Of course, there is nothing better than hands-on experience, so if you just got a drone, please do take it out to the nearest field – far away from crowds and powerlines – and start flying. But if you want to know a bit more than what you can learn on your own, consider registering for one of DJI’s New Pilot Experience events.

From DJI’s website:

Learn to fly safe and unleash your creativity with DJI New Pilot Experience^TM! These free events serve as an introduction to the DJI Phantom and are designed to give first-time pilots the knowledge needed to become a capable pilot.

 

Following a informative indoor session, participants will head outdoors to get hands-on flight experience with a Phantom, under the guidance of an experienced instructor. Pilots will have the chance to win prizes by completing the special NPE Challenge.

Events are held all over the world. See the complete list on DJI’s website.

In other DJI news, the company is now offering crash insurance – it’s not cheap, so even more the reason to acquire a proper skill set before taking to the skies.

Image courtesy Lino Schmid & Moira Prati.

If you want to tackle this DIY project, be sure to download the handy PDF templates to aid in your endeavors.

Since 2012 Simon Cade has been learning about filmmaking in one of the best ways possible – by teaching others. His DSLRGuide Youtube channel has amassed almost 150.000 subscribers and about 5 million views spread out over a treasure trove of tutorial videos on anything from lighting to storytelling to camera movement to DIY tricks to color grading and so on and so forth. His output frequency (a new video every week) and quality is really quite remarkable. His guide for shooting beautiful, cinematic video with a DLSR camera and low-to-no budget should be the first place you start your research, if you’re looking to do just that.

One of my favorite things about Simon’s videos is how directly relatable they are to my own trials and errors as an amateur filmmaker. Having trouble getting the right look for your film using whatever natural light you have available? Simon has an answer for you. Unsure about how to get started with color grading? Simon will walk you through it. Wondering why your shots feel flat? Simon’s got some suggestions on where to make changes.

All that and he seems like a nice bloke.

Here is but a small selection of his many videos. Be sure to check out his many videos here and to subscribe to his channel. For more in-depth information about the gear he uses and where he gets it, visit his website.

#1 Every Frame A Painting

My personal favorite. Every Frame A Painting is like the class you wish you had in film school. It’s a triumphantly unpredictable  bastard of a film analysis class and the rantings of your favorite, passionate teacher. By analyzing certain scenes, director trademarks, genre-specific filmmaking tools or something else you would have never thought to analyze, host Tony Zhou and his expertly edited videos will leave you not only smarter, but inspired and amazed.

#2 Film Riot

Fast-talking host, independent filmmaker and DIY handy-man Ryan Connolly and his rag-tag team of film aficionados deliver tutorials, DIY builds, real-life examples and How-To’s on just about everything you could ever think of related to filmmaking. The beauty of this channel is not so much the hyper-active presentation (though that’ll certainly keep you focused), as it is the way in which these guys manage to take the mystery out of Hollywood filmmaking, while preserving all the magic. Specifically targeting independent, DIY or super low-budget filmmakers, the channel abounds with videos on how to make your film look and sound like a million $ without breaking the bank.

#3 Filmmaker IQ

With a somewhat more technical and perhaps film school-like approach, Filmmaker IQ is an immensely valuable resource. Think of it as a ‘How Stuff Works’ for filmmakers; some topics are highly technical, borderline scientific, while other topics are pure entertainment. Wanna know how a camera sensor works? No problem. Wanna brush up on the origins of auteur theory? Why not. Wanna learn how to light a film noir? You should. And all of that can be done in the same place. Filmmaker IQ.

#4 Indy Mogul

With roughly 1250 videos on their channel, Indy Mogul is almost like a Discovery Channel of the Internet. Before Discovery Channel became all about reality TV, of course. Indy Mogul is an impressive library of engaging video tutorials, hands-on reviews of cameras and equipment, Q&A’s with filmmakers and a whole lot of tips and tricks to up your indy filmmaking game. Now, Indy Mogul hasn’t been active in years, so don’t expect new videos about the latest in gear or software. But do expect to get lost in a massive library of goodies that are equally helpful today as they were 6 years ago.

#5 Now You See It

Similar in style to Every Frame A Painting, Now You See It is sort of a hybrid between film analysis and geeky musings on what makes movies great. Though not always entirely on point, mostly the videos from Now You See It will give you lots of a ha! moments and insightful takes on movies, scenes or techniques you already thought you knew everything about.

Filmmaker meet Vimeo. Vimeo meet filmmaker. Oh, you already know each other? Of course you do. Vimeo is the go-to for high quality video hosting and has long been home to the most beautiful videos on the Internet – with a lot less distractions (oh look, KITTENS!) than on big brother YouTube. You’ve almost certainly also seen their Vimeo Staff Picks; a collection of short films and documentaries highlighting the best and the brightest among new filmmaking talent.

But do you know the Vimeo Video School?

Video School is a curated archive of videos on Vimeo that will help you learn about filmmaking through tutorials, lessons, advice, case studies and interviews with industry pros and creatives. All for the collective betterment of the visual medium and all of us who are trying to master it.

Need the scoop on how to compress video like a pro? Not a problem.

Just getting started with Final Cut Pro X? Check out the complete 17-episode tutorial.

Not sure how to go about shooting on your smartphone? There’s a lesson series for that, too.

And lots and lots of inspiration. Just dig deep.