Project Overview

An Aerial Excursion of San Francisco, CA continues my pursuit of capturing cities and landscapes from perspectives most people never experience. During a visit to San Francisco, I saw an opportunity to push my aerial cinematography further by tackling one of America's most visually striking cities.

From the iconic Golden Gate Bridge cutting through morning fog to the dense urban geometry of downtown's skyscrapers, this film showcases the dramatic contrasts that make San Francisco unique. The city offers something special for drone work: a collision of natural beauty (the bay, the hills, the coastal cliffs) and human-made marvels (architecture, bridges, streets that defy gravity).

This project was about more than just sightseeing. It was a technical challenge to navigate restricted airspace, capture compelling footage in an urban environment, and craft those raw clips into a cohesive visual experience.

Creative Approach

Urban Aerial Storytelling

San Francisco presented different challenges than natural landscapes. Urban environments require precision flying, awareness of regulations, and creative problem-solving to find fresh angles on well-photographed landmarks.

Flight and filming strategy:

• Landmark approaches - Captured the Golden Gate Bridge from multiple angles and altitudes to showcase its massive scale
• Downtown geometry - Used the city's grid and vertical architecture to create dynamic flight paths through urban canyons
• Coastal contrasts - Juxtaposed the rugged Pacific coastline against the orderly city streets
• Varied perspectives - Mixed wide establishing shots with tighter, more intimate views of neighborhood character
• Timing and light - Shot during different times of day to capture fog, golden hour, and the city's changing moods

Post-production focus:

• Color grading to enhance the city's natural drama without oversaturating
• Audio mix that balanced cinematic score with the energy of an urban environment
• Pacing that moved viewers through the city like an actual excursion

"Every city tells a different story from above. San Francisco's story is about tension between nature and civilization, both fighting for dominance."

Role & Collaboration

Another completely solo passion project where I handled every aspect of production.

My responsibilities included:

• Pre-flight planning and airspace research
• FAA compliance and local regulation navigation
• Drone operation and aerial cinematography
• All footage capture across multiple locations
• Editing and post-production
• Audio mixing and music selection
• Color grading and final delivery

Technical considerations:

• Navigating San Francisco's complex airspace restrictions
• Managing wind conditions near the coast and bridge
• Battery management for flights across the city
• Capturing footage in varied lighting conditions

This project proved that the skills I developed filming natural landscapes translate effectively to urban environments. Different subjects, same principles: find the compelling angle, respect the location, and let the visuals speak.