Drone

A shot filmed while flying through the sky on a drone or helicopter. It can move far higher, farther and more freely than a crane, flying back from a character to reveal the whole landscape around them, or sweeping across wide terrain. Here it shows a "dronie": rising backward while staying aimed at the character.

Camera seen from far away. Starting in front of the character, it flies about 13 m back and 9 m up, facing the character the whole time.

Camera view. The bunny keeps shrinking, and the ground and rooftops open up wide.

How it feels

Grandeur
Release
Scale
Isolation
Lingering

When to use it

Introducing a whole place in a film’s opening shot
Ending by leaving a character small in a vast landscape
Following a car along a coastal road from the sky
Travel, real estate and event videos

In the movies

Ambulance (2022) · Source: Movieclips (YouTube) · Original video

Mulholland Dr. 2001
Directed by David Lynch. Given as an example of an aerial shot in Columbia’s film glossary. This does not mean it was shot with a drone.

Not to be confused with

Crane: A crane can only move as far as its arm reaches. A drone has almost no limits and goes much higher and farther.
Bird's Eye: Bird’s eye is a position, looking straight down from directly above. A drone is the movement or equipment that gets you there.
Orbit: Circling a subject with a drone makes an orbit in the sky.

Prompt

Keyword

aerial drone shot

Descriptive

Drone pull back. The camera flies smoothly backward and upward away from the subject while staying aimed at them; the subject shrinks as the surrounding landscape expands into view.

Try these combinations

Drone: an opening flight over an island
Sweeping aerial drone shot flying over a tropical island chain at golden hour
Drone pull back: a tiny figure on a summit
Drone pull back from a lone hiker on a mountain summit, revealing endless ridges and clouds