Pushing the Boundaries of FPV with VFX

AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) drone pilot Fincky is one of the world's most talented cinematic FPV content creators.  In this fantastic piece, you'll see how he's upped his game by adding some VERY cool VFX tricks to his FPV flight footage.    Starting with some beautifully smooth and cinematic FPV footage over the floor of a desert, he adds a series of CGI images to create a truly "other-worldly" visual impression.  This very creative video was chosen for the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch list in March, 2020.  

Making the most of the #stayathome situation caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus, FPV pilot Fietfpv took a little time to launch his iFlightMegabee cinewhoop and fly through a beautiful and eerily quiet city park in Jakarta, Indonesia.  He cruised along the park paths, over the lush landscaping, and through the empty seating areas, showing off his superb FPV flying sills.  Then, he made the edit next-level by mixing in some fun electric animations.  This video made the FPV Pilots to Watch list in March of 2020.

In this unique and quick edit, FPV pilot Sparkitekt turns his cinewhoop flight around Newark New Jersey's Iron Man statue into a cartoon.  This stainless steel giant makes for the perfect subject to cinewhoop around, as it stands in the space outside of Championship Plaza, where the New Jersey Devils play hockey. The flight was flawless, and the fun editing that gave this mega-human mascot a superhero presence caught all of our attention; so it passed that Sparkitekt found his rightful place on our FPV Pilots to Watch list in March 2020.

Cinematically-oriented first person view (FPV) drone pilots have started to adopt 360 degree cameras in their flight videos, allowing for some mind-blowing special effects.  These cameras allow the pilot to put the drone itself "in frame", allowing us to see the quad in flight as if we were viewing it from a boom extension.  This VFX trick enables the creation of some incredibly creative content, as you'll see in this amazing
piece from AirVuz contributor and 360 degree camera manufacturer insta360.  

Clearly inspired by the hit Netflix show, Stranger Things, AirVuz FPV Team Pilot nurkfpv brings us “Weirder Items.” Set against the megahit show’s theme music, he’ll use his stellar micro quad skills to fly through an abandoned building and forest, using his impressive editing skills to meld the two views together with VFX. Although hard to describe in words, it is easy to see why this micro drone video leaves an impression on anyone who watches it.  That's why we picked it for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in November, 2019.   

It’s amazing what GoPros and mini quads can do when paired together.  To see what we mean, just look at this video by AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Dragon FPV. It’s a tree proximity freestyle technical flight, the likes of which we’ve rarely seen. He’s using his skills as a pilot and matching them up with the software behind the GoPro MAX to create this surreal look at the forest around him. This video was selected as an AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch video in November of 2019.

After only a few seconds of watching the video we have to ask, are you confused yet? This trippy piece is brought to us by first person view drone racing pilot mrgilchen. He’s combining his flying skills with a wide open landscape and the technology behind Insta360. The action camera allows users to include 360-degrees of footage in their videos. That’s how mrgilchen is able to bring such a variety of angles and how he’s able to distort the video, providing a very unique viewing experience. 

Check out this first person view (FPV) drone tour of the Texas Renaissance Festival, compliments of top AirVuz contributor LiftedMedia.  The video features fly-through's and fly-by's of some of the festival's top attractions.  There's even some VFX in the mix - check out the shots at the :39, :55, and 1:00 marks, among other places.  The video was put together with the assistance of top FPV pilots nurkFPV and betoFPV.  This video was picked for the FPV Pilots to Watch list in November of 2021.   

As first person view (FPV) footage continues to improve in quality, talented FPV pilots are getting increasingly creative with their video editing skills.  In that vein, check out this fantastic piece by AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot filmnamics.  His intro has his quad flying through a "window" onto a beach for an epic FPV cruise along the shoreline.  In recognition of his FPV piloting and video editing skills, this talented content creator was tapped for the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch list in February, 2021.  

The advent of the cinewhoop drone is giving first person view (FPV) pilots an ability to create movie-like content by adding computer-generated imaging (CGI) to their FPV footage.  This allows pilots to produce stunningly creative videos like what you'll see in this piece by new contributor and FPV pilot elstevedore.  He used a custom-built HD micro-drone to film the Children's Fairlyland, a non-profit children's theme park in Oakland, California.  He then added a CGI "pixie" to follow around the park. 

While 360 degree cameras have been around for several years, it's only recently that they have reached a level of weight and durability that makes them suitable for FPV mini-quads.  With their ability to continuously film their entire surroundings, one of the great "tricks" that can be performed with this application is to put the quad itself in the video.  It makes for a truly "Star Wars" feel, and can take a great FPV video to the next level.  Witness this coastal "cruising" piece by contributor and camera manufacturer insta360.

Now this is FPV video is a trip. We’ll head along on a journey of discovery with FPV pilot Golden VAL, where he’s using his new 360 degree camera to add a little additional excitement to his flight. See how he uses the technology to morph the camera’s frame, which seems to fold in on itself before exploding back open to a new location. If you didn’t understand the technology, you’d think you were cruising at “lightspeed” in a Star Wars film. This was an FPV Pilots to Watch video in December of 2019.