Have you ever been working on an induction course or a site overview and thought, “This really needs a sweeping aerial shot to set the scene”?

Usually, getting that shot involves hiring a drone operator, securing permits, and navigating strict no-fly zones, especially if your subject is a government building or a secure facility. But what if you could generate Hollywood-quality aerial footage without leaving your desk?

In this video, I walk you through Google Earth Studio, a browser-based animation tool that is an absolute game-changer for eLearning designers.

Why Use Google Earth Studio?

Google Earth Studio leverages Google’s massive repository of 3D satellite imagery. It allows you to animate cameras to orbit, fly over, and spiral around almost any location on the planet.

For eLearning, this is incredibly powerful. Whether you are building an induction for a mining site, showcasing various police headquarters across Victoria, or simply need a high-quality motion background for a website, this tool adds significant production value for zero cost.

In the tutorial above, I demonstrate this by creating a “drone” shot of the New Zealand Parliament building (The Beehive), a location where physically flying a drone would likely land you in serious trouble!

The Workflow: From Browser to Animation

The interface might look complex, but getting a quick result is surprisingly easy using their pre-built templates. Here is the basic process:

1. Select a Quick Start Project: Choose a template like “Fly to Orbit” to get a classic cinematic movement.
2. Pinpoint Your Location: Search for your target (e.g., The Beehive, Wellington).
3. Refine the Shot: Adjust the camera angle, zoom, and duration to frame the building perfectly. Ensure you pick a location where Google has 3D data available (major cities and landmarks work best).
4. Render: This is the tricky part. The software doesn’t export a video file directly; it exports a sequence of high-quality JPEG images.

Stitching it Together in After Effects

Because Google Earth Studio gives you an image sequence (often hundreds of images), you need to stitch them together to create the video.

As shown in the video, you simply import the file sequence into Adobe After Effects. Select the first image in the folder, ensure the “Import JPEG Sequence” box is ticked, and After Effects will automatically treat the images as a single video clip.

From there, you can resize and crop the Google watermark if necessary and render it out as a high-definition video ready for your Articulate Storyline course or website background.

Watch the full tutorial above to see exactly how to navigate the interface and turn static satellite images into moving masterpieces.