We’ve all seen drone videos. Wide sweeping aerial views are now much more accessible and affordable thanks to the availability of drones with high quality cameras. A drone shot is a great way to highlight the exterior of your business, but did you know there is another type of drone that is designed for much smaller spaces? FPV drones create unique videos of the inside of your business. And they may be reshaping the future of drone video production.
So, What is an FPV drone?
You may have heard someone call this an interior drone flythrough or flythrough tour. FPV stands for First Person View. This means the pilot is looking directly through the drone’s camera to see where they are flying. The drones are typically much smaller than a standard commercial drone, and the propellers are surrounded by protective bumpers which prevent damage in the case of a collision with an object. This makes them safe to fly indoors and near people. These features also make FPV drones capable of getting into tight spaces and performing complex maneuvers.
How is an FPV drone different?
While FPV drones are much more difficult to fly, they are able to capture footage that is unlike anything else. Imagine taking a guided tour through a hotel as if you are a hummingbird flitting through the air. Or following a product through its entire assembly process and into the hands of your customer, with style. Unlike commercial outdoor drones which have sensors preventing them from flying freely in an enclosed space, these smaller FPV drones are able to navigate tight corners and hallways without the risk of causing damage to your property.
Like any video, drone flythrough videos are the most compelling when they tell a story. They take you on a journey that tells you about unique features, even without a single word spoken. You can view examples of these videos here.
How do FPV drones work?
FPV drones are flown with the aid of special goggles, similar to a VR headset, that the pilot uses to navigate by looking through the drone camera. The drone cameras themselves are not high quality enough to be useful in video production, so another higher quality camera must be mounted on top. This camera collects gyroscope data which smooths out the footage in post production. Additionally, FPV drones typically need frequent maintenance and fine tuning to keep them in working condition. Sound complicated? While these drones have been gaining popularity among enthusiasts, it’s still a relatively new territory for commercial use.
An interior flythrough video using an FPV drone is one of the most engaging ways to take your audience on an immersive tour of your business. It is great for creating a virtual tour of your property or for crafting a unique visual story. As an added bonus, these videos have the potential to go viral. This recent video that Tesla produced did just that.
What do you think about these videos? Have you seen or heard of FPV drone videos before? Let us know in the comments!
-Sara E. Jones, CEO & Co-founder, RadBot Video