a whole new way, and without the need for someone to put themselves in the middle of things. It will be easy to capture the main event as well as the audience and overall setting with one small drone.

Content Creation

If you’re looking to ramp up your social media presence, drones offer a way to create content that will make you stand out. Whether it’s entertainment, real estate, journalistic or educational, the vantage point of a drone greatly expands your abilities and potential.

Rescue Missions

It’s not all about having fun with drones–they can actually save lives. If someone is missing in the wilderness, FPV drones with highly advanced software can be employed to search more efficiently than people on foot or even small aircraft.

Impact of Drone Innovations on Accessibility and Affordability

Without a doubt, drones make innovative filmmaking and content creation more accessible and affordable overall. It’s true that a high-quality drone isn’t going to be cheap, and educating yourself on the technology and regulations requires a degree of effort. Still, it’s much easier than hiring a helicopter.

Drones are also a major innovation for filmmakers and content creators with disabilities. If you are in a wheelchair or live with other mobility challenges, the option to record through a remote control, FPV drone allows you to capture locations you can’t reach, and with smooth speed.

For cities and other municipalities, drones are an ideal tool for environmental monitoring, inspecting construction and infrastructure and exploring agriculture. For example, if there’s a hazardous spill or dangerous terrain, officials can use drones to get a close look at the areas of concern, without risking the safety of human experts.

Industry Trends, Ethical Considerations and Regulatory Challenges

The drone industry, like many industries, has trends, regulations and ethical considerations. And since the industry is only expected to grow in the coming years, it’s important to pay attention to the patterns.

Drone Industry Trends

According to the Global Drone Market Report 2025-2030:

The global drone market is projected to reach nearly $58 billion by 2030.
Drone services will be the largest segment of the market, but hardware will grow more quickly.
The main applications of drones will be mapping, surveying, inspection, photography and filming.

According to the Aerial Imaging Marketing Analysis 2025:

The global aerial imaging market is projected to reach almost $37 billion by 2029.
The aerial imaging market in the United States is projected to reach about $10.75 billion by 2029.
The increasing integration of AI will significantly improve drone accuracy in the coming years.

For those dealing with shaky drone footage, stabilization technology is constantly updating and improving, especially with the continued development of AI. Keep an eye on brands like Davinci Resolve and CapCut.

Drone Ethical Considerations

The primary ethical concerns around drones are about safety and privacy.

Improperly flown drones can endanger people on the ground, buildings and other low-flying aircraft. Some examples would be spectators at sporting events, hang gliders, helicopters, small planes, wind turbines and power lines.

Privacy is easily violated when cameras fly through the air. Since anyone can just buy a drone and fly it around their neighborhood, rules do exist about how low you can fly and how close to private buildings, etc. Still, someone violating those laws won’t necessarily be obvious, and could collect a lot of footage before anyone notices.

Drone Regulatory Challenges

Regulatory challenges might make things harder for the industry, but they’re necessary for society’s safety. Manufacturers, service providers and casual drone users must remain compliant with the regulations, for their own protection and that of those around them.

The main areas of regulation and compliance include:

Airspace management: Aviation agencies have highly developed regulations to keep air traffic safe and undisrupted.
Data security: Countries have their own regulations about where drones can fly and record, as well as how they handle collected data.
User training and licensing: If you’re flying a drone for commercial purposes in the United States, you need a Remote Pilot Certificate.
Import and export restrictions: Companies building or selling drones may face costs and restrictions based on imports and exports.
Environmental regulations: Areas with sensitive environments or endangered animals may be completely off-limits for drone flying.

Explore Drone Technology to Make Your Aerial Videography Soar

If you want to make videos that provide vast visual context and epic, smooth shots from above, drones are an affordable, accessible and rapidly developing option. For more guidance and tips, check out these Skillshare classes on elevating storytelling with aerial videography:

Be sure you understand your local laws and regulations before your drone ever takes to the air. Once you know the guidelines and have a feel for operating a flying camera, let your creativity soar to new heights with amazing aerial videography!

Written By

Katie Mitchell

Katie lives in Michigan with her husband, kids and pets. She enjoys cooking, travel and live music.