so ive been flying for about 8 months now and i feel like my footage is getting technically better but whenever i watch it back it just feels kind of random, like theres no real story to it. i go out with the mini 4 pro, get some nice looking clips, but then when i sit down to edit its just a pile of disconnected shots that dont really flow together.

i know a lot of you do cinematic stuff and i see these videos online where every shot feels intentional and it all cuts together really smoothly. do you actually plan this out beforehand or is it more of a feel thing? like do you scout locations on google earth first or make a shot list or something? or is this more of an editing thing where you figure it out in post?

also side question, what do you use to color grade drone footage, ive been using the default stuff in premiere and it looks kinda flat

yeah the planning thing made a huge difference for me honestly. i started using google earth to scout before i ever leave the house, just spin around the location and think about where the sun is gonna be, what angles look interesting, whether theres anything that could give me a natural reveal shot. then i write down like 5-6 shots i want to get minimum. not a strict script, more like a loose checklist so i dont land and realize i forgot to get an establishing wide.

the editing thing comes with time but i think the bigger shift for me was starting to think in terms of sequences not just individual clips. like i try to get a wide, a medium, and something close or detail-oriented for each subject, that way you have options in the edit and stuff actually cuts together. and for color grading, if youre shooting in d-log or d-log m youll need an lut to get it back to looking normal first, then grade on top of that. if youre not shooting in a flat profile yet thats probably why things look flat, try d-log m and grab a free lut pack to start

omg same problem here, i thought it was just me lol. i started watching these behind the scenes videos of filmmakers talking about shot lists and it helped me think about it differently. also somebody told me to think about what emotion you want the viewer to feel before you even take off, sounds kinda artsy but it actually helped me pick better shots