Why Raw Drone Video is the Essential Asset for Your Next Press Kit

Posted on 11/13/2025 by stlouisaerialphotography

As an experienced videographer, photographer, and producer, I’ve seen content marketing evolve from static print to dynamic, high-resolution video. Today, for decision-makers in marketing, photography, and video production, the challenge is clear: how do you cut through the noise with immediate, unquestionable authenticity?

The answer lies, in part, in leveraging the power of aerial cinematography, specifically by including Raw Drone Video Footage in your corporate press kits. This is a strategic move that moves beyond the glossy, highly-produced final cut to offer media partners and stakeholders a tangible, high-value asset.

The Strategic Imperative of Raw Drone Footage

When we talk about “Raw” drone video, we mean the unedited, high-bitrate, log-format footage right off the camera. This is not simply a promotional clip; it’s a powerful toolkit for those who cover your organization.

1. The Unmatched Value of Visual Versatility

A final, color-graded, and branded video is perfect for your website, but it offers limited utility to a third-party media outlet. Raw drone footage, however, is pure creative potential.

Custom Storytelling: Journalists, documentary producers, or creative agencies need footage that seamlessly fits their narrative, their color palette, and their required aspect ratio. Providing them with log footage (like D-Log or C-Log) allows them to apply their own professional color correction, ensuring a consistent look across their entire broadcast or digital platform.
Media-Specific Repurposing: A sweeping aerial establishing shot of your facility or event, uncropped and uncompressed, can be used for a 16:9 news broadcast, a vertical 9:16 social media story, or a high-resolution print image for a trade publication. This versatility ensures your brand’s visuals are used widely and correctly.
Proof of Scale and Scope: Drone video provides a perspective impossible to capture from the ground. Including raw aerial assets allows media partners to instantly convey the sheer scale of your operations, real estate holdings, construction projects, or event venues—imparting a sense of authority and credibility.

2. Authenticity Builds Trust

In an era of hyper-filtered content, authenticity is currency. “Raw” footage has an implied transparency that immediately resonates.

Transparency of Production: By providing the original, high-quality media, you demonstrate confidence and a lack of visual “doctoring.” This level of transparency reinforces your brand’s integrity.
High-Quality B-Roll: Media outlets are constantly in search of high-quality b-roll to overlay interviews or explainer segments. Unedited drone footage of a bustling campus, smooth facility fly-throughs, or dynamic time-lapses serves as premium filler content that elevates the production quality of their piece—making them more likely to feature your story.

3. Streamlining the Media Production Workflow

Providing raw assets is a sign of professionalism that streamlines the media partner’s workflow, making your organization easier to work with.

Time and Cost Savings: Sourcing high-quality, legally compliant aerial footage is expensive and time-consuming. When you provide it ready-to-use in a press kit, you eliminate a major production hurdle for journalists, increasing the likelihood of coverage.
Correct Legal Usage: You control the asset, which means you can include clear usage licenses, ensuring that your branding and safety protocols are represented accurately in the aerial context.

Elevate Your Brand’s Narrative with St Louis Aerial Photography

At St Louis Aerial Photography, we understand that exceptional image acquisition is the foundation of successful marketing and media relations. Since 1982, we have been a full-service professional commercial photography and video production corporation, partnering with countless businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies in the St. Louis area.

We are equipped with the right crew, the creative expertise, and the cutting-edge technology to ensure your next production is seamless and impactful.

Full-Service Production Mastery: We offer comprehensive studio and on-location video and photography, post-production editing, and creative direction, all customized for your diverse media requirements. We are experts in repurposing your branding assets to gain maximum traction across all channels.
Advanced Capabilities: Our licensed drone pilots are skilled in flying specialized drones, even indoors, to capture unique, tight-quarters footage. We are well-versed in all file types and media styles, and we utilize the latest Artificial Intelligence tools for enhanced media services, ensuring you stay ahead of the curve.
Private Studio Excellence: Our private studio features professional lighting and a visual setup perfect for small-scale, high-impact productions, interview scenes, and product shots. It is large enough to incorporate props, guaranteeing a custom, professional set.
End-to-End Support: From setting up a custom, private interview studio to supplying professional sound and camera operators and the right equipment, we support every aspect of your production to ensure a successful outcome.

