The Evolution of Aerial Cinematography Throughout History

Aerial cinematography has evolved throughout history from its humble beginnings to become one of the key components of contemporary visual art. An interesting finding emerged that balloons, and later pigeons, were responsible for the first aerial shots. A major leap in the history of aerial cinematography was the invention of the aeroplane, as the military also began to take an interest in aerial shots.

Solution and Method

Aerial cinematography has evolved throughout history from its humble beginnings to become one of the key components of contemporary visual art. The first photographs and shots from the air represented an important breakthrough, as people were interested in what the view from a bird's eye perspective was like and what the environment around us looked like. It was quickly established that aerial photographs and shots were not intended only for the entertainment industry, but also for the military.

Today, aerial filming craft are used in all possible fields. With the help of the literature read, the first beginnings of aerial photographs and shots were explored, as the manner in which these were created before the development of aeroplanes was of particular interest.

Results

An interesting finding emerged that balloons, and later pigeons, were responsible for the first aerial shots. A major leap in the history of aerial cinematography was the invention of the aeroplane, as the military also began to take an interest in aerial shots. Film directors and producers began using aeroplanes for filming, as they could shoot scenes from the air from cockpits, which aroused additional drama for viewers when watching the film.

The development of technology over the years has led to drones joining helicopters in filming, as they have enabled film crews to shoot more conveniently and cost-effectively. Through the articles read, the types of shots used in the world of aerial cinematography and how these could be used in different film genres with the help of drones and helicopters were explored. In the continuation of the diploma thesis, two completely different sequences from two films were analysed.

The films The Shining and Skyfall differ completely from each other, both in age and genre. By analysing two sequences from the films, the role and effect that film directors wanted to create with the help of aerial shots was determined. Whilst reading the literature, a new drone technology called FPV drone was also encountered.

The manner in which shots made with an FPV drone and an ordinary drone differ from each other was of particular interest. The analyses carried out in the diploma thesis gave the author additional knowledge about different filming methods and how these play an important role in the eyes of the viewer, as directors use them to achieve and evoke different feelings in the viewer. Throughout the writing of the diploma thesis, much was also learnt about the history of the emergence of aerial cinematography and its evolution to date.