Plenty of carefully shot and carefully edited aerial footage is ruined in the final ten minutes by an export preset nobody examined.
Core export decisions
Match the timeline resolution. Exporting at a different size than the project adds an unnecessary scaling step.
Match the frame rate exactly. Changing frame rate on export introduces judder that is very visible in moving aerial shots.
Use a high enough bit rate. Aerial footage is compression-hungry, and too low a rate destroys water and foliage.
H.264 for compatibility. It plays everywhere and every platform accepts it.
H.265 for efficiency. Smaller files at equal quality, less universally supported.
Two-pass encoding if available. Better quality distribution across the file for a modest time cost.
Keep the colour space consistent. Mismatched colour space is a common cause of exports looking wrong.
Export audio properly. Standard sample rate and a sensible bit rate.
Disable any automatic scaling or sharpening. Export presets often add both silently, and the result is halos along horizons and rooflines.
Always watch the exported file. Not the timeline preview, which can differ substantially.
Exporting for platforms
Platforms re-encode everything. Your file is compressed again after upload, whatever you send.
So upload high quality. Giving the platform encoder good source material improves the final result.
Follow published recommendations. Each platform lists preferred resolution, frame rate and bit rate.
Upload 4K even for 1080p viewing. Many platforms allocate more bit rate to higher resolutions.
Consider aspect ratio per platform. Vertical and square versions may be needed alongside the wide edit.
Reframe rather than crop blindly. A vertical version needs its own framing decisions.
Front-load the interest. Social platforms judge by early retention.
Add captions for silent viewing. A large share of viewers never enable sound.
Check the result after processing. Platform encoding sometimes introduces artefacts worth reacting to.
Delivering to clients
Ask what they need first. Format, resolution, aspect ratios and intended use.
Provide multiple versions. A high-quality master plus lighter versions for immediate use.
Name files clearly. The client should understand each file without asking.
Organise into folders. Video, stills, and any source material kept separate.
Include a short guide. One paragraph explaining which file is for what.
Use a reliable transfer method. With a generous expiry date, and tell them the date.
Send a preview first. Low-resolution approval before producing final exports.
Confirm they can open everything. Do not assume delivery succeeded because a link was sent.
Deliver on the promised date. Early is better than late, and a short message on the agreed day matters even when the files are already sent.
Keep your own copy. At least for the period agreed in the contract.
Archiving projects
Decide what to keep. Selects, project file and final exports at minimum.
Keeping everything is expensive. Aerial footage consumes storage very quickly.
Keep the project file. It is small and it makes revisions possible.
Keep the selects. The clips actually used, plus close alternatives.
Consider discarding the rest. After a defined period, once revisions are unlikely.
Two copies minimum. On separate physical drives.
Offsite for important work. Cloud storage or a drive kept elsewhere.
Use a consistent folder structure. Identical across every project, so anything can be found later.
Record where each project lives. A simple index of project names against drive labels saves searching through several disks a year later.
Test restores occasionally. A backup that has never been read is an assumption rather than a backup.
Final checks before sending
Watch the whole export. Beginning to end, without skipping.
Check the first and last seconds. Where black frames and stray audio hide.
Check audio throughout. Dropouts often occur where they were not expected.
Check text for errors. Place names and spellings, ideally by a second reader.
Check on a phone. Small-screen legibility is a real constraint.
Check the file size. Unexpectedly small usually means a wrong setting.
Check the duration. Confirming the export matches the timeline length.
Check the file plays elsewhere. On a machine other than the editing computer.
Check the metadata. Some workflows embed the project name or location data in the file, which may not be something the client wants published.
Then send it. With a clear message describing what is included.
Frequently asked questions
Why does frame rate matter on export?
Because changing frame rate during export introduces judder, and judder is highly visible in aerial footage where the camera is constantly moving.
Should I upload 4K even if viewers watch in 1080p?
Usually yes. Many platforms allocate more bit rate to higher resolutions, so the re-encoded result looks better even when viewed smaller.
What should be archived from a project?
The project file, the selected clips and the final exports, on at least two separate drives, with offsite storage for important client work.
What is the last check before delivering?
Watching the entire exported file, not the timeline preview, on a machine other than the editing computer — export errors only appear in the file itself.
More in Choosing a drone and Camera settings.