When your brand needs to communicate scale, professionalism, and innovation, partnering with St Louis Aerial Photography ensures your story is told from the most compelling perspective. We don’t just capture footage; we create strategic, high-value visual assets that empower your marketing and media efforts.

314-604-6544

^{stlouisaerialphotography@gmail.com}

Beyond the Tape Measure: Why Drone Volumetrics is the Future of Material Measurement

Posted on 10/13/2025 by stlouisaerialphotography

As a key decision-maker overseeing photography, marketing, and video production services for your organization, you are acutely aware that efficiency, accuracy, and auditability drive profitability. When it comes to managing physical assets like aggregate, bulk materials, or construction earthworks, relying on outdated measuring tools is no longer a viable strategy for competitive businesses.

The solution is not just a technological upgrade—it’s a paradigm shift: Drone Volumetrics. This advanced aerial method fundamentally transforms how businesses acquire and utilize material measurement data, leaving traditional surveying tools permanently grounded.

The Critical Limitations of Legacy Measuring Tools

Before we explore the power of drones, it’s essential to recognize the inherent weaknesses of old measuring methods (like ground-based total stations or manual tape measurements):

Risk and Safety: Sending personnel onto unstable stockpiles or busy sites to take measurements poses significant safety hazards.
Time and Cost: Manual surveys are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and require halting operations, leading to costly downtime.
Inaccuracy and Inconsistency: Measurements rely heavily on human judgment, are susceptible to errors, and are difficult to repeat consistently over time. This leads to costly inventory discrepancies.
Lack of Audit Trail: Manual notes and spot checks do not provide a universally auditable, geo-referenced record of the material’s exact state at a specific point in time.

The Drone Volumetrics Advantage: Accuracy from Above

Drone volumetrics leverages high-resolution photogrammetry—the science of making measurements from photographs—to create a precise, three-dimensional model of a site.

1. Unmatched Speed and Efficiency

Professional, fixed-wing or multi-rotor drones can capture hundreds of overlapping, high-resolution images across a vast area (quarries, landfills, construction sites) in a matter of minutes or a few hours. This rapid data capture drastically reduces the time needed for a full inventory survey from days to hours, allowing your operations to continue with minimal interruption and maximizing productivity.

2. Engineering-Grade Repeatability

Once a flight path is established and geo-referenced, it can be flown again and again with sub-centimeter precision. This repeatability is critical for consistent, side-by-side comparison of inventory over time. Using advanced RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) or PPK (Post-Processing Kinematic) GPS technology, the resulting 3D models provide an accuracy that far surpasses traditional field methods, giving you confidence in every inventory report.

3. Fully Auditable Digital Assets

The output of a drone volumetric survey is not a sketch or a simple number; it is a geo-referenced Digital Surface Model (DSM) and a high-resolution Orthomosaic Map. This digital twin is a permanent, traceable record.

Transparency: The data can be easily reviewed, shared, and re-measured by any third party, providing an unassailable audit trail for inventory management and accounting purposes.
Risk Mitigation: Eliminating manual estimation error directly translates into better financial forecasting and reduced risk of asset over- or under-reporting.

Your Full-Service Partner: St Louis Aerial Photography and Video

As an experienced videographer, photographer, and producer, I understand that the right technology is nothing without the right crew and creative vision. At St Louis Aerial Photography and Video, we seamlessly integrate cutting-edge data capture with premium commercial content creation.

Since 1982, our full-service professional commercial photography and video production corporation has been the trusted partner for businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies across the St. Louis area.

We offer a complete suite of services that includes:

Expert Crew & Equipment: We provide the right equipment and creative crew service experience for any successful image acquisition, including licensed drone pilots for all aerial work (indoor and outdoor).
End-to-End Production: We offer full-service studio and location video and photography, handling all aspects from concept to final delivery, including editing and post-production.
Cutting-Edge Technology: We are well-versed in all file types and styles of media and accompanying software. Crucially, we use the latest in Artificial Intelligence for all our media services, ensuring modern, efficient, and high-quality results.
Custom Studio Services: Our private studio lighting and visual setup is ideal for small productions and high-quality interview scenes. The studio is large enough to incorporate props, creating a professional and custom set.
Seamless Execution: We support every aspect of your production—from setting up a custom interview studio and supplying professional sound and camera operators to providing the necessary equipment—ensuring your next video production is seamless and successful.
Strategic Repurposing: A core specialty is repurposing your photography and video branding to customize your productions for diverse types of media, helping you gain more traction and maximize your content investment.

