How we put a Camera on a Bee

Corridor Crew
5 May 202413:12

Summary

TLDRThe video script details an ambitious project to create a short film from the point of view of a bee, using cutting-edge drone technology to capture dynamic and close-up footage. The team selects the DJI Ava 2 drone for its safety features, maneuverability, and high-quality camera capabilities, including 4K 60fps with HDR and a 155° field of view. They attempt to mount a real bee to the drone, but the bee dies, leading them to rely on CGI to create a realistic bee for the film. The team faces challenges in filming, including navigating tight spaces and avoiding collisions, while ensuring safety. Post-production involves extensive VFX work, with the team using HDRIs for environments, tracking footage, and meticulously matching lighting to create a convincing bee character. The final film is a testament to the team's creativity and technical expertise, showcasing the potential of drone technology for cinematic storytelling.

Takeaways

  • 📹 The challenge is to capture footage from a perspective similar to a bee's flight, which is considered an 'impossible shot' due to the required small size of the camera and the agility of the bee.
  • 🤔 A live bee mounted on a drone is not feasible because the bee would not be able to fly, and a dead bee does not meet the requirements for the video's narrative.
  • 🚁 The DJI Avata 2 drone is chosen for its compact size, safety features, and ability to fly in tight spaces, making it suitable for the project's point of view (POV) shots.
  • 🎮 The Avata 2 comes with an all-in-one FPV (First Person View) package, including goggles and a controller that allows for easy stunts like flips and rolls.
  • 📈 The camera on the Avata 2 is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, offering 4K 60fps with HDR, a 155° field of view, and the capability to shoot 10bit log footage.
  • 🚀 The drone's transmission range is impressive, allowing for control and video feed up to a mile away with a stable connection.
  • 🎬 The project involves a combination of practical effects, such as using a real bee, and extensive CGI work to create realistic bee flight.
  • 🧵 The process of attaching a real bee to the drone is attempted but ultimately deemed impractical due to the bee's death and the resulting lack of realism.
  • 🖥️ Post-production involves significant CGI work, with 50 VFX shots requiring tracking, lighting adjustments, and animation to integrate the bee into the footage.
  • 🤝 Collaboration with experts like Clinton Jones is crucial for managing the complex VFX pipeline and achieving a high-quality result.
  • 🌟 The final video is a success, showcasing the capabilities of the DJI Avata 2 drone and the skill of the team in creating a unique and challenging project.
  • 🙌 The project is a testament to the potential of modern drone technology and the creativity possible when combining it with advanced CGI techniques.

Q & A

  • What is the main challenge the speaker is trying to overcome in the video?

    -The main challenge is to capture footage from a camera mounted on the back of a bee, which requires an incredibly small camera and the ability to maneuver the drone like a bee.

  • Which drone is suggested as the best for this project?

    -The DJI Ava 2 is suggested as the best drone for the project due to its improved features over the Ava 1, including safety, maneuverability, and camera quality.

  • What are some of the unique features of the DJI Ava 2 drone?

    -The DJI Ava 2 features an all-in-one FPV package with goggles 3 and RC motion 3 controller, 4K 60fps HDR camera with a 155° field of view, and the ability to perform flips and rolls with the press of a button.

  • Why is the DJI Ava 2 drone considered safe to fly around people?

    -The DJI Ava 2 is considered safe because it has enclosed propellers, which reduces the risk of injury if it comes into contact with people, and it is made of a durable plastic that is difficult to destroy.

  • What was the initial attempt to make the drone look like a bee?

    -The initial attempt involved attaching a dead bee to the drone using CA glue and a toothpick, but it was found to be out of focus and not viable for the video.

  • What is the alternative approach to creating a realistic bee for the video?

    -The alternative approach involves using CGI to create a realistic bee that can be superimposed onto the drone footage, requiring VFX work to simulate the bee's motion and interactions with the environment.

  • What are some of the safety concerns mentioned while flying the drone?

    -The safety concerns include not destroying the drone, not damaging any property, and not hurting anyone while flying through tight spaces and around people.

  • What is the significance of using HDRIs in the VFX process?

    -HDRIs are used to match the lighting in the VFX shots to the real-world footage, ensuring that the CGI bee appears as if it is part of the actual environment.

