“How do you create the 3D survey of my site?” We get this question all the time. It’s a good one, and definitely something you should care about.
Producing accurate, useful 3D drone surveys requires three ingredients: aerial drone imagery, good ground control, and the science of photogrammetry. But the actual process that builds your site’s 3D terrain model can seem mysterious.
What is photogrammetry?
At its most basic, “photogrammetry” is measuring via photos. It might sound dry and complicated, but its inner workings define the way we fly.
When you send your drone up, it takes pictures of your site with lots of overlap. The 80% overlap on each picture is necessary for two reasons:
1. For the computer to stitch images together to make the orthophoto.
2. To capture enough angles of each feature to model it in 3D.
We can’t overstate the importance of steady, consistent flight in getting these photos right for drone photogrammetry.
The gist of the science
Essentially, if you see the same feature from three or more known positions, you can triangulate its location in space (a.k.a nail down those exact X, Y, and Z coordinates). A feature is any visually distinct point in an image.
If you took an average image from your survey, you’d easily be able to pick out many “features” between images. The more features you match, the better you can relate images to each other and reconstruct objects within them. This is exactly what photogrammetry software does for one feature, and the next, and the next, and so on, until it’s covered your entire site.
Once you have a lot of these features—think millions—you can create a “cloud” of points. Each point has a matched feature describing your surveyed area in that location. You can then turn your point cloud into any regular outputs used in geospatial software, like a 3D mesh or digital elevation model (DEM).
Making a ripple that doesn’t simply dissipate in a sea of corporate videos isn’t always easy. You’re not just competing with other businesses in your field; you’re also up against smartphones, web content and hordes of other distractions that vie for your audience’s undivided attention. In short, the quality of your corporate video production determines the level of public engagement you enjoy.
Sadly, far too many companies make the mistake of creating corporate videos that skew towards the stodgy end of the spectrum instead of actually being entertaining. While the drive to communicate important information is understandable, producing corporate video isn’t just about sharing facts or statistics. You should at least bear the following ten tips in mind when creating videos that need to make an impact.
Concentrate on your objective
Top corporate videos have cohesive messages, and this is in no small part the result of detailed planning. Decide what you’ll say before you get in front of the camera and stick to the schedule, don’t wing it during the real shoot.
This is the time to set your tone. Skip the overbearing buzzwords, but don’t lapse too far into casual vernacular. Good corporate video strikes a rapport with viewers, so decide how to address yours in an accessible fashion.
Shorter is superior
Viewers don’t have time to sit through your version of how the universe came to be. Stick to the essentials and remember that top videos average under three minutes. While your ideal target runtimes may vary depending on whether you’re creating an ad or internal training materials, you should always aim for concise language and effective visuals that communicate at a steady pace
Support your claims
Including evidence is key to making corporate videos that viewers actually trust. Whether you mention a study and link to it in the video description or use motion infographics to visualize a point, you should make it clear how real data backs up what you’re trying to get across.
This is another area where the importance of editing corporate video becomes apparent. Raw data isn’t always that interesting, but combining stats with unique presentation or footage may help you deliver a message more effectively.
Tell a story
Even if it’s brief, including a narrative ties your video together and makes it more memorable. Whether you’re aiming to really tug at someone’s heartstrings or inspire people with a noble message, storytelling really drives the point home.
External vessel inspections
Big names in the maritime industry have all shown strategic intent to revolutionise their operations by embracing drone technology and many maritime operators are now following suit.
All shipowners know that traditional methods of external vessel inspection can be a costly affair. Now that high definition, camera-equipped drones are widely available and affordable, using them for external vessel inspections to assess that the structural condition remains effective, is becoming more common. Identifying substantial corrosion, significant deformation, fractures, damage, or other structural deterioration can be done quickly, easily and cost-effectively using drones.
