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| Photo Credit: Tony Carmean Source |
When we think of Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAV’s) or drones as they’re better known as, most people think of surveillance and air strikes – and they’re not wrong! The use of unmanned aircrafts originated from within the military, and the use of drones in intelligence and warfare are constantly in the news, with a U.S. drone strike in Yemen killing 3 suspected al-Qaida fighters in the news yesterday. There have also been sightings of unidentified drones flying over Paris which sparked security concerns from the French Government due to the recent Charlie Hebdo killings.
However in recent years, the use of drones within the commercial sector has begun to take off, with drones being used for a variety of different purposes. For example, Amazon announced in 2013 that it plans to use drones as part of a new delivery service, and Facebook is planning to use them to provide internet to areas of the world that don’t have access to the internet
Drones have been used within film and TV for the past 10 years, most notably to film the motorbike chase sequence in Skyfall where the company who shot the scene won an Oscar last year for the Scientific and Engineering award.
However, The U.S. has been extremely strict with its rules about the use of drones for filming. Skyfall and Harry Potter used camera mounted drones to gain aerial shots in other countries where the use of drones were more lenient. However, last September the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in America announced that it will allow the restricted use of drones on film and TV locations to six aerial and video production companies, which include: Astraeus Aerial, Aerial MOB, HeliVideo Productions, Pictorvision Inc., RC Pro Productions Consulting, Vortex Aerial and Snaproll Media.
This comes to a great advantage to production companies as the use of drones is considerably cheaper than hiring a helicopters and a whole flight crew to film aerial shots. Hiring a helicopter for the day can range from $20,000 to $40,000 with a crew whereas operating a drone with a crew only costs around $9,000 to $15,000, considerably lower. Drones also cost much less to insure. Because of the size of drones, they can also become more dynamic, getting higher than a crane, but closer to the subject than in a helicopter, which can cause noise disruption to people on the ground.
The technology is also beginning to gain recognition within the film industry as a valuable storytelling device. Earlier this year it was announced that the first drone film festival was being held later this month in New York, The New York Drone Film Festival. According to its website, “the festival provides a platform for aerial filmmakers to showcase their work, emphasising innovative flight technique, aesthetic and beauty, and even epic crashes.”
Founder of the festival, director, landscape photographer and aerial cinematographer, Randy Scott Slavin, has said that he set up the festival because he wanted the perceptions of drones to change, commenting that “I’m tired of drones being synonymous with questionable legality and FAA regulation. I want to celebrate the art of aerial cinematography”.
Some of the films to feature in the festival next month is feature what people are now describing as “dronies”, an aerial selfie where the camera begins close to their subject, and then move out to reveal the whole setting.
Additionally, Sundance Film Festival held a panel about drones within the film and TV industry. It was co-hosted by Jigabot LLC, a Utah based provider of robotic devices, and Quadrocopter, where they discussed drone cinematography, safety and new regulations for the industry.
However, there are still major safety concerns surrounding the use of drones, although there has only been one incident since the FAA approval in the U.S, which was in December when the operator said he lost contact with the drone. The drone automatically initiated ‘lost link’ procedures when it lost contact but on its return to the location, is struck “rising terrain”. It was located with “no damage to people or property”, the FAA said.
In response to the FAA approval, the drone community launched a push to emphasise safety for both recreational and professional use. The campaign was called Know Before You Fly – an effort which was supported by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
However in recent years, the use of drones within the commercial sector has begun to take off, with drones being used for a variety of different purposes. For example, Amazon announced in 2013 that it plans to use drones as part of a new delivery service, and Facebook is planning to use them to provide internet to areas of the world that don’t have access to the internet
Drones have been used within film and TV for the past 10 years, most notably to film the motorbike chase sequence in Skyfall where the company who shot the scene won an Oscar last year for the Scientific and Engineering award.
Skyfall (2012) Motorbike Chase Scene
This means that the unmanned vehicles can only be used on closed sets during the day, they cannot be flown more than 400ft high and must remain within the seeing distance of the pilot of all times, who must hold a special license.
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| Costs: Drones Vs. Helicopters Source |
The technology is also beginning to gain recognition within the film industry as a valuable storytelling device. Earlier this year it was announced that the first drone film festival was being held later this month in New York, The New York Drone Film Festival. According to its website, “the festival provides a platform for aerial filmmakers to showcase their work, emphasising innovative flight technique, aesthetic and beauty, and even epic crashes.”
Founder of the festival, director, landscape photographer and aerial cinematographer, Randy Scott Slavin, has said that he set up the festival because he wanted the perceptions of drones to change, commenting that “I’m tired of drones being synonymous with questionable legality and FAA regulation. I want to celebrate the art of aerial cinematography”.
Some of the films to feature in the festival next month is feature what people are now describing as “dronies”, an aerial selfie where the camera begins close to their subject, and then move out to reveal the whole setting.
Additionally, Sundance Film Festival held a panel about drones within the film and TV industry. It was co-hosted by Jigabot LLC, a Utah based provider of robotic devices, and Quadrocopter, where they discussed drone cinematography, safety and new regulations for the industry.
However, there are still major safety concerns surrounding the use of drones, although there has only been one incident since the FAA approval in the U.S, which was in December when the operator said he lost contact with the drone. The drone automatically initiated ‘lost link’ procedures when it lost contact but on its return to the location, is struck “rising terrain”. It was located with “no damage to people or property”, the FAA said.
In response to the FAA approval, the drone community launched a push to emphasise safety for both recreational and professional use. The campaign was called Know Before You Fly – an effort which was supported by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
Nevertheless, it seems that as drones are becoming more commercial and popular as a recreational activity, there's no denying that drones have the visual spectacle that a crane or helicopter can achieve but for half the price, and could provide the epic cinematic shots that can be worked into a compelling film or TV programme as a narrative device, particularly with the launch of a new film festival dedicated to the technology.
If you still have doubts, take a look at some of these examples where drones have been used.
If you still have doubts, take a look at some of these examples where drones have been used.
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