  • How many VFX shots were there for the video?

    -There were 50 VFX shots for the video, which involved tracking, lighting adjustments, and CGI to create the bee.

  • What is the role of Clinton Jones in the project?

    -Clinton Jones is a Cinema 40 and Octane expert who assists with the VFX process, helping to set up shots and work out the workflow for the project.

  • What is the final outcome of the project?

    -The final outcome is a successful video where the drone footage is combined with CGI to create a realistic and convincing portrayal of a bee causing havoc, which is shared on Cordor Digital's website and other platforms.

Outlines

00:00

📹 Innovative Drone Filming: The Ava 2 and Bee Cam Challenge

The first paragraph introduces the ambitious challenge of capturing footage from a bee's perspective using a drone. It discusses the limitations of traditional cameras and the need for a tiny, lightweight camera that can be mounted on a bee. The speaker consults with Ren, a drone expert, who suggests the DJI Ava 2 drone as the ideal tool for the project. The Ava 2 is praised for its improvements over its predecessor, including its compact size, durability, and advanced features like the motion controller for easy stunts and a high-quality camera capable of 4K 60fps with HDR. The paragraph also humorously explores the idea of attaching a real bee to the drone, but ultimately concludes that the bee is deceased and not suitable for the video.

05:02

🎬 The Making of a Bee's-Eye View: From Practical to CGI

The second paragraph delves into the complexities of creating realistic footage that mimics a bee's perspective. It acknowledges the impracticality of using a real bee and instead focuses on creating a computer-generated bee (CGI). The speaker outlines the workflow for producing the video, which includes using HDRIs for environments, tracking footage, animating the bee's motion, simulating wind, and rendering the final product. The paragraph highlights the technical challenges, such as matching the bee's lighting to the background and adjusting for camera movements like flips and 360-degree rotations. It also emphasizes the importance of safety during the filming process and the excitement of capturing dynamic shots, such as flying through a car and into a vehicle's interior.

10:02

🚀 Post-Production and Collaboration: Crafting the Final Video

The third paragraph describes the post-production process after the filming is complete. With a significant number of VFX shots to create, the speaker enlists the help of an old friend and VFX expert, Clinton Jones. They work together to develop a workflow for the numerous shots, which involves tracking, lighting adjustments, and ensuring the CGI bee matches the environment. The paragraph also mentions the use of advanced software like Cinema 4D and Octane, and the iterative process of refining the shots. The speaker expresses pride in the final product and gratitude to the team and DJI for their support. The video is set to be released on Cordor Digital and other platforms, showcasing the successful culmination of the project.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Camera on a bee

The concept of attaching a camera to a bee to capture its flight is central to the video's theme. It represents an extreme challenge in terms of miniaturization and technology. In the script, this idea is presented as an 'impossible shot' that the creators aim to achieve, setting the stage for the entire project.

💡DJI Ava 2

The DJI Ava 2 is a drone mentioned in the script as the ideal tool for the project. It is described as an upgrade from its predecessor in every way, making it suitable for the intricate and close-up filming required. The Ava 2's features, such as its small size, durability, and advanced camera capabilities, are highlighted as essential for the task at hand.

💡FPV (First Person View)

FPV refers to the immersive experience of flying drones as if the pilot was in the drone's cockpit. The script emphasizes the use of FPV for filming, allowing the creators to fly the drone as if it were a bee, navigating tight spaces and achieving a unique perspective that is crucial for the video's narrative.

💡Motion Controller

The motion controller is a device that allows for more intuitive and dynamic control of the drone, enabling actions like flips and rolls with the press of a button. In the context of the video, the motion controller is a key tool that helps the drone operator to mimic the erratic and agile flight of a bee.

💡4K 60fps with HDR

This term refers to the high-resolution video capture capability of the Ava 2's camera. '4K' indicates the ultra-high definition resolution, '60fps' stands for frames per second, ensuring smooth motion capture, and 'HDR' refers to high dynamic range, which allows for better contrast and color details. This level of quality is important for producing cinematic footage that meets the video's ambitious production values.

💡CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery)

CGI is the process of creating and manipulating images and 3D models using computer software. In the script, CGI is used to create a realistic bee that can be integrated into the live-action footage. This technology is crucial for the post-production phase, where the bee's motion and interaction with the environment are added to the footage.

