Shanghai landscape video becomes online hit

An amateur photographer in Shanghai recently posted a video clip of the city's skyline online.

An amateur photographer in Shanghai recently posted a video clip of the city's skyline online. The video, which was shot using an aerial camera, has become a huge hit.

Chen Ya says he bought a camera mounted on a small remote-control helicopter in June so he could take some good pictures the next time he went traveling. He decided to test it out by making a 6-minute video of some of Shanghai's landmarks. Within five days of posting the video online, it had already been viewed more than 400,000 times. Chen says he never expected that success.

"Shanghai is a good place for aerial shooting as it has many highrises. That will give the picture a sense of depth, and the film will look better. And as I live in downtown, it is also easier for me to do the filming." said Chen Ya, Video Creator.

Chen says to avoid large crowds, he filmed at dawn, a time of day that has several advantages.

"The color temperature changes dramatically from midnight to dawn, and the light is also softer. So taking the film at that time will bring better effects. "

He spent two weeks making the film, and during that time he had to figure out several challenges such as how to control the camera on windy days. And when the filming was complete, it took another three weeks to edit the video.

"The original video's color and contrast was not eye-catching. I may spend dozens of minutes to do shooting a day, but spent nearly two hours a day to correct colors. "

Chen, who works at his family's printing factory, says he will pick a more open space in suburban Shanghai for future filming. He is now a little worried that many people will copy him. He says using aerial cameras can be risky. If the helicopter loses its signal, it will automatically fly back to the controller and could crash into anything blocking its way. Chen doesn't need any permission to use his camera and helicopter as they weigh just two kilograms, well below the 7 kilogram threshold to need a license.