Trust St Louis Aerial Photography and Video to deliver not just measurements, but powerful, auditable data and visually compelling content that drives your business forward.

314-604-6544

^{stlouisaerialphotography@gmail.com}

Above the Noise: How Drone Cinematography Makes Your Next Ad Pop

Posted on 08/18/2025 by stlouisaerialphotography

In an attention economy, your ad gets a handful of seconds to earn a second look. Aerial cinematography buys you that second look. Why? Because height and motion change the way viewers read space, perceive scale, and anticipate what happens next. When used intentionally—not as a gimmick—drone visuals add narrative value, clarify geography, and create emotion at a cost that was unthinkable a few years ago.

As a team that plans, flies, lights, and finishes aerials every week, here’s how we use drones to make campaigns break through—and how you can plug them into your next creative brief.

What the Aerial Perspective Actually Buys You

1) Instant context. Establish geography, scale, and flow in a single shot. Great for complex campuses, logistics routes, manufacturing lines, and destination marketing.

2) Kinetic emotion. Lateral moves, reveals, and orbits add parallax that 2D screens can’t fake. The eye reads depth—your brand reads bigger.

3) Narrative acceleration. A 5-second top-down can replace 20 seconds of exposition. When every second in paid media costs money, that’s ROI.

4) Production efficiency. One drone and an experienced crew can deliver multiple looks (wide establishing, medium parallax, top-down choreography, close fly-throughs) in the time a crane or helicopter would still be parking.

Where Drones Fit in the Funnel

Brand films & TV/OTT: Open with a bold reveal or end on a rising hero angle for resonance.
Product & feature spots: Use orbits and macro-to-aerial match cuts to show how a product lives in the world.
Recruiting & culture: Fly-throughs connect teams, spaces, and processes in one continuous take.
Events & launches: Precisely choreographed aerials amplify scale without disrupting operations.
Social-first content: Vertical flyovers and top-down patterns are thumb-stoppers in 6–15 second cuts.

Nine Creative Moves That Make Ads Pop

The Hero Reveal — Start tight on product/service action; tilt up and boom back to reveal location, customers, or outcome.
Match Cut: Ground → Air — Whip-pan from a handheld shot to a drone move that continues the same motion for a seamless transition.
Parallax Orbit — Slow 180° orbit around talent or product with a slightly off-center composition to create depth and tension.
Top-Down Choreography — Overhead shot of people/vehicles/tools moving in patterns that echo your brand geometry.
Hyperlapse Route — Time-compressed travel or process sequence (factory intake to outbound), perfect for logistics narratives.
Tracking Chase (Controlled) — Follow a vehicle or subject along a pre-cleared route to convey speed and purpose.
Cinewhoop Fly-Through (Indoors) — Small, ducted-drone tour through offices, labs, stores, or venues for “how it feels” storytelling.
Establish → Detail Ping-Pong — Cut from a sweeping aerial to high-fidelity macro, then back to the aerial for “micro-to-macro” credibility.
Blue Hour Light Play — Low, slow passes that catch signage and practical lighting for a premium finish.

Pro tip: Each move should be tied to a message beat (problem, capability, proof, outcome). Pretty shots without strategy are forgettable.

Shot List Cheat Sheet (Use or Adapt)

Establishers

120–200 ft lateral pass over subject
180° rising orbit at 60–100 ft
300–400 ft stack reveal (downward tilt to hero)

Action & Proof

10–20 ft low tracking along operations line
Top-down over workflow (convey process flow)
Push-in through doorway or arch (cinewhoop)

Transitions

Whip-pan match cuts (ground ↔ air)
Shadow-to-light passes for mood changes
Speed-ramped booms to mark chapter breaks

Coverage

3 altitudes for every location (low, mid, high)
Two cardinal directions per move for edit flexibility
Lock one perfectly static top-down for motion graphics overlays

Pre‑Production That Protects the Edit (and Your Budget)

Brief & Outcomes

Define the one-sentence success metric (e.g., “Increase demo bookings by 20% in Q4”).
Map aerial beats to the script: open, proof, transformation, CTA.