💡HDRIs (High Dynamic Range Images)

HDRIs are detailed, high-resolution images that capture a wide range of light and shadow details, used to create realistic lighting in 3D rendering and CGI. In the video's context, HDRIs are essential for matching the lighting of the CGI bee to the live-action footage, ensuring a seamless blend of the two.

💡VFX Shots

VFX shots refer to the individual scenes or frames within a film that have been enhanced or created using visual effects. The script mentions 50 VFX shots, indicating the extensive post-production work required to integrate the CGI bee into various scenes, making it a central aspect of the video's production.

💡Bee's Motion Tracking

Motion tracking is the process of digitally recording the movement of objects in a scene, which is then used to animate or match CGI elements to that movement. In the script, motion tracking is necessary to ensure that the CGI bee's flight path and behavior accurately reflect the real-life flight of a bee.

💡Wing Flapping Simulation

This involves creating a realistic animation of a bee's wings as they flap. It's a critical aspect of making the CGI bee appear lifelike. The script mentions the need for wing flapping and other animations to bring the bee to life, highlighting the attention to detail required to achieve a convincing result.

💡Cinematic Flying

Cinematic flying refers to the use of drones and camera techniques to create visually engaging and dynamic aerial footage. The term is used in the script to describe the ambitious and creative approach to filming the video, which involves flying the drone through tight spaces and around people to mimic a bee's point of view.

Highlights

The idea of mounting a camera on a bee to capture an 'impossible shot' is introduced.

The challenge involves filming a short about a bee causing havoc, requiring a tiny and robust camera.

Ren, an FAA licensed drone pilot, is consulted to determine the best drone for the project.

The DJI Ava 2 drone is chosen for its improved features over the Ava 1.

The Ava 2 drone is praised for its safety due to its enclosed propellers and durability.

The drone's camera is capable of shooting 4K 60fps with HDR and a 155° field of view.

The Ava 2 comes with advanced features like the motion controller for easy flips and rolls.

The concept of attaching a real bee to the drone is considered to achieve a realistic look.

A deceased bee is used in an attempt to simulate a live bee's appearance on camera.

The dead bee proves to be an inadequate solution, highlighting the need for CGI.

The workflow for creating the CGI bee involves tracking footage, camera motion, and wind simulations.

The final video incorporates a variety of challenging phases, including a bee's escape, city hijinks, and office chaos.

Safety is emphasized during the drone operation, especially when flying close to people or through tight spaces.

The use of the Ava 2's goggles with pass-through mode is highlighted for safe operation.

The ambitious final drone shot involves flying through a window and crashing into a car.

The project concludes with an impressive 50 VFX shots featuring the bee.

Collaboration with Cinema 40 and octane expert, Clinton Jones, is key to achieving the complex VFX.

The video is released on cordor digital and other platforms, showcasing the successful integration of drone footage and CGI.

Transcripts

00:00

if you could put a camera on a be I bet

00:01

it would look a lot like

00:04

[Music]

00:12

[Applause]

00:15

[Music]

00:23

[Applause]

