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Universities are rightly looking for new ways to stand out from the crowd and get value for money from their video content.
And with drones becoming more advanced and affordable in equal measure, this approach is soaring in popularity. It's a tactic that can capture a broad spectrum of campus life in one hit, and we’ve seen many great examples such as the footage on Bath Spa University's homepage. But recently, the University of Stirling took this idea a step further by filming inside their buildings using a drone.
A flight around campus
In the video shared to the Scottish university's TikTok channel, viewers are taken on a flight around campus, from the library to the student shop – and everything in between. The video uses a combination of low-altitude interior shots and aerial views to put the campus and its setting into perspective.
Many parts are (or appear to be) shot in one take, swiftly moving through buildings, up levels and past students working or enjoying sports in the sprawling leisure facilities, giving a unique and authentic glimpse into everyday campus life.
With a punchy soundtrack to boot, this promotional video (published to TikTok and YouTube) hits the spot in terms of capturing the essence of the University’s academic and social life in a clever, engaging and fast-paced way.
One-shot video
This University of Stirling content has echoes of a one-shot drone concept video that catapulted a Minnesota bowling alley into the spotlight last year, with the pilot enjoying worldwide praise for the precision and speed of flying the equipment across the lanes and through the mechanics behind the scenes. It's an approach since emulated in other indoor drone marketing videos, including another bowling alley in London.
The University of Stirling drone content demonstrates how the same principles in these impressive videos can apply to any institution trying to provide a behind-the-scenes snapshot of campus without the need for glossy and creatively challenging videos that need extensive scripting, directing and editing.
Interspersing drone shots
We've also seen some great examples of universities interspersing drone footage with standardized video shots, like Northeastern University. This great film effectively fuses aerial drone footage of campus and the surrounding location with on-foot shots of classes, activities and general student interactions, adding additional pace with a mix of real-time and time-lapse effects.
The approach we've seen from the University of Stirling, which cleverly combines indoor and outdoor footage, too, helps the institution to showcase the scale, energy and activity on campus and could well inspire other institutions to welcome drone cameras behind closed doors in the hope of sending recruitment soaring.
What examples of drone videography have inspired you? We’d love to hear in the comments below or on social.