Location & Light

Scout from both ground and air; lock the sun path and golden hour windows.
Identify RF/compass interference zones; plan alternate launch sites.

Permissions & Safety

Confirm airspace, site permissions, and any necessary waivers.
Publish a site safety plan: crowd management, emergency procedures, and comms.

Logistics

Build an A/B weather hold; pre-rig battery charging and media offload.
Stage ground cam options for match cuts (gimbal, dolly, tripod masters).

Compliance, Insurance & Risk Management (No Surprises)

FAA Part 107–certified pilots on every flight.
Airspace & TFR checks with documented pre-flight logs.
COIs naming your organization; additional insured available.
Crowd separation & vantage control; PA announcements where appropriate.
Indoor flight with prop guards, spotters, and site walk-throughs.

Technical Quality That Reads “Premium”

10‑bit/Log capture for robust color grading and seamless ground-to-air matching.
Neutral density for natural motion blur (≈180° shutter rule) and cinematic feel.
Stable horizons & clean lines: calibrations, IMU checks, and post stabilization when needed.
Polarizers for glare control on glass, water, vehicles, and architecture.
Sound strategy: capture location beds and VO separately; drones are for visuals, not production audio.

Post, Graphics, and AI-Assisted Finishing

Editorial: speed ramping and match-cutting to keep energy without disorientation.
Color: LUTs built per brand palette; sky and signage protection to keep assets on-brand.
Compositing: tasteful lower-thirds, path lines, and data overlays on top-downs for clarity.
AI accelerators: shot selection, object cleanup, stabilization assists, noise management, and smart reframing for vertical/1:1 deliverables. Used judiciously to enhance, not to deceive.

Repurposing Plan (Multiply Your Media Value)

From one aerial day, plan deliverables across formats:

TV/OTT: 30s + 15s hero cuts.
Social: 6–10s vertical reels from top-downs, orbits, and fly-through highlights.
Web: autoplay hero loops (5–7s) and background plates for landing pages.
Sales: silent loops for trade show LEDs or lobby displays.
PR/Editorial: high‑res stills pulled from 10‑bit footage for press kits.
Internal: recruiting snippets and safety/process communications.

Build the repurposing map in pre‑pro so shot design feeds every channel.

Budget & ROI: A Practical Frame

Cost drivers: pilot + visual observer(s), aircraft class (cinewhoop vs. heavy-lift), permits/COIs, lighting, travel, and weather holds.
Value drivers: seconds saved in edit, clarity of geography/process, and thumb‑stopping novelty for social variants.
Decision test: If the aerial beat clarifies story, compresses time, or elevates emotion, it earns its line item.

Why Partner with St Louis Aerial Photography

St Louis Aerial Photography is a full‑service professional commercial photography and video production company with the right equipment and creative crew experience for successful image acquisition. We offer full‑service studio and location video and photography, as well as editing, post‑production, and licensed drone pilots. St Louis Aerial Photography can customize your productions for diverse types of media requirements. Repurposing your photography and video branding to gain more traction is another specialty. We are well‑versed in all file types and styles of media and accompanying software. We use the latest in Artificial Intelligence for all our media services to accelerate workflows and enhance quality. Our private studio lighting and visual setup is perfect for small productions and interview scenes, and the studio is large enough to incorporate props to round out your set. We support every aspect of your production—from setting up a private, custom interview studio to supplying professional sound and camera operators to providing the right equipment—ensuring your next video production is seamless and successful. We can fly our specialized drones indoors.

As a full‑service video and photography production corporation since 1982, St Louis Aerial Photography has worked with many businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies in the St. Louis area to deliver marketing photography and video that performs. If you’re ready to make your next ad truly pop, we’ll help you plan the concept, secure the permissions, execute the flights, and deliver polished assets for every channel.

Let’s lift your story.

