Drones are perfect for capturing magnificent displays of nature at any time of day, creating stunning videos to share with the world. Drones are essentially the perfect cameras, able to fly up high and hover in place, recording things from a variety of angles, making filming much easier than it would be if filmmakers relied on manpower alone.
Among the majority of drone films, it is rare to find a video shot in the dark. Ian Montgomery and his friends wanted to change that, and filmed scenery at night in the Middle East. They captured stunning desert footage using drones equipped with lights to allow things to be visible, and the resulting footage is incredible.
The film, called The Dying of the Light, is 5 minutes in length. The film was captured far in the desert, so as to minimize light pollution from the city. Interestingly, Montgomery and his friends managed to capture footage that looks like it was filmed from deep in the ocean, not in the desert. The filmmakers used a total of two drones and a significant amount of lighting to make sure that their footage expressed their ideas.
The film showcases some of the rock formations in the desert, including a few of the canyons in the region. The drones’ lights cast an eerie light across the landscape, while peaceful music plays as the movie goes on. The Dying of the Light does a great job of making the desert views accessible to whoever views this video.
Filming The Dying of the Light was not cheap, so not everyone who wants to emulate the footage can do so. StratusLEDs were used to illuminate the landscape; the Aerial Array setup used cost around $699 for each drone. Regular hobby drones are not equipped to carry heavy lighting setups or cameras, so Montgomery and his friends had to use specialized drones. It is likely that they used Firefly Alta 8 drones, and each of those costs about $17,500 with $700 controllers.
Pilots who fly cheaper drones as a hobby can still capture stunning aerial footage using the equipment that they do have. There are countless examples of hobbyists using their drones to record some amazing video, but The Dying of the Light takes drone film making to new heights, exposing viewers to desert scenery that they would be unlikely to view anywhere else.
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