DJI Ronin 4D Captured 327 Shots in F1 Movie While Sony Got All the Credit

We’ve been following DJI’s quiet infiltration of Hollywood for years, but the scope of their contribution to the $300 million F1 movie might be the most impressive example yet. In a revealing new interview with Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda, YouTube creator Josh Yeo of Make. Art. Now. uncovered what Sony and Panavision’s marketing machine conveniently left out: four DJI Ronin 4D cameras captured over 327 shots in the final film, and DJI drones photographed every circuit used for VFX.

The interview, which features Miranda discussing his sixth collaboration with director Joseph Kosinski, pulls back the curtain on how DJI’s prosumer cinema camera became Hollywood’s secret weapon for run-and-gun documentary-style footage at real Formula 1 events.

“The Ronin 4D came into place. We wanted something small and easy to get that we could run into real crowd situations,” Miranda explained. “Sometimes I feel like Steadicams have certain heights they like unless you get to a Z-mount, but then it’s really big.”

The Camera Hiding in Plain Sight

What makes this story particularly fascinating is that Josh Yeo started noticing the Ronin 4D appearing in the background of the actual film. The camera’s distinctive “chicken head” stabilization profile is visible throughout the movie if you know where to look.

“I started seeing it in some set photos that were sent to me,” Yeo explained in the video. “In the background of the frames of the film itself, there it was the whole time. The Ronin 4D hiding there, the unmistakable shape, standing out in the crowd.”

He documented at least two dozen visible appearances of the camera in the final cut, with the sightings becoming so frequent that he started a drinking game during movie night. The discovery raises an obvious question: why has no one been talking about this?

Miranda himself affectionately calls the Ronin 4D “the turkey” and revealed that DJI provided him with a gold-plated unit for the production. The camera was essential for capturing scenes that required mobility and discretion at actual Grand Prix events, where a full Sony Venice 2 setup would have been too cumbersome.

How Four Ronin 4Ds Captured a $300 Million Film

The production deployed four Ronin 4D units simultaneously during key sequences. Miranda and camera operator Lucas Bielan would often operate two cameras at once while Kosinski monitored feeds on a dual-monitor platform.

“The national anthem was all done on Ronin,” Miranda confirmed. “The whole opening of the movie from all the van work coming out of the van and then going up the sidewalk to the control hub was done on the Ronin 4D.”

The camera’s fourth-axis stabilization proved invaluable for walking shots, while Miranda would toggle between stabilization modes depending on the scene requirements. For static moments or quick reframes, he would lock the gimbal using the camera’s sport mode button.

Production started with the 6K sensor and later upgraded to the 8K version mid-shoot. Miranda noted that the opening Silverstone sequences were captured on the original 6K head, while the Daytona endurance race scenes used the newer 8K sensor.

“In my experience, the 8K feels like it just grades easier and is just better white balance, holds colors better,” Yeo observed during the interview. Miranda agreed, noting the increased bit depth provides more flexibility when pulling back overexposed skies or pushing shadows in the grade.

DJI Osmo Action 2 Delivers the Hero Shot

One of the film’s most memorable POV shots, an extreme close-up of Brad Pitt’s eye inside the racing helmet, was captured using a DJI Osmo Action 2. The tiny action camera was paired with a custom diopter built by Panavision specifically for this application.

“The eye shot was actually one of those,” Miranda confirmed when asked about the helmet-mounted footage. “Panavision built a diopter for that one to be on the helmet.”

A diopter is essentially a magnifying lens that changes the close focus distance, allowing the camera to achieve sharp focus on the eye from just 2 inches (5 cm) away. The Osmo Action 2’s compact square form factor made it the only viable option for mounting inside the tight confines of an F1 helmet.

DJI Drones Mapped Every F1 Circuit for VFX

Beyond the ground-based camera work, DJI drones played a critical role in creating the visual effects that seamlessly blend fictional APX GP cars with real Formula 1 broadcast footage.

Clear Angle Studios was tasked with scanning every F1 circuit featured in the film using a combination of ground-based LiDAR and aerial photogrammetry. Their drone fleet included the DJI Matrice 600 Pro and DJI Matrice 350 RTK, both equipped with Sony A7R IV cameras and 35mm lenses.