314-604-6544

^{stlouisaerialphotography@gmail.com}

High Above the Competition: Creative Ways to Use Drone Shots in Ads and Promos

Posted on 06/25/2025 by stlouisaerialphotography

In today’s crowded marketing landscape, grabbing attention quickly—and holding it—is more critical than ever. Aerial footage, once reserved for high-budget productions, is now a strategic asset available to businesses of all sizes. Thanks to advances in drone technology and the expertise of professional aerial teams, your brand can rise above the noise—literally and figuratively. At St Louis Aerial Photography, we’ve seen firsthand how creative drone shots can elevate advertising and promotional campaigns across industries.

Here are several imaginative and highly effective ways to incorporate drone footage into your marketing strategy:

1. Establish a Sense of Scale and Scope

Whether you’re showcasing a sprawling corporate campus, a real estate development, or a manufacturing facility, aerial shots give viewers an instant understanding of size, capability, and presence. In commercials or brand videos, starting with a high-altitude establishing shot and transitioning to tighter frames builds narrative and visual interest while conveying professionalism.

Tip: A rising or sweeping drone shot can serve as a dramatic opener or closer in promotional spots.

2. Create Movement Without Motion Graphics

Drone footage adds natural, cinematic motion that brings energy to otherwise static scenes. A gentle glide over a product launch event or a smooth orbit around your building can feel more authentic than over-processed animation and keeps your audience engaged.

Tip: Pair subtle motion with voiceover and music for emotion-driven promos.

3. Highlight Environmental Impact or Sustainability

Many companies are eager to share their commitment to green practices—but it’s hard to show sustainability from ground level. Drone imagery helps you visually represent eco-friendly rooftops, green spaces, solar installations, or nature-integrated designs in an eye-catching way that supports your narrative.

Tip: A slow aerial pan across landscaped grounds or solar panels adds credibility to your message.

4. Follow the Action in Real Time

From construction timelines to large-scale events, drone cameras provide dynamic footage of things in motion. Perfect for time-lapse, before-and-after reels, or live footage of people engaging with your brand, this approach shows your company in action—literally building, hosting, and growing.

Tip: Consider overhead tracking shots or reveal sequences for maximum visual impact.

5. Tell a Story with Transitions

Drone footage offers natural transition points between scenes. For example, fly upward from an office interior to reveal the company’s headquarters, then cut to the boardroom where strategy is in action. These transitions feel polished and cinematic—enhancing the overall production value of any promotional video.

Tip: Use altitude or motion to transition between departments, locations, or product stories.

6. Bring Social Media Content to Life

Short drone clips are perfect for Instagram Reels, LinkedIn updates, or YouTube bumpers. Their visually stunning perspective naturally stops thumbs from scrolling, and the novelty factor makes them incredibly shareable.

Tip: Repurpose longer commercial footage into bite-sized aerial clips for multi-platform use.

7. Inspire Emotion and Awe

The right aerial angle can elicit feelings of inspiration, confidence, or innovation—especially when synced with uplifting music and brand messaging. Use wide, soaring drone footage to symbolize forward momentum, big-picture thinking, or transformative impact.

Tip: Set the emotional tone early with slow, dramatic aerial reveals in your promo.

Why Work with St Louis Aerial Photography?

At St Louis Aerial Photography, we specialize in harnessing the full power of aerial imaging to make your brand stand out. As a full-service professional commercial photography and video production company, we bring the right gear and a highly experienced creative crew to every shoot, ensuring the highest quality image acquisition every time.

Our capabilities extend beyond drone operations—we offer studio and location video and photography, editing, post-production, and licensed drone pilots. Whether you’re creating an ad campaign, corporate video, or social media spot, we can customize your production to meet any media requirement.

We’re experts at repurposing your photography and video branding for multiple platforms to maximize your marketing investment. With deep knowledge of all file types, media styles, and accompanying software, plus cutting-edge AI integration, we ensure your content is not only stunning but future-proof.

Our private studio setup is ideal for small productions and interviews, complete with space for props and full lighting rigs. From indoor drone flights to custom interview studios, professional sound and camera operators, and full crew support, we handle every detail—so your final product is seamless and professional.

Since 1982, St Louis Aerial Photography has proudly served businesses, marketing firms, and creative agencies throughout the St. Louis region. Let us take your next production to new heights.

Ready to elevate your brand? Contact St Louis Aerial Photography and discover how our aerial expertise can transform your next campaign.