The Winning Videos from Skydio’s First Ever KeyFrame Challenge

Skydio recently announced the winning videos from its KeyFrame Challenge, a contest that offered drone pilots a total of $10,000 in prizes.

KeyFrame is a mode that you can use on the Skydio 2+ to capture high quality drone footage along a pre-selected path.

To use KeyFrame mode, you choose the key shots you want to get along the flight path and the speed at which you want to fly, then push a button and the drone flies the route, autonomously, collecting footage.

In animation, and in visual storytelling in general, a keyframe is an important frame in the footage that defines the beginning or end of an action, telling you where the action is at a certain point in time.

Skydio has taken this concept and made software that allows drone pilots to easily implement it.

Here’s an overview of how KeyFrame mode works:

• Select your keyframes. Fly to each location along your flight path that you want to see in your finished video and take a photograph of it, storyboarding the footage with the images you capture.
• Choose your speed. Decide how fast you want the drone to fly along the flight path as it’s defined by the keyframes you’ve captured.
• Hit play. Now that you’ve defined your keyframes and speed, you can hit play and the drone will autonomously plot a route that will capture all of your keyframes, filming the entire time.

Credit: Skydio

KeyFrame Challenge Contest Winners

Here are winning videos from Skydio’s KeyFrame Challenge, as well as its selection for Honorable Mention.

First Place

Created by Ryan Bonacci

Second Place

Created by Nelson Bustamante

Follow Nelson on Instagram: @igorotwanderer

Third Place

Created by Shane Shahan

Follow Shane on Instagram: @shanesreellife

Honorable Mention

Created by Nick Hearn

Follow Nick on Instagram: @nckstagram

Top Finalists

Can’t get enough of these quick KeyFrame videos?

You’re in luck—Skydio not only selected winners for the KeyFrame challenge, it also picked its top finalists.

Here they are.

Chris Mohme

Follow Chris on Instagram: @wookie317

Kaleb Davis

Follow Kaleb on Instagram: @kalebjdavis12

Steve Eustis

Follow Steve on Instagram: @eustissteve

Abel Manring

Follow Abel on Instagram: @abelmanring

Tyler Barks

Follow Tyler on Instagram: @tylerbarks

Cai Garcia

Follow Tyler on Instagram: @a_technicolor_morning

Learn more about KeyFrame and the Skydio 2+ on the Skydio website.