00:27

this can you think of an impossible shot

00:31

no I mean there's not a lot left but I I

00:32

can think of one a camera mounted to the

00:35

back of a bee now that might not sound

00:37

that crazy right cuz we've seen cameras

00:39

on on like Falcons we've seen cameras

00:41

that can slide into blood vessels but I

00:43

mean a camera that would have to go on

00:45

the back of a be would be so

00:46

inconceivably small even if you could

00:49

capture the

00:50

footage you wouldn't be able to capture

00:52

the

00:55

bee finding a way to pull off this

00:58

impossible shot is our challenge today

01:00

because we've written an entire short

01:01

about a bee that escapes and causes

01:03

Havoc to pull off this video we're going

01:06

to need a camera so I'm going to talk to

01:08

Ren who is our FAA licensed drone pilot

01:12

expert to see which drone he thinks is

01:14

best for this this is the Ava 2 it's the

01:17

brand new drone from DJI it is better

01:19

than the Ava 1 in literally every single

01:22

way I think this is the perfect drone

01:24

for this project we filmed a lot of

01:26

drone videos in the past too a lot

01:27

Superman with the GoPro the magic video

01:30

last fall we've done drone Star Wars

01:32

video like smallest Empire smallest

01:34

Empire too yeah you're right there's so

01:35

many of these drone videos and the one

01:37

thing that all the drones have in common

01:40

is that they're all really

01:42

dangerous yeah they all have exposed

01:45

propellers if they run into you it's

01:47

going to hurt a ton and so we're filming

01:49

a video very specifically POV that is

01:52

going to have to go through tiny gaps

01:54

it's going to have to fly really close

01:55

to people this is legitimately going to

01:57

be perfect for this video and I can fly

02:00

this just like a bee I can fly it really

02:02

close around people it can survive all

02:03

kinds of crashes I don't know what type

02:05

of plastic it's made out of but they're

02:06

saying that like this thing will be very

02:08

difficult to destroy yeah I've been

02:10

flying this for several weeks now it is

02:12

actually surprisingly incredible so what

02:14

DJI has done with the avat 2 is made an

02:17

all-in-one fpv package so it actually

02:19

comes with the goggles 3 and it also

02:21

comes with the RC motion 3 controller

02:24

allowing you to basically use a joystick

02:25

in the air what's cool about the motion

02:27

controller is that now you can press a

02:29

button and it'll do a flip or a barrel

02:30

roll just for you got the easy flip the

02:32

easy roll and an easy 180° drift so you

02:35

can like spin around objects as you fly

02:37

past them they've upgraded the camera

02:39

from the Ava 1 significantly it shoots

02:41

4K 60fps with HDR it's got 155° field of

02:46

view so like super mega wide angle it

02:48

even shoots 10bit log footage and of

02:50

course they're well known for ludicrous

02:52

transmission distances you can fly like

02:54

a mile away and still have a super solid

02:56

reliable connection and at 60 megabits

02:59

that that footage is super Crystal Clear

03:01

directly in the goggles if you try this

03:03

out you're going to want to continue

03:04

flying fpv it's a it's a gateway drug to

03:07

cinematic flying I'm telling you it's

03:08

really cool well so the next thing we

03:10

have to figure out here is what are we

03:12

going to do about the bee you know we

03:14

could do the bee practically cuz in

03:16

Superman I just did green screen arms uh

03:19

then drone Star Wars that was practical

03:20

printed stuff we were able to get like a

03:22

really good element to put in front of

03:24

the footage uh I thought that worked

03:26

really well so maybe we can actually try

03:27

to put a real bee in front of this but

03:29

like how my my house is kind of like a

03:31

bee graveyard I have one freshly exed

03:34

corpse this bee I guess died of natural

03:36

causes I assume you know look we have

03:38

the real thing here so we should at

03:40

least try it no I'm actually super on

03:41

board with this I didn't know you got

03:43

like an actual real bee today for this

03:45

have you seen Mad Max Fury Road of

03:47

course you know the guys on the front of

03:49

the car yeah it's going to be kind of

03:51

like

03:51

[Laughter]

03:54

[Applause]

03:56

that this should be relatively easy to

03:59

try to do I think we can literally just

04:01

like CA glue it to a toothpick just a

04:03

tiny tiny droplet of glue will be enough

04:05

and then we can like maybe stick the the

04:07

toothpick in here and like put some hot

04:08

glue on it the p is now glued to the

04:11

Drone let's just see what this looks

04:12

like man I want to see I want turn it

04:15

on this is it this is the first hybrid

04:18

it's the latest in drone technology with

04:20

real organic flesh grafted to

04:24

it if a bee breaks his wings this this

04:27

is kind of like a bee wheelchair

04:31

[Music]

