DJI Air 3 Master Shots (All You Need to Know with Video)

When thinking of a capable all-around drone, the DJI Air 3 frequently comes to mind.

Whether a beginner, enthusiast, or solo content creator, the Air 3 has many filming tools available to make life a little easier and the process quicker when getting creative content.

One such tool would be MasterShots.

In this article, we will discuss what MasterShots is, what options are available in MasterShots, and how to set up, perform the shots, and edit the resulting footage on a smart device.

What is MasterShots? #

Because of DJI’s continual advancement in the area of obstacle avoidance over the years, many of their drone models can perform a suite of intelligent flight modes.

MasterShots is an autonomous (or intelligent) mode on the DJI Air 3 that will automatically select the appropriate flight routes and capture your subject of choice using a variety of creative shot types, based on a particular scene you are shooting.

After your subject has been captured (person, manmade structure, or landscape), the footage can be automatically edited using pre-built templates within the DJI Fly app or made available for custom editing in video editing software, after download.

**» MORE: **DJI Intelligent Flight Modes (Including Quickshots & Mastershots)

MasterShots Types #

When in MasterShots, based on the scene you are shooting, various scene types will be automatically accessed and applied by the Air 3.

Here I’ll cover these MasterShots types and their automatic shot sequence.

Portrait #

The Portrait MasterShots type is used to capture humans as the subject of the video.

Shot types: Zoom In/Out; Circle (Medium); Circle (Close); Dronie; Circle (Far); Tilt up + Fly Forward; Rocket; Camera Down + Circle; Camera Straight + Descend; Camera Down + Descend

Proximity #

Proximity MasterShots type focuses on non-human subjects that are in the near distance. These subjects are oftentimes a structure or manmade landmark.

Proximity MasterShots are a convenient way to showcase a home or building for real estate purposes.

Shot types: Circle (Far); Tilt up + Fly Forward; Circle (Close); Circle (Medium); Rocket: Camera Down + Fly Forward ; Camera Down + Circle; Camera Straight + Descend; Camera Down + Descend

Landscape #

Lastly is the Landscape MasterShots type. In this mode, the subject of the video would be something in the far distance, most likely a naturally occurring structure or another type of large object.

Landscape MasterShots can be used to quickly highlight areas of interest, likewise for real estate or local area videos.

Shot types: Circle (Far); Tilt up + Fly Forward ; Roll + Fly Forward ; Circle (Close); Zoom In/Out; Circle (Medium); Rocket; Camera Straight + Descend; Camera Straight + Circle

**» MORE: **How to Fly DJI Air 3 Drone (With DJI RC 2)

Why Use MasterShots? #

MasterShots are useful for a variety of pilots in various situations or environments. Using MasterShots enables a pilot to get multiple shots very quickly.

New & Novice Pilots #

MasterShots is perfect for those who are either new to flying or those who are not fully comfortable performing various flight maneuvers:

• orbits
• partial orbits
• orbits while rising or descending

All of these, of course, all while keeping the subject in the center of the frame.

As is the case with any autonomous feature for any drone, pilots would want to be alert, keep an eye on the Air 3 at all times, and be ready to take action in case of an emergency.

Even though the Air 3 has omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, situations could require immediate manual control of the Air 3.

**» MORE: **DJI Mini 4 Pro MasterShots (All You Need to Know + Video)

Outdoor & Travel Solo Shooters #

Something many like about the Air 3 is that it can track and film practically anything or anyone you’d like with multiple automatic shooting modes.

Although not as small and light as the DJI Mini 4 Pro, the Air 3 can be used by those who do outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, and boating, needing a little more power and speed to do so than the Mini 4 Pro can provide.

MasterShots is also an ideal choice for those wanting to capture some of the natural highlights of their travel locations.

For solo content creators, the Air 3’s ability to correctly frame a subject and shoot a series of video clips at various heights, positions, and distances is not only convenient but also time-saving.

MasterShots also has access to a suite of templates to add titles, music, and color filters. Anyone looking for a creative and streamlined method to post to social media will enjoy the workflow.

**» MORE: **DJI Air 3 – Active Track (All You Need to Know with Video)

Real Estate & Area Specific Spotlights #

The footage produced in MasterShots might also come in handy for some commercial pilots who are looking to quickly get a series of shots of a particular structure or area for commercial work.

The Air 3 will take all of the shots for the particular MasterShots type, most likely Proximity and Landscape. Afterward, these are combined and saved to a single .MP4 file.

That single MP4 file can be downloaded to a PC or Mac and edited in video editing software, allowing for the choice of any particular shot, then cutting, cropping, and using them in any particular order.

Using MasterShots footage for Real Estate and Local Area videos might not be a first choice for every professional.

However, with tight shooting schedules, the shots might help make shooting multiple locations and structures quicker and easier.

**» MORE: **Best Camera Settings for DJI Air 3 (Photo & Video)

How to Use MasterShots #

We’ll now walk through the process of using each of the Types in the MasterShots mode.

Step 1: While the Air 3 is in the air (hovering), go to the shooting modes and select MasterShots.

Step 2: Face the Air 3 in the direction of your subject (human, structure, or landscape).

Step 3 (PORTRAIT): Either trace a square around your stationary human subject or press the onscreen-+ to select your subject.

The Air 3 will automatically decide the shot types needed for the shoot.

Optional: Choose your flight parameters (Small, Medium, Large):

• Width – How far to the left and right the Air 3 will travel for the shots
• Length – How far back from the current position the Air 3 will go to capture the subject
• Height – The height the Air 3 will travel vertically and shoot

Note: The minimum and maximum parameter settings will dictate how long the flight will take to capture all the needed footage.

Step 3 (PROXIMITY): Trace a square around your large near-distance subject. Choose your flight parameters if needed.

Step 3 (LANDSCAPE): Trace a square around your far-distance subject. Remember to choose your flight parameters if so needed.

Step 4: After confirming the subject and parameters are correct, press start. You’ll receive a countdown timer. The Air 3 will begin running through the earlier-mentioned shot list (types), keeping the subject in the center of the frame.

Step 5: An option to view the video will automatically show onscreen after the MasterShots have been completed. If you decide to bypass immediately viewing the footage, you can easily access it later from the Album (see below).

For this walkthrough, the automatic view option was not available because screen recording was enabled on the DJI RC 2.

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How to Create an Automatic MasterShots Video #

One of the convenient things about the series of MasterShots shot types is that the DJI Fly app can make a video from the footage using several themed templates.

These templates all have different music. Some even have titles and variations in color filters.

As of the writing of this article, final MasterShot videos cannot be compiled and created on the DJI RC 2. This process must be performed on a mobile device (cellphone or tablet), using the QuickTransfer feature.

We’ll first go through the steps to connect the Air 3 to a separate mobile device using the QuickTransfer mode.

*If you will be doing MasterShots using a DJI RC-N2 and Mobile device, skip to Step 5 Alternate.

Step 1: Turn off the Air 3 and the DJI RC 2.

Step 2: Turn on the Air 3. Open the DJI Fly app on your mobile device.

Step 3: On the main Connection screen, switch to QuickTransfer Mode.

Step 4: Follow the prompts to connect your Mobile Device with DJI Fly to your Air 3.

Step 5: Go to View Album.

Step 5 Alternate: If you performed MasterShots from a DJI RC-N2 and Smartphone, simply go to your Album at the main DJI Fly screen.

Step 6: Once in the Album, choose the video you want to use with the MasterShots template. It must be a MasterShots video.

Note: The icon for MasterShots looks different from the regular video icons.

Step 7: At the preview, select Create MasterShots.

Step 8: You’ll be asked to download the full version from the Air 3. Download the file.

Step 9: Choose a template and export the MasterShot.

After the export has been completed, the newly created MasterShot will be ready for viewing.

**» MORE: **DJI Air 3 Waypoints (All You Need to Know)

Viewing Newly Created MasterShots Videos #

When the MasterShots video has been created, the MasterShots video file will be saved locally to your device, whether an Apple or Android smartphone or tablet.

To view the newly created MasterShots video, you would simply open either your iOS or Android gallery app, locate the video, and play and/or share it.

The files will be easy to locate as they are fairly short, about 30 seconds or so.

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