As drones and drone pilots get better by the day, it's getting harder to truly stand out, but this beautiful video certainly notches its place. From sweeping mountains to an ostrich mating dance, it's a fascinating look at South Africa's beauty.
I found this video from Rind-Raja Picture Company particularly fascinating as it relied less on effects and slick edits and simply coupled the unique aerial perspective with strong content. Matching the simplicity of the form, the film was made entirely with only the DJI Mavic Pro and a set of ND filters to allow a 180-degree shutter to be maintained in the varying lighting conditions. Filmmaker Roth Rind notes that the relatively quiet operation of the Mavic Pro was a huge boon, allowing him to capture shots without disturbing the animals, such as the ostrich mating dance seen from directly above. He also notes that the simplicity of his style was borne of his inexperience with drones, opting to shoot mostly in the standard portrait mode with a few adjustments. Altogether, it's a great example of just how easy and professional consumer-level drones, even those that fit in the palm of your hand, have become.
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[via The Digital Circuit]
That's my country! If you ever have the opportunity to visit you'll find that the experience is a million times better than any video can showcase.
Been 4 times now with family living there, and as I drive from Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay the scenery changes are just amazing.
Beautiful video, I kept waiting for Pumba and Timon to join in singing!
Sweet video
but can't you tell the animals are running around because the drone is scaring them? Cruel... not cool...
They're not scared. He had specific permission from the parks and most of the animals couldn't even hear the drone. The ostrich would definitely never do a mating dance if it felt disturbed.
Come and visit. Talk to me. This is what I do. :)
Imagine traveling for hours to experience the Roundels or Kruger Park. You finally arrive at these magical places and some idiot (or two) is flying a drone right over your viewing area. I know for a fact the animals were panicked and terrified. Drones are, at this juncture, over-done and obnoxious. I am not impressed. The music and voices of real South Africans, but no people, just animals. BS.
First of all .. I love Africa, been there and I'm going back again.
1. No other people obviously were there (I don't see any people in the shots)
2. No animals looked bothered (I don't see a single animal looking up, being annoyed - in contrast I saw many animals running for their life, when we drove close to them)
3. If drones shows us the beauty of Africa (in a whole new way), we will love, worship and protect Africa even more ... and the animals too.
I say yes to drones - when used professionally and with respect for others and the animals.
<3 Africa :)
I think that's a bit harsh. Anything non-destructive that promotes tourism to South Africa is a good thing for the people of SA in the midst of our current economic crisis. tourism is a huge part of the economy of the country. If content creators must fly drones to show the world what they can see here, then I see that as a very small price to pay for helping to draw in more tourists.
The places where I take tourists (Sabi Sands) don't allow drones, so it's not a common occurrence, for sure.
Amazing video! I was in the Serengeti a couple of years ago (Tanzania side, great migration) and one day (only one, thankfully) saw hot air balloons and found them obnoxiously loud. We could hear them from quite a distance, whenever the gas/fire was engaged. Drones would have sounded like a single mosquito in comparison. I did get some nice (for me) photos of the wildlife - truly a once in a lifetime experience. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jpiekos/albums/72157658727244015
These animals do look spooked and I do know there are very strict laws about flying drones in game parks in South Africa with heavy fines and/or prison sentences being imposed.
well he had permission... he even credits them at the end of the video...
I do agree that some of the animals did look spooked.