04:33

yeah so you can see how it's like it's

04:34

just so out of focus here out of focus

04:36

is okay I would say it's supposed to be

04:39

a real video the intention is to like

04:42

visually make this look as realistic as

04:44

possible this is really funny I yeah

04:47

it's twisted it's a little demented we

04:50

did it at least we actually put a camera

04:52

on a be did there's one major problem

04:54

here the bee's dead okay come on he's

04:56

dead he's not alive anymore he's dead

04:59

he's not not sleeping he's dead and in

05:01

the video unfortunately it's not about

05:03

like a dead zombie bee being resurrected

05:05

and flying around it's like a living

05:06

normal bee look for as morbid and as

05:09

like messed up as this is this is the

05:12

ultimate reference footage as well being

05:14

able to see what this be actually looks

05:16

like in front of the lens how out of

05:18

focus it is like where it's placed and

05:20

then just like seeing how it like shines

05:22

and like that you see like the Bas on it

05:24

and stuff like that it's like well you

05:27

want to know what a real bee in front of

05:28

this camera is going to look like like

05:30

here it is like I don't see a practical

05:32

version of this actually working yeah

05:36

but at least we did our B

05:38

diligence I think I've got my work cut

05:40

out for me we're going to have to make a

05:46

cgb so we've actually been in a similar

05:48

situation before our previous video

05:50

drone Star Wars was very similar to this

05:52

except we used an actual practical 3D

05:55

printed like cockpit replica which

05:57

allowed us to actually just practically

05:59

film it outside and match it up to the

06:01

footage however this time things are

06:03

going to be a little bit more difficult

06:05

so to do this here's how I'm feeling the

06:07

workflow is going to be we have hdris

06:09

for all our environments that's going to

06:10

help we're still going to have to track

06:12

our footage and have that camera track

06:15

Drive our B's motion because and then

06:17

from there we have to do wind F

06:19

simulations we do some wings flapping

06:22

maybe turning in a little you know a

06:23

little animation we have to bring it to

06:25

life and then we have to render it this

06:27

game's got a v1b a B1 B1 oh wao what the

06:32

wait looks really good already wa dude

06:35

the reflections on top of the B mhm I'm

06:38

really thinking hard about what this

06:40

would have to look like to be even like

06:42

watchable SL convincing it's just the F

06:45

to vibrate more more fur vibration it's

06:47

not bad I'm not a fan of the fake

06:49

vignette to be honest well it's gone I

06:52

think you can do a little bit of

06:53

vignette 50%

06:54

vignette well I bring back like a little

06:57

bit of the fish eyy and a little bit of

06:59

that distortion but I would just like T

07:00

it down I wouldn't quite cut into the

07:01

field of view quite as much yeah that

07:03

yeah exactly maybe have the bee's head

07:05

follow the path a little bit you know or

07:07

have the antenna go this is the sort of

07:10

work that has a pipeline behind it you

07:12

know it's like take the shot rinse and

07:14

repeat so the proof of concept isn't

07:15

perfect but people are responding pretty

07:17

well to it which is giving me the

07:19

confidence that we're ready to shoot and

07:21

that's going to be a pretty big

07:22

challenge cuz there's going to be a lot

07:24

of locations

07:26

here we have like our be escape and

07:29

Wilderness phase we have our fun hij

07:31

Jinks in the city phase and then we have

07:33

our big like office kind of hij Jinks

07:39

[Music]

07:41

phase Ren is going to be the main pilot

07:44

for the shoot we're going to be counting

07:45

on him to pull off a lot of really

07:47

difficult shots the biggest challenge

07:49

I'm going to face today is one not

07:51

destroy the Drone two not damage any

07:55

people not hurt anyone safety concerns

07:58

talk safety you guys have already seen

08:00

me fly around it's not too big of a deal

08:01

if it hits you it might like hurt a

08:03

little bit but it's not going to like

08:04

damage you or anything never try to like

08:06

poke it with your fingers

08:09

[Music]

08:14

[Applause]

08:15

[Music]

08:16

[Applause]

08:23

[Music]

08:31

this is all this is all good that works

08:33

that works the safe crew Safety

08:36

[Music]

