The feeling of flying
BRADLEY PRATT Director, Editor, Videographer
Created as a student project for CMDP 3800—Documentary Media Practices with Professor Keely Kernan at the University of Colorado Boulder, The Feeling of Flight is a self-directed documentary short. Over three months, I learned FPV from the ground up, logging over half a terabyte of footage from simulator sessions to my first real flights. The project blends cinematic aerial visuals filmed around Boulder with behind-the-scenes vlogs and reflective voiceover that capture the learning curve and emotional experience of flight. I also developed a new film emulation workflow in DaVinci Resolve to give the final piece a more organic, film-inspired aesthetic.
CLIent:
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TIMELINE:
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PURPOSE
To document my journey learning FPV from scratch and show that FPV can be more than a technical tool, instead a cinematic and emotional form of storytelling. The film also served as a class project for CMDP 3800 Documentary Media Practices and as a personal creative milestone in expanding my skills beyond traditional sports cinematography.
PRODUCT
A short documentary shot over three months using Canon R5 II, GoPro footage, simulator screen recordings, and FPV drone flights filmed across Boulder landscapes like the Flatirons and Gold Hill. The edit combines real-time flight sequences, behind-the-scenes vlogs, freeze frames, reflective voiceover, and a new film emulation color workflow developed in DaVinci Resolve.
PROCESS
Began with simulator training, test flights, and crash-heavy practice, gradually progressing to cinematic flight paths. Organized and logged nearly 500GB of footage into thematic sequences based on story beats outlined in the pitch (montage opener, BTS learning, takeoff sequences, final flight montage, reflection). Used rhythmic editing inspired by Danny Gevirtz and Nainoa Langer and incorporated new film emulation tools in Resolve to refine my color pipeline.