External inspection typically involves an initial screening of the vessel by the drone. This identifies any areas that require closer inspection, without the need for any access equipment. To do this, the drone is flown over the surface of the vessel using an automatic flight control system controlled by a human pilot. The drone automatically captures survey data, such as video and high resolution images automatically during the flight. The survey data, in addition to payload data, is then transmitted to the system user, who then reviews the information to check for defects on the vessel’s exterior, such as peeling paintwork and dents.
The benefits of drone surveys and inspections are unmatched: acquiring data for external inspections takes a fraction of the time when compared against traditional methods and vessel downtime for inspection is greatly reduced.
When you watch a time-lapse video, it can take seconds or minutes to show you an event that took place over hours, days, weeks, months or years.
Useful for Commercial Business
Time lapse videos are often seen on the TV during nature programmes which demonstrate how plants bloom or how a caterpillar emerges to become a butterfly.
However, time-lapse videos are also very useful in commercial business and they are especially useful as a way of documenting construction projects.
Save Money Documenting the Construction
Usually when a construction project is under way, a construction manager is in charge. His or her job is to make sure the work is done on time and within budget. During the course of a construction programme the manager will often have to make a number of costly and time-consuming visits to the site. Having a time-lapse video in place means less visits which save time and money.
View the Video Remotely
The video can be viewed remotely from the construction managers office on a smartphone, computer or laptop and can be shared with other members of the management team. This also means issues can be dealt with immediately by management even if they are all in different locations.
Management can see the results of the work at the end of each day so that should any changes need to be made these can be carried out quickly before any more work is done. For example, if management realise part of a wall is too big it can be reduced quickly before any further work is carried out.
Specifically, these solutions focus on remote site inspection, providing real-time interaction, data, and visuals without the need for travel or onsite access.
Drones
Drones seem to be everywhere these days. From your local neighborhood enthusiast to online e-commerce drone delivery service, more people and industries are beginning to embrace this remote technology. The practical uses of drones in the workplace are continuing to expand as companies find they can eliminate health and safety hazards by using technology to complete potentially dangerous tasks instead of employees.
Drones can be used for environmental site assessments to gain a general view of the property, help identify features of concern and provide real-time documentation through maps, figures, and 3D models. Drones can be especially helpful when dealing with sites that have particular safety concerns that prevent access by foot or vehicle. And while drones cannot provide a physical inspection of infrastructure (like opening a manhole or looking inside a shed), they can identify surface expressions of infrastructure (buildings, tanks, rail lines, power lines) and important topography changes (pits, lagoons, stained areas, stressed vegetation).
Anyone who has an interest in photography and videography most likely heard of drone videography/photography. Never has it been so easy to capture aerial images of some of the world’s most beautiful (and sometimes hard to access) places. Drones can be bought and used for personal use and they are a fun way to capture great moments from above. If you are thinking more seriously about drones and want to become a Drone Videographer, read the important steps below.
Learn Videography First
To start off, the first step is to learn how to become a videographer before becoming an aerial videographer. Purchasing a drone will not get you the right skills to shoot professional videos. There are plenty of online courses that will help you cover all that you need to know on taking the best shots with your camera, as well as using the essential tools for video editing.
Choose a Drone Based on Your Needs and Skills
So you have decided to become a professional Drone Videographer and you know that in order to become one, your drone needs to have a, well… camera. But knowing a little bit more about drones will help you save money and any disappointment. Drones can be expensive, that is why you should figure out what types of videos you would like to focus on:
Figuring out what your drone should be capable of doing at the start will help you decide on the best drone during purchase time
As the popularity of drones continues to grow, video producers are finding more and more unique ways to fine uses for aerial footage in corporate videos.
If you find yourself scratching your head about how to add more creativity (and adventure) to your video content, look no further than the clever flying robots known as drones.
GROUPSHOT
Drones are all about taking advantage of aerial shots. Grab your employees and get them in an outdoor space, like the rooftop or parking lot. A quick pull away shot of your crew waving is a unique way to use drone footage in your corporate video. If getting the team together at one time is tough, consider taking the drone to a corporate event where everyone will be in attendance.
