Drones Take The Film Industry To New Heights
Just a short time ago, having drones on a set was one of the hottest topics of discussion in the world of broadcast and theatrical production. As we start 2018, are drones still as popular a topic of conversation? Read on for the opinions of some industry veterans as well as my personal and professional opinion.
About six years ago, I took notice for the first time of all the drone work taking place in production. It wasn’t what we’re used to seeing today in terms of hardware and image quality, but it was good enough to satisfy the need. In most cases, the drone took an establishing or reveal shot, and using it cost less than using a full-scale helicopter. Using drones really helped lower-budget productions, especially in television. Now, the advancement of drone and remote-camera technology has made having drones on set standard for both large- and small-budget productions. The lines between broadcast and theatrical aerial shoot-day budgets have blurred almost to the point of invisibility. For the past two years, I’ve seen a lot more drone work that historically would have been performed on full-scale rigs.
HOW TWO PROS GOT STARTED
The very talented and veteran aerial cinematographer Phil Pastuhov has been part of an Academy Award–winning cinematography team for his work on Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and he also has a long history as an aerial director of photography. Long before drones were even a dream in the sleepless minds of filmmakers, Phil was up in the air with a camera. He has experience on fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and (of course) drones. I wanted to get his opinion on the past, current, and future state of aerial cinematography.
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