At Silverstone alone, the team captured nearly 2 terabytes of data from over 1,800 individual LiDAR scans and more than 13,000 high-resolution drone photographs. These scans were processed into detailed 3D models that VFX artists used to digitally “reskin” cars, allowing fictional APX GP livery to be composited onto real F1 broadcast footage.

The Yas Marina Circuit presented the biggest challenge. Due to Grand Prix restrictions, drone flights were prohibited during the event. The team had to return months later to complete aerial photogrammetry under strict flight height limitations, carefully maneuvering between the circuit’s massive lighting towers.

Why Sony and Panavision Got All the Marketing

The F1 movie’s marketing has focused almost exclusively on Sony’s custom “Carmen” cameras, bespoke 6K PTZ units built specifically for mounting inside the modified F2 race cars. Panavision’s involvement with the innovative “Panipan” remote pan heads has also received extensive coverage.

Yet the Ronin 4D contribution went largely unmentioned until this interview. Miranda acknowledged that DJI did sponsor the Make. Art. Now. video, but the cinematographer’s enthusiasm for the camera system appears genuine, with his “golden goose” unit clearly earning its place alongside the Sony Venice 2 as a primary production tool.

The omission is particularly notable given that Miranda has previously championed DJI equipment. Y.M.Cinema Magazine first reported on Ronin 4D sightings in behind-the-scenes footage back in August 2024, but the full scope of its usage only became clear with this interview.

Technical Breakdown: Lenses and Workflow

Miranda paired the Ronin 4D with Sony G Master lenses for most handheld work. The choice was pragmatic: G Masters feature internal autofocus motors, eliminating the need for external follow focus systems and keeping the rig lightweight and fast to deploy.

“I just wanted something with internal motors already built in,” Miranda explained. “I would have a lens in my pocket. I wanted to switch it without dealing with motors or anything like that.”

He also praised the Ronin 4D’s built-in electronic ND filters for their color accuracy, noting they avoid the hue shifts that can occur with variable ND filters. For a production moving between harsh daylight on the track and darker paddock interiors, this consistency proved invaluable.

DroneXL’s Take

This interview confirms what we’ve been tracking for years: DJI’s cinema tools are no longer niche products for indie filmmakers. They’re quietly powering some of Hollywood’s biggest productions while legacy camera manufacturers dominate the press releases.

We saw the same pattern with Alex Garland’s Civil War, where cinematographer Rob Hardy used the Ronin 4D extensively for ground-based, run-and-gun sequences. Hardy was so impressed he planned to use the 8K version on his next project. Mel Gibson made similar comments after using the camera on Flight Risk, declaring he wants to shoot an entire film exclusively with Ronin 4D units.

The timing of this revelation is particularly interesting. DJI recently slashed the Ronin 4D 6K price by $1,700, bringing it down to $4,999. Whether that signals a Ronin 5D announcement or simply aggressive market positioning, the F1 movie serves as a compelling proof of concept for any production considering the switch.

The drone photogrammetry angle deserves attention too. Clear Angle Studios’ use of DJI Matrice drones for VFX data capture mirrors the broader trend we’re seeing across the industry. Netflix just approved the DJI Inspire 3 for its 4K Originals production list, and drone-assisted cinematography is becoming standard practice for prestige television.

What strikes me most is how the Ronin 4D’s “invisible” role in F1 validates its design philosophy. This is a camera built to disappear into the background, to capture moments without disrupting them. The fact that it appears dozens of times in the actual film and nobody noticed until Josh Yeo started counting is perhaps the ultimate compliment to its form factor.

For drone pilots and cinematographers wondering whether DJI’s prosumer cinema tools can hang with the big boys, F1 provides a definitive answer: 327 shots in a $300 million IMAX release. That’s not a backup camera. That’s a workhorse.

What do you think about DJI’s expanding role in Hollywood productions? Does the Ronin 4D’s success in F1 change your perception of prosumer cinema cameras? Let us know in the comments below.