THE BLOCK VIEW
One of the best ways to tell the story of your company is to show people where you work. Many businesses are using drone shots to showcase their local neighbourhoods and the blocks they work on.
Whether it's a sunny day or a winter dusting, a quick trip around the neighbourhood a few times with a drone can tell a lot about the unique essence and energy of your locations. It also makes for incredible footage on your home page or careers page. These types of shots can create an experience around your brand that can tell a lot about who, what and where you are.
THE REVEAL
Perhaps the most popular of drone footage shots (does it ever get old?) is "the reveal" as it is referred to in filmmaking. The defining characteristic of this drone footage is the uber fast pan out (or in some cases pan in) that makes the viewer feel like they are lightweight and free of gravity. Use if you want to build on an element of surprise and/or drama.
Another clever way companies are using "the reveal" is in reverse. By placing a product on a table and panning in from 15 stories up, it creates a unique spotlight effect that is unmatched by any other camera technique.
INDOOR AERIAL
You don't need an airplane hangar to get cool indoor shots from a drone. Find a place in your building where the ceiling is highest and go to town. Stairwells are one place that make for a great indoor aerial shot. Lobbies, stadiums, factory floors, warehouses, showrooms, trade shows, and vaulted ceilings also have some good height for filming.
Before any architectural photographers decide to use a drone, there are several things you need to consider making sure that you’re doing things the right way and are not breaking any laws or rules.
What is Time Lapse Video?
Time lapse video is a method of recording a process which takes place over a long period of time, such as building a new bridge or housing development, and then condenses the story into a short fast-paced video telling the story of the project. Time-Lapse video can range from a single camera covering a single day to multi-units to cover various angles and drone footage to give the final completed vista.
What are the Essentials of Time Lapse Video?
Firstly, making a great time lapse video appears easy, but actually it requires a lot of skill and knowledge.
Secondly, it’s essential that you get high-quality pictures, a minimum of 4K resolution, a weatherproof camera and a good, long lasting power source.
So, you may be thinking I could use a webcam or mobile phone– and yes you’re right because time-lapse cameras come in all shapes and sizes, as well as cost. However, although the cheaper cameras, such as webcams, are simple to install, the reliability and quality of image is often quite poor. The big downside of these low end DIY options is the power source; for instance a Smartphone usually need a power source for more than a couple of days’ use – so not very convenient for a long term project, i.e more than three days.
If you want to capture a project which is going to cover several days to weeks or even months, it’s usually safer and easier to use a dedicated time-lapse camera device and professional media team.
There’s no great secret to making great time-lapse videos—it’s the same for shooting compelling photos—you need to tell a story. Before you start filming a time-lapse video, you need to ask yourself: what am I filming and what am I trying to say with it? If you’re not really sure what your subject is, what the change that you’re documenting is meant to be, or why your audience might want to watch your time-lapse video, you need to have a re-think.
Popular subjects for time-lapse videos include sunrises and sunsets, flowers coming into bloom, traffic flows, and clouds moving. They are all gorgeous, and the chances are you will find shooting them incredibly rewarding, but you might struggle to make them stand out from everyone else’s versions.
Why not think about the following time-lapse videos, or variations on them, instead?
Use interesting angles – Changing the angles in your shots is an important technique that anyone with a camera, whether stills or video, should use. It isn’t just that changing angles can make shots more interesting, but that it can make your audience feel differently about your subjects, too. For example, if you photograph a person from below, looking up at them, they will appear powerful. If you photograph someone from above, it can make them look a little shier or quieter. Shooting tall buildings from below, when you are very close to them, looks great in stills and works very well for time-lapse videos, too if you want to capture moving clouds.
Add a mirror – With this technique, you can create a mind-bending time-lapse. After you have positioned your camera or smartphone on its tripod, hold a mirror above or under the lens so that you create a line of symmetry running through the middle of your scene. If you want to try this, think carefully about the lines in your scene and how they are going to draw your audience’s eye into the shot.
