I recently had the honor of serving as a judge for the AirVuz 2025 Drone Video of the Year contest. If you’ve followed the drone video world for a while, you know AirVuz is one of the major website platforms to showcase aerial storytelling, particularly in the FPV space.
And AirVuz recently announced its winners. Congrats not just to those winners, but truly all who entered. Every piece on the AirVuz website is art in its own right.
So what makes a winning FPV video? After watching dozens and dozens of entries, I have a pretty clear grasp on the qualities it takes to win an FPV video contest.
But before I dive into what makes a winning FPV video, let’s take a look at where we’ve come and where we’re at today.
The state of FPV today
FPV drone videos have come a long way since the first-ever AirVuz Drone Video Awards in 2017. In its early days, FPV was a niche art form by talented racers who posted their videos online.
FPV use has become mainstream
These days, FPV is key in mainstream arts and entertainment. Take, for example, the Flyover Experience attraction, a ride that places viewers in motion seats suspended in front of a massive curved screen while aerial footage sweeps across landscapes. The concept is closely related to Disney’s Soarin’ attraction, which pioneered the “flying theater” format decades ago. In fact, several of the creative minds behind Flyover previously worked on Soarin’ and similar immersive flight experiences.
I visited Flyover Chicago, which opened on Navy Pier in 2024. Unlike traditional aerial footage (used in rides like Soarin’) that relies heavily on helicopters and CGI, many of Flyover’s sequences lean into real, dynamic movement captured through FPV drones. Flyover Chicago, a huge celebration of drones, is better than Disney’s Soarin. Flyover has been expanding rapidly as well. In addition to Chicago, there are locations in Las Vegas, Vancouver, Reykjavik, Toronto and several other cities, with new attractions continuing to open around the world, creating even more need for top-tier FPV footage.
FPV is becoming more accessible than ever
Another major shift happening in FPV filmmaking is accessibility.
Not long ago, creating a cinematic FPV video required a fairly steep learning curve. Pilots often had to build their own drones, tune flight controllers and practice for months just to get comfortable flying manual mode. In even just the past year, the technology has evolved dramatically.
Drones like the DJI Avata series (including the new Avata 360) and emerging platforms like the Antigravity 360 drone have made it much easier for people to experiment with FPV-style footage — no soldering skills required.
The original Avata series — the Avata and Avata 2 — combined FPV flight with features that make it approachable for beginners (things like motion controllers, built-in stabilization, obstacle sensing, and durable ducted propellers)
Since then products like the Antigravity 360 drone have pushed the idea even further by capturing everything around the aircraft in 360 degrees. Instead of worrying about perfectly framing the shot during flight, creators can reframe the footage later in editing, choosing the best angles after the fact.
The criteria to make a winning video has changed
Experiences like these show just how far drone cinematography has come. Techniques developed by FPV pilots — the same kinds of creative flights showcased in contests like AirVuz — are now shaping theme park attractions, immersive theaters and large-scale entertainment experiences.
A decade ago, when FPV filmmaking first started gaining traction, the formula for a great video was fairly straightforward:
- Fly the most technically difficult line possible
- Capture ultra-crisp footage
- Show off smooth control and daring maneuvers
Those things still matter, but we’ve reached a point where technical skill alone isn’t enough to make a video memorable. To make an award-winning FPV video, I’m less interested in your flight skills, and more interested in the story you’re telling with that flight.
How to make the best FPV video
One thing I kept coming back to while judging: the best drone videos ironically feel like they’re not about the drone at all. Instead, the drone becomes a storytelling tool — a camera that can go places no other camera can.
Articulate a story that’s best told by the air
One way to put together a great video is to start with a subject where aerial perspective actually adds meaning. For example:
- Showing the aftermath of a wildfire, revealing the full scale of devastation across a community
- Following the path of a flood through a town, connecting the geography to the human impact
- Documenting parades or protests
Imagine weaving together FPV footage with interviews from people whose homes were lost, or who are protesting a cause, to tell their story.
Of course, drones shouldn’t fly during active emergencies or over crowds without government approval, but the aftermath can be incredibly powerful when captured from above.
Avoid FPV storytelling tropes
One interesting thing I noticed while judging: when creators attempted narrative-driven pieces, many fell into similar themes that can get repetitive. Here are some examples:
The nature narrative: You’ve probably seen the format:
- Sweeping shots of mountains, forests, or oceans
- A voiceover about protecting the planet
- Emotional music swelling in the background
I don’t dislike those videos on their own, and in fact, many were beautifully done. But after watching dozens of entries, the message started to feel a bit familiar. If you’re going to go this route, you need to execute perfectly.
The travel montage narrative: This goes something like:
“I love traveling to [insert country]” followed by a series of stunning aerial shots of landscapes, cities, and landmarks.
Again, these videos can be gorgeous, but they also feel like low-hanging fruit narratively. The visuals carry the video, while the story remains fairly thin.
Think seriously about the music
A lot of drone videos rely on very similar soundtracks. Two categories came up again and again:
- Epic cinematic music — the booming, orchestral “movie trailer” sound
- Mellow cello or piano tracks — the emotional, reflective vibe
Both can work, but when you hear them over and over again, they start to blend together.
One of the easiest ways to make your video stand out is simply by choosing music that feels fresh. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
What made certain videos stand out
When I look back at the entries that stuck with me the most, they had a few things in common:
1. They had a clear concept
The strongest videos had a clear “why” beyond just “I flew somewhere cool.” With your drone video, you might follow a person, reveal a place, document a transformation or capture a moment.
2. The flight supported the story
In great FPV videos, the flight path isn’t just impressive — it means something. For example, one stellar video flew through a factory to show the process of how something was made. It wasn’t just flying through bridges and tunnels because the pilot could.
3. They showed something we hadn’t seen before
Novelty is powerful, and — when judging — I often found myself drawn toward videos that made me think “I’ve never seen a drone used that way before.” Even if a video wasn’t technically perfect, originality often pushed it higher in my rankings.
Questions to ask before submitting your best FPV video
If you’re hoping to make an FPV video that wins awards — or at least captures attention — here are a few ideas of questions to ask yourself, based on what I saw judging the contest.
- What story am I telling? If you can describe the story in one sentence, you’re on the right track.
- What does the aerial perspective add? What would this story look like without a drone? If the drone genuinely makes the story stronger, you’re onto something.
- Is the place beautiful? Or is it interesting. I’d rather see something I haven’t seen before. I’ve seen a lot of waterfalls, but I haven’t seen traditions in local communities, unique types of human activity or unexpected environments.
The future of FPV storytelling
If there’s one takeaway from judging the AirVuz contest, it’s that FPV filmmaking is evolving. Over the past few years, the community has proven it can fly incredibly well. In the coming years, the challenge — and the opportunity — is to tell better stories.
With that, I’d also like to see more experimental sound and pacing. Don’t be afraid to take on unusual music choices or unexpected cuts. Mix FPV with other camera angles. Keep the story tight, and make sure it’s exactly that — a story.
I love a beautiful aerial landscape when I’m staring up into the screen at my dentist office. But for award-winning footage? I want a story about the people, places and perspectives that only drones can reveal.
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