Make Better Drone Videos by Learning Intelligent Flight Modes

If you own a DJI drone and haven't yet taken advantage of the Intelligent Flight Modes, you're missing out on some seriously adept autonomous flight capabilities that can help you get smoother, more professional-looking shots. This helpful video will get you acquainted with each mode, what it's useful for, and what to be aware of when shooting.

Drones have made it possible for almost any filmmaker to get shots that just a decade ago required a helicopter and full crew. However, piloting, navigating, and shooting all at the same time can be quite an undertaking. Luckily, DJI offers 12 separate Intelligent Flight Modes that can help you achieve common types of shots more smoothly and efficiently, resulting in better footage. 

One thing to note is that in this video, a Phantom 4 Pro is being used for demonstration. While newer drones such as the Mavic Pro share most of the same modes, older models may not have all of them. Furthermore, one should be aware of the collision and obstacle avoidance systems their specific model has and take those into consideration whenever using a flight mode. Furthermore, though the video indicates that Active Track should be used over Follow Me, one should note that because Follow Me uses position data from the controller, it's useful in situations in which Active Track might lose visual confirmation of the target. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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