Try motion-lapse – Instead of filming your time-lapse video from one position, you can always move around! This is great for road trips and for walking tours of cities, just remember to use a stabilizer. You can also introduce more controlled motion by using a motorized slider. Put your camera on the slider, and set it so that it moves a given distance in between each shot.
Why not use a drone? – For an unusual time-lapse video that captures shifting clouds or fog, think about capturing aerial footage with a drone. The trick here is to fly in GPS mode so that you maintain a steady position, but do be sure to follow local regulations regarding drone flights. Don’t get into trouble for flying too high or into areas where you shouldn’t be.
Get inspired by the following trending styles in architectural photography, each redefining how we consume architectural design.
#NoFilter
The quality of light is just as significant as the subjects that comprise an architectural photo. There is more attention being directed towards the way light can be applied to images in order to convey a strong message. Images must communicate the project’s character and should connect with the viewer, meaning they shouldn’t be too cold and lifeless. The quality of light is at its best when it’s warm in colour. There are different periods towards the end of the day that yield particularly beautiful lighting conditions, such as the golden hour and the blue hour.
Surprise
Often, clients provide little direction to architectural photographers when embarking on a project. This leaves photographers with almost complete creative control and the opportunity to surprise clients with intriguing, out-of-the-ordinary, personal images. When given this freedom, photographers can search for angles that lend themselves to abstraction and symmetry, capture dramatic scenes incorporating moving water or stormy skies, and zoom in to unique details within an architectural structure.
Drone Photography
The rise of affordable drones has given photographers a wealth of new ways to document architecture. They offer incredible versatility and can provide new meaning and context to buildings through seemingly endless perspectives they can achieve. Drone photography can help form a new appreciation for architecture, as it provides new revelations about a building’s geometry, form and scale. With aerial photographers, it’s no surprise that architectural photography using drones is gaining more and more popularity.
Traditional real estate photography can be limited in its ability to capture the information a prospective tenant or buyer needs before leasing or purchasing a property. With the accessibility and increasing affordability of drone technology, it is easier than ever to showcase almost any property from an aerial view, providing much more information about a property to prospective buyers.
How does aerial video fit into your real estate video marketing strategy?
This marketing tactic is extremely important nowadays, as most prospective buyers browse listings online before requesting to see a property, and the more visual you can make that listing, the higher the odds that you will have more showings. Video reigns in the marketing world no. Consumers in 2020 tend to prefer watching a video to reading about a product, as well as spend more time interacting with the websites/product listings that are showcased with video. And, of course, video is a much better shareable content for real estate agent social media pages.
Aerial photos and video are not just pretty pictures
We can see more from a bird's eye view, so aerial views provide information that prospective buyers want to have about the location. For residential real estate, seeing the property size and backyard layout in one quick shot (lake, pool, outdoor recreation area, privacy) can help inform buyers, appeal to their emotions, and make them visualize themselves there. Of course, higher-end listings use drones more often. Those properties have more to showcase, and high-end homeowners want to hire an agent who will make sure that their property is represented with its maximum potential to attract more demand from buyers.
Do you find yourself enthralled by the power of drones, but struggle to find how it could benefit your business? Then you’re in luck because we’re about to explain just that! There’s a common misconception when it comes to drones which is that they can only be used to capture massive facilities for large corporations. However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Practically any business can benefit from aerial drone photography and videography. The key is understanding when, where and how to get the most out of these incredible devices. To help give you some ideas, we’ve included an example of creative ways to harness the power of aerial drones below.
EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY
Hosting an event? Drones are a great way to capture the event in a unique way. One of the many advantages of having a drone at events is that, not only can you get footage from a great vantage point, but attendees are usually more than willing to be featured in the shots. Another positive is the variety of footage that you can get. A perfect example of this was when we teamed up to do a drone shoot at a hiking event. Not only did we capture great shots of people as they hiked the canal side trail, but they were more than willing to add to the footage by smiling and waving.
Our drone pilots even captured an aerial photo of the attendees in the shape of a heart. The footage was then used on local TV news networks and will no doubt be used to promote the clients’ event in the future.
