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Years ago, it was a sign of production value. An overhead shot sweeping far above where any mere camera could reach. The image shook from vibration, but you knew you were watching a "real movie"™, at least semi-consciously, because you were watching a helicopter shot.
A classic example of this are the helicopter shots from The Shining.
There wasn't much choice. You were either watching a crane shot (smooth and precise control with a low ceiling) or a chopper shot (dynamic action, but higher up and slightly jiggly).
And then came The Attack of the Drones.
Drones. Drones. Everywhere drones. Drones for kids. Drone for your dog. Drones with a Happy Meal. Everywhere drones. And for a time, a cheap substitute for those impossible to get shots was found--those "the fellowship walks again" shots in The Lord of the Rings). A nice cheat. A cheap way to get an expensive shot creating the illusion of a higher budget.
But now the drone shot is itself a staple, an expectation. The first thing we think now is "Drone shot, eh?". The new Evil Dead movie plays with this expectation by deflating the classic "Evil moves close to the ground shot" to be a mere drone shot at the start of the film. Not quite a jump-scare, but a reversal of expectations. The drone is now so ubiquitous that filmmakers are quietly acknowledging that we know and expect drone shots to appear everywhere now.
And so, paradoxically, a budding filmmaker looking to create an expensive-looking movie on the cheap, might be well-advised to avoid drone shots altogether and keep everything firmly on the ground or locked in place on crane or tall building.
The means of production have entered into the dream-state of the film experience, and so now, once again, creative filmmakers will need to adjust.
A classic example of this are the helicopter shots from The Shining.
There wasn't much choice. You were either watching a crane shot (smooth and precise control with a low ceiling) or a chopper shot (dynamic action, but higher up and slightly jiggly).
And then came The Attack of the Drones.
Drones. Drones. Everywhere drones. Drones for kids. Drone for your dog. Drones with a Happy Meal. Everywhere drones. And for a time, a cheap substitute for those impossible to get shots was found--those "the fellowship walks again" shots in The Lord of the Rings). A nice cheat. A cheap way to get an expensive shot creating the illusion of a higher budget.
But now the drone shot is itself a staple, an expectation. The first thing we think now is "Drone shot, eh?". The new Evil Dead movie plays with this expectation by deflating the classic "Evil moves close to the ground shot" to be a mere drone shot at the start of the film. Not quite a jump-scare, but a reversal of expectations. The drone is now so ubiquitous that filmmakers are quietly acknowledging that we know and expect drone shots to appear everywhere now.
And so, paradoxically, a budding filmmaker looking to create an expensive-looking movie on the cheap, might be well-advised to avoid drone shots altogether and keep everything firmly on the ground or locked in place on crane or tall building.
The means of production have entered into the dream-state of the film experience, and so now, once again, creative filmmakers will need to adjust.