From Selfies to Dronies: Are You Ready to Take Selfies To New Heights?

Guest post from AirVuz —

Last year, over 200 million people loaded more than 24 billion selfies onto Google servers.

In short, everyone is taking selfies.

If you’re among those who think selfies are old news, here’s a new twist on how to take selfies to new heights. Literally.

It’s called the “dronie,” and drone operators have been doing it for a while.

That’s right, a dronie is a photo or video of yourself, but instead of a phone camera you’re using a drone equipped with a video camera.

Dronies are the “in” thing among drone enthusiasts, says Tyler Mason, director of digital media for AirVūz (www.airvuz.com), an international website dedicated to sharing drone videos. While AirVūz features tens of thousands of drone videos capturing beautiful landscapes and death-defying extreme sports enthusiasts, the website has noticed a dramatic increase in the number of drone videos starring the operators and their friends uploaded to its website.

In fact, to organize this “genre” of drone videos, AirVūz has added a specific category called “People/Dronies” dedicated to collecting footage of this type.

The dronie is something like a rite of passage for drone operators. The footage signals a specific amount of skill that not many first-timers have. It takes considerable practice to be comfortable flying a drone around yourself and other people.

“Shooting a drone video that people want to watch takes a great deal of skill in operating your drone,” says Mason. “Taking a dronie is no easy feat. It takes a lot of control, especially if it involves an element of action, such as running or biking.”

While dronies may not make their debut on the red carpets of Hollywood or the White House any time soon, if you’re ready to take your selfies to the next level, here are some tips from Mason on how to achieve the perfect dronie:

• Drone model matters. Smaller, recreational drones are easiest to use when taking a dronie, according to Mason. This rule of thumb is even more important if you’re new to operating a drone. A smaller drone will allow you to have more control for maneuvering in those close-range of yourself and your friends. Mason cautions newbies to drones: “You don’t need a big, top-of-the-line drone to do recreational filming.”
• Know where you can fly, and where you can’t. In some places, it might be wise to just pull out your smartphone to commemorate a location. However, beautiful locations such as state and national parks may not allow drones. And, if you’re anywhere near an airport, FAA regulations are another thing to worry about. Ignorance or disregard for local air authority can lead to confiscation, hefty fines or even arrest. That’s where a smart phone may still be the best way to capture a selfie.
• Know your limits; be safe. Though you may want to capture the coolest dronie ever conceived by mankind, don’t take any risks with yourself or others. Always be in control of your drone, especially when it’s near yourself or other people. Biking, boarding, or other activities that make you do more than fly your drone may not be the best idea.
• Define your personal dronie style. See what has been done on AirVuz, and distinguish yourself by inventing your own dronie style. Incorporate your travels and your interests to make your dronies adventurous and unique. Whether you utilize specific pans, fly the drone around your head before taking off into the distance or wear a certain hat in your dronies, creative expression will make them artistic and distinguishable. After all, a dronie is all about you.
• Have your friends join in. Use your favorite people to help you tell a story about yourself or your location. If you’re in a particularly scenic area, spread your friends throughout a planned flying route so not only is your audience seeing the different aspects of the terrain, but also different people during the video. Use the drone to follow a Frisbee pass, then pan up to the landscape, or record an activity you and your friends enjoy in an artistic way.

To learn more about drone videos, visit the AirVūz blog