The Evolution of Aerial Cinematography through History

Throughout history, aerial cinema has evolved from its humble beginnings to become one of the key components of contemporary visual art. The first aerial photographs and videos represented an important turning point, as people became interested in the bird’s eye view and the environment around us.

It was quickly realized that aerial photographs and videos were not only for the entertainment industry but also for the military. Today, aerial photography is used in every conceivable field. I have been researching the early beginnings of aerial photography and imagery through the literature I have read, as I was interested in how aerial photography and imagery came into being before aircraft development.

In doing so, I came to the interesting conclusion that the first aerial photographs were taken by balloons and later by pigeons. The invention of the airplane was considered to be a major leap in the history of aerial cinematography, as the military became interested in aerial photography.

Film directors and producers began to use airplanes to make films, as they could film aerial scenes from their cockpits, which added drama for the audience when watching the film. Over the years, technological advances have led to the introduction of drones to helicopter filming, as they have also made filming more convenient and cost-effective for film crews.

Through the articles I have read, I have explored the types of scenes used in aerial cinematography and how these have been able to be used in different genres of film with the help of drones and helicopters. In the following part of my thesis, I analyzed two completely different sequences from two films.

The Shining and Skyfall are completely different, both in age and genre. By analyzing the two sequences from the two films, I determined what role and effect the film directors wanted to create with the aerial shots. While reading the literature, I also discovered a new drone technology called FPV drone. I was interested in how footage taken with an FPV drone and a regular drone differ from each other.

The analyses I did in my thesis gave me additional knowledge about the different ways of filming and how they play an important role in the eyes of the viewer, as directors use them to reach and evoke different feelings in the viewer. Through the writing of my thesis, I also learned a lot about the history of aerial cinema and its evolution so far

You can see the student’s product in the video below: