Video editing glossary

A

• Drones Acro mode An FPV flight mode with no self-leveling: the drone holds whatever angle you set until you change it, allowing flips, rolls and free, fluid movement.
• Drones ActiveTrack A DJI subject-tracking mode in which the drone locks onto a person, car or boat you select and follows it automatically, keeping it framed as it moves.
• Drones Angle mode A self-leveling FPV flight mode where stick input sets a limited tilt angle and releasing the sticks returns the drone to level, easier but more restrictive.

C

• Drones Chase shot A shot where the camera follows directly behind a moving subject, matching its speed, to show the action and the path ahead from the subject point of view.
• Drones Cine mode A drone flight mode that limits speed and softens stick response, making movements slower and smoother for cinematic aerial footage.
• Drones Cinewhoop A small FPV drone with ducts or guards around its propellers, built to fly smoothly and safely close to people, through buildings and in tight spaces.
• Drones Course Lock A drone mode that locks the flight direction so the drone keeps moving along a straight line while you rotate the camera freely, for smooth tracking passes.

D

• Drones Digital FPV FPV video systems that send a digital HD feed from drone to goggles, giving a far clearer view than analog, with onboard recording and slightly higher latency.
• Drones DJI SRT flight log A subtitle file a DJI drone can write next to each video, holding GPS position, altitude and camera settings over time. It is not needed for editing.
• Drones Drone panorama A drone mode that takes a series of photos while rotating and tilting, then stitches them into a wide or full-sphere aerial image of a location.
• Drones Dronie A drone selfie: the shot starts close on a person, then flies backward and upward, pulling away to reveal the landscape around them in one continuous move.

F

• Drones Flight time How long a drone can fly on one battery. Rated figures assume ideal conditions; wind, cold, speed and payload shorten real flights considerably.
• Drones Fly-through shot A continuous FPV drone shot that flies through a building, venue or landscape in one take, passing doors, windows and gaps for an immersive tour.
• Drones Flyover shot A drone shot that flies directly over a subject, often with the camera tilting to keep it in frame, creating a dramatic sense of scale and movement.
• Drones FocusTrack DJI umbrella name for its subject-tracking modes, including ActiveTrack, Spotlight and Point of Interest, which keep a person or object in frame automatically.
• Drones FPV drone A drone flown through live video goggles from an onboard camera, usually in full manual mode, for fast, low and acrobatic shots camera drones cannot do.
• Drones FPV goggles Head-mounted displays that show the live camera feed from an FPV drone, putting the pilot virtually in the cockpit for immersive, precise flying.
• Drones Freestyle FPV An FPV flying style focused on creative tricks, flips, dives and flowing lines around structures and terrain, often filmed with an onboard action camera.

G

• Drones Geofencing Built-in drone software that warns about or blocks flights in restricted areas such as airports, prisons and some national parks, based on GPS location.
• Drones Gimbal pitch The up and down tilt of a drone camera on its gimbal, from looking at the horizon to pointing straight down. Smooth pitch moves add drama to aerial shots.

H

• Drones Hybrid zoom Zoom on drones that combines a telephoto lens with digital cropping, letting you film distant subjects or compress perspective without flying closer.

L

• Drones Latency The delay between something happening in front of the camera and the pilot seeing it on screen or goggles. Low latency is vital for FPV flying.
• Drones Long-range FPV FPV flying focused on covering large distances and following terrain such as mountain ridges, using efficient drones and strong radio links.

M

• Drones MasterShots A DJI intelligent flight mode where the drone flies a whole series of automated moves around a subject and the app can turn it into a short edited video.
• Drones Motor vibration High-frequency shaking from motors and propellers that travels into the camera, causing jello, blur or wobble in drone and FPV footage.

N

• Drones Naked GoPro A GoPro removed from its housing and stripped to a light circuit board and lens, so it can fly on small FPV drones while still recording high-quality video.

O

• Drones Obstacle avoidance Sensors and software that let a drone detect obstacles like trees and buildings and brake or steer around them. Coverage and reliability vary by model and mode.
• Drones Orbit shot A shot where the camera circles a subject at a steady distance while staying locked on it, creating strong parallax between the subject and the background.

P

• Drones Pedestal shot A camera move that rises or descends vertically while keeping the same direction, often with a tilt to hold the subject, revealing or concealing the scene.
• Drones Point of Interest (POI) An automated drone mode that flies a smooth circle around a chosen subject at a set radius, height and speed, keeping the camera pointed at it.
• Drones Propeller guards Frames or rings around drone propellers that reduce damage and injury in close contact, at the expense of extra weight, drag and shorter flights.

Q

• Drones QuickShots A set of preprogrammed DJI flight moves, such as Dronie, Circle, Helix and Rocket, that fly and film a short cinematic clip around a subject automatically.

R

• Drones Remote ID A system that makes a drone broadcast its identification and location during flight, like a digital license plate, required by rules in some countries.
• Drones Return to Home (RTH) A drone safety feature that flies the aircraft back to its recorded takeoff point automatically when signal is lost, battery runs low or the pilot asks for it.
• Drones Reveal shot A camera move that starts with the view hidden or limited, then flies, rises or tilts to uncover the full scene - a staple opener in drone and travel videos.

S

• Drones Sport mode A drone flight mode that unlocks maximum speed and agility, useful for chasing fast subjects, but often disables obstacle avoidance and drains battery quickly.
• Drones Spotlight mode A drone tracking mode where the camera stays locked on a chosen subject while the pilot flies the drone freely, ideal for creative two-person shoots.
• Drones Sub-250 g drone A drone weighing less than 250 grams at takeoff, a category that often faces lighter rules in many countries and fits easily in a travel bag.

T

• Drones Tiny whoop A very small, ducted FPV drone, often palm-sized and light, designed for indoor flying, practice and playful close-range filming.
• Drones Top-down shot A drone shot with the camera pointed straight down at 90 degrees, turning roads, waves, fields and people into flat graphic patterns seen from directly above.
• Drones Tracking shot A shot where the camera moves alongside a subject at the same speed, usually from the side, keeping it in frame while the background slides past.
• Drones True vertical shooting A drone gimbal feature that rotates the camera 90 degrees to record native vertical 9:16 video without cropping, made for Reels, Shorts and TikTok.

V

• Drones Video transmission The wireless system that sends a live video feed from a drone to the controller or goggles. Range, latency and image quality depend on it.
• Drones Visual line of sight (VLOS) Keeping a drone close enough that the pilot can see it with their own eyes during the whole flight, a basic requirement in most drone rules.

W

• Drones Waypoints A drone flight mode that flies a route you plan in advance, point by point, repeating the same path, altitude, speed and camera angle every time you run it.
• Drones Wind resistance How much wind a drone can handle while staying stable and controllable, usually given as a maximum speed or level. Exceeding it risks drift and crashes.