THE USE OF DRONES IN FILM AND VIDEO

Ever since man invented the camera he has been attaching it to things that go up.  First it was balloons and kites, next came airplanes and rockets. 

 Today’s preferred method of attaining airborne pictures and video is by using unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs) commonly known as drones. 

Whether they weigh five pounds or fifty pounds, drones have taken aerial photography to places and uses never dreamed of as little as a couple of years ago.  Their relative low cost and the dizzying array of different models make them ideal for big studio and independent filmmakers alike.  They have been utilized in action films, dramas, nature films, real estate virtual tours; the list goes on and on.  It seems film makers find new and exciting uses for UAV’s extraordinary abilities almost every day.  What is it that makes these little machines so popular and useful to the modern movie maker?

Film makers and videographers are constantly on the lookout for new and different angles, platforms and methods to convey their work to an audience that is both previously unseen and awe inspiring.  Drones seem to fit this ticket to a “t”.  Drones provide a quiet, precise platform for both still and video cameras.  Equipped with the proper camera and gimbals stabilizer the images produced are both high quality and rock steady.  Not to imply that drones will ever completely take the place of jibs, booms and cranes but they are edging in on the more traditional aerial platform’s territory.  With modern drone technology making steady leaps who knows but what they won’t eventually be used for all types of “upward” photography. 

One area where drones are particularly well suited is in nature photography.  The ability to fly alongside migratory birds without disturbing them is well documented.   These images can give the viewer unprecedented viewpoints and can provide an almost unreal feeling of actually being there.   Observing cliff dwelling birds, hovering near nests, the list goes on and on. 

What about the law in all of this?  Well, as of this writing, it’s pretty much the Wild West out there.  Technically if you are going to fly a drone for commercial purposes you have to have a registration “license” and adhere to several, mostly common sense rules.  This has many similarities to another attempt made back in the late 70’s by the Federal Government through the Federal Communications Commission to regulate and license users of CB (Citizens Band) radios.  Very few people applied and millions of cb radios were soon in use prompting the FCC to abandon its attempt to “license” these devices and those who used them.  Massive fail.  This may well turn out to be the fate for the Federal Government’s attempt to regulate drones, both recreational and commercial. 

However it all shakes out, one thing is certain, drones or UAV’s are here to stay and their place in film and video will continue to grow and give viewers interesting and often breathtaking views that would otherwise be impossible.  The genie is out of the bottle and it’s magical potential is just now becoming a reality, a reality of unlimited potential…  Keep ‘em flyin’ Seekers!