08:39

First dude I almost hit the trees on the

08:42

exit there but it looked pretty sweet

08:44

yeah he was I was like oh man he's not

08:45

launching he's not launching this is

08:47

pretty cool what you're seeing in the

08:49

goggles is like crystal clear the

08:51

goggles also feature a pass through mode

08:53

so you can see the environment around

08:54

you you don't have to take the goggles

08:55

off and it also has picture in picture

08:57

with the Drone feed itself dude we're

08:59

doing some gorilla film making I think

09:00

we got it all right so we're good yeah

09:02

name something more terrifying than

09:04

being in a moving vehicle and a bee is

09:07

trying to sting you so this is the final

09:09

drone shot of the day at least me flying

09:12

and it's a complicated maneuver where

09:13

I'm going to be flying on the other side

09:14

of this house through some flowers

09:16

Nico's going to cut me off going to

09:17

hedge right and then emerge from the

09:19

brush over there and then go across the

09:21

field and ideally threw Jordan's window

09:24

into her car and the moment I'm inside

09:25

the car I'm going to kill the motors and

09:27

it should just crash in her car all

09:30

right

09:36

Jordan oh close so

09:39

close and your car is fine I think you

09:41

hit right below the window it was really

09:43

close I mean it was pretty close all

09:45

right one more in

09:52

action nice nice he AC it he it like you

09:57

said it oh my God

10:01

wow that's great it's

10:05

crazy so now that our shoot is finally

10:07

done our footage is in the can Ren's job

10:10

is finally over and he can rest easy but

10:12

for me well this is where the potential

10:15

nightmare can actually begin because now

10:17

I have to accomplish all the bgi that's

10:20

a that's a joke because what I meant is

10:22

CGI with a B I ran the numbers on the

10:24

edit guys we have 50 VFX shots for this

10:28

video with a B in it I thought I was

10:29

going to have to do this Lone Wolf style

10:31

like I usually do I heard a distant call

10:33

the call of an old

10:37

friend Cinema 40 and octane expert

10:40

Clinton Jones I'm hanging out we're

10:42

we're going to figure out this B video

10:43

I'm helping Sam I've been mostly using

10:45

Unreal these days but I'm going to have

10:48

to like shake off the dust a little bit

10:49

but we'll get there I I I trust most of

10:51

the work here is getting the work flow

10:53

figured out and like feeling happy with

10:56

these first few shots what's up dog how

10:59

it be going well we're this is day two

11:01

of the the official VFX days and I mean

11:03

things are moving I got like three shots

11:05

set up today Clint's got like a shot or

11:07

two set up today I'd say a good three

11:09

three shots buzzing along we're trying

11:12

to upgrade our B puns you know we're bfx

11:15

artists at this point Sam you were

11:17

telling me earlier that you had a joke

11:18

you've been working on for years can you

11:19

go ahead and tell me that again sorry

11:21

I'm a little

11:22

busy I really needed his help to kind of

11:25

list out all the VFX shots but honestly

11:28

listing these B is far more important at

11:30

this point so I came in yesterday Sam

11:33

had already made a shot basically

11:35

brought a shot to completion he had a b

11:37

he had it rigged he had you know the

11:38

right animation on it the right

11:40

controllers on it and he just kind of

11:41

caught me up to speed and then we each

11:43

took a shot and completed a shot and

11:45

made sure we were synced up on the

11:46

workflow every shot requires we got to

11:49

track it you got to drop the be in you

11:51

got to make sure all of the lighting is

11:53

in the hdri the sunlight is in and you

11:55

have to make sure the lighting is

11:56

matched to the background plate so

11:59

that's that's like default default as

12:01

you you

12:02

know that's like a basic shot that's a

12:04

basic setup where things get a little

12:06

bit more tricky is when there's big

12:08

lighting shifts like there's a couple

12:09

times where the Drone will flip upside

12:11

down 360 so we're going to have to

12:12

animate the sun and the and the hdri 360

12:15

as well to match or stuff like the bee

12:18

going through a tunnel I kind of set up

12:21

my lighting for this sunny and then

12:23

going through the trees here would just

12:25

be the manual work of setting up a tree

12:29

tunnel that literally cast a shadow over

12:32

the lighting that you set up on the the

12:34

second half of the shot so a lot of

12:36

shots require some manual light tweaking

12:39

and light matching to this extent shots

12:41

that are like stitched together that are

12:43

longer sequences Sam just did a shot

12:45

where like the be's going through a car

12:47

those are a little trickier shots but um

12:50

we got the workflow down like it's

12:51

moving with all the finishing touches

12:53

and pish put on it I think the video

12:54

turned out really well and I'm very very

12:56

proud of it so take a look at it right

12:57

now it's on cordor digital on our

12:59

website it's everywhere of course I got

13:00

to thank everyone who worked on this

13:02

project and especially DJI cuz these

13:04

guys keep hooking it up we love flying

13:06

drones and they got the best ones it's a

13:08

match made in heaven would happily do it

13:10

again and again

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