When used with a remote controller, the DJI Flip has excellent functionalities for videography and photography
In this article, I will show you how to use Mastershots for two purposes:
- Quickly gathering interesting footage of an unknown location
- Producing automated short movies with music and text
Other related articles you may find interesting:
- Flip for photography
- Flip video quality
- Flip hyperlapse
- Flip panorama photography
- Flip camera settings for photography
- Flip camera settings for video
Settings for Mastershots
We access Masterhot in the right part of the photo/video menu but it is available only when the drone is flying
After choosing Mastershots, a target must be selected by drawing a box around it. If a person is in the frame, it will be automatically recognized as a target and can be selected by simply tapping on the plus sign. The target chosen will be the reference point for the different moves
In the middle, a small window shows the estimated flight time, which varies according to the situation, generally between 2 and 3 minutes
By opening it, we access 3 parameters: Width, Length, and Height. Each can be set to Small, Medium, or Large to control the distance traveled during the shot
During the moves, the aircraft rises considerably, so it is suggested to start from an altitude below 60 meters or 180 feet, otherwise, the maximum height will be reached and the Mastershot will be aborted
I suggest starting at a higher altitude than all surrounding obstacles for safety reasons
Exposure and Resolution
Auto and Manual Exposure are available. During the moves, the aircraft and the camera will move in different orientations
I suggest avoiding Auto exposure, as it would lead to horrible shifts in luminosity. It is crucial to avoid shooting in the central hours of a sunny day or in the sun’s direction
The best results are obtained using manual exposure near sunset, sunrise, or in cloudy conditions to reduce the differences in luminosity
For Resolution, there is a choice between 4k, 2.7 vertical, 1080p, and 1080p vertical at a frame rate of 30fps
Unlike the Mini 4 Pro or the Mini 3, the camera of the Flip cannot rotate to a vertical orientation. Users active on social media platforms can shoot MasterShots in vertical format by selecting the 2.7k vertical resolution
The 10-bit color profile D Log M is available besides the 8-bit Normal. This is useful for advanced users, as it makes it easier to integrate the footage into the color scheme of a specific project
When using the D Log M profile the image on the screen will appear very flat but we can activate Display Color Assist to add some contrast and saturation
The Moves
After hitting the shutter, the aircraft will perform a series of moves according to the distance from the target and its nature. The map will show the position of the aircraft and the estimated flight route, which is handy for detecting obstacles
The Mastershot can be stopped at any time by pressing the red shutter on the screen or the pause button in the remote controller
There are three sets of moves:
- Proximity when the target is relatively close
- Landscape for a target further away
- Portrait when the target is a person
In Proximity mode the aircraft circles for a few seconds to compute its position, then it performs the following moves:
- Dronie going backward while raising
- Circle to the left far from the target
- Pitch Up Fly forward starting the move with the camera facing the ground and gradually tilting it up to reveal the target
- Circle to the right from a closer view using the digital zoom
- Circle to the left from a medium distance
- Rocket, raising in altitude while keeping the camera on the target
- Camera Down Fly Forward until the target is below the aircraft
- Camera Down + Circle while slightly ascending for the famous screwdriver effect
- Camera Straight + Descend facing the opposite direction
- Camera Down + Descend
The camera stops recording and the aircraft goes back to the initial position
The moves in Portrait mode are very similar to the ones of Proximity, while Landscape mode introduces some moves with the drone rolling while turning like in FPV mode
With the Masterhot properly exposed, we can cut out a few interesting clips when exploring an unknown location in just a few minutes.
Templates
Mastershots can also be used to produce some exciting short movies with music and text
After turning on the controller and the drone, click on the icon with the small triangle below the shutter to access the Album containing the file on the memory disk and the internal memory of the drone
The files for Mastershots have an icon with a small star in the middle. The files shot in color modes other than Normal show the profile name, D Log M
By clicking on one of them we get a full-screen view. We can visualize the Mastershot by tapping on the arrow in the middle of the screen
By tapping on Create Mastershot we access the different templates, divided into five groups for different moods:
- Original
- Epic
- Cheerful
- Smooth
- Pop
Each contains several templates for short movies of about 30 to 40 seconds putting together short clips taken from the Mastershot with music. Some templates contain text that cannot be modified. The resulting movie will be at a resolution of 1080p
When using a controller connected to a remote device, like the RC N3, the operation is straightforward, while with the RC 2 controller with the built-in screen, the files must be transferred using Quick Transfer to a smartphone or tablet with DJI Fly app installed to apply the templates and generate the short movie