Drones are providing film and TV viewers a new perspective on the action

2015-10-09

Adazed and bloodied student who had just been mugged stumbled down a darkened alleyway in a slum. He lifted his shirt, revealing a gaping wound, before collapsing on the ground as curious onlookers gathered around.

Buzzing some 20 feet above the crowd of extras was a drone, its whirling blades humming like a swarm of bees. The aircraft carried a digital camera that captured the action for an upcoming episode of "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders."

The action is supposed to be occurring in Mumbai, India, but it's being filmed at the Blue Cloud Ranch in Santa Clarita, a 95-acre facility with a variety of sets, scenery and equipment to make realistic-looking films and TV shows.

Increasingly, a new piece of gear is showing up on set: drones.

"We're getting shots you wouldn't get any other way," said Tony Carmean, a co-founder of Aerial MOB, the San Diego company that supplied the drone for the "Criminal Minds" shoot.

A year after the Federal Aviation Administration cleared the way for their use by the film and television industry, unmanned aircraft systems are becoming popular tools for directors and cinematographers.

Drones aren't yet ubiquitous — less than 10% of all productions use them. But demand is growing rapidly on film sets because they allow for more nimble filmmaking — and save money. A camera drone and crew costs as little as $5,000 a day, compared with at least $25,000 a day for a helicopter shoot.

The city and the county of Los Angeles have issued nearly 60 permits for drones on film and TV sets in the last year, according to data from FilmL.A., the nonprofit group that handles permits for the L.A. region.

TV commercial directors have been especially quick to adopt the new technology, using drones to film commercials for such brands as Tesla, Chrysler and Nike. Drones also have been used on several TV shows, including HBO's "The Leftovers" and CBS' "Supergirl." A spot for Audi even features drones on screen, with the flying machines besieging workers in the company parking lot.

Robbie Friedmann, a location manager and production supervisor, recently used a drone to provide an "over-the-shoulder" view of a man running through rugged desert terrain in Texas for the Discovery Channel show "Dual Survival."

"It was unbelievable footage," he said. "It was something you would only be able to do with a helicopter, but those costs are really prohibitive."

The growing use of drones is changing the way that movies and TV shows are made, giving consumers a new perspective on the action.

Film industry experts say they could open up new possibilities of filmmaking in much the same way that lightweight cameras did in the 1960s with movies such as "Easy Rider" and the Steadicam did in 1970s. That camera-stabilizing system, with its distinctive arm, was famously used in the climbing-the-stairs scene in "Rocky."

"Drones are like a Steadicam that can operate 200 feet up in the air," said Michael Chambliss, a business representative for the International Cinematographers Guild. "It's an entirely new vernacular in the language of filmmaking. All of a sudden we can do shots that we couldn't do before."

Chambliss, himself a veteran cinematographer, has been working to educate his members and major studios about the new technology that was initially greeted with some caution.

Until recently, the FAA allowed only public agencies such as fire departments to use drones for such things as tracking wildfires.

The agency effectively banned their use for commercial purposes because they were viewed as potential aviation safety hazards and threats to national security.

Prodded by the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the FAA took the first step toward allowing Hollywood to use drones when it granted a waiver requested last year by seven aerial photography companies, including Aerial MOB and Vortex Aerial of Corona.

Drone proponents hailed the decision, saying it would put the U.S. on a more even footing with other countries where they are legal and used on films such as the James Bond movie "Skyfall" and "Transformers: Age of Extinction."

Until recently, many California drone operators did much of their work in South America, Europe and Canada.

Filmmakers contend that drones create more distinctive shots because they can go where manned aircraft can't — dropping down into narrow spaces such as alleyways and canyons and even flying through doors and windows.

"Everybody is trying to develop a shot for them," said Bob Harvey, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Panavision, which makes and rents cameras and lenses and has referred business to Aerial MOB. "They are certainly going to give more flexibility to artists."

Ian Woolf, a co-producer and unit production manager for "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders," said the low-flying drone shot on the Santa Clarita shoot wouldn't have been possible with a helicopter and was 10% of the cost. It took only two hours to set up the shot and 10 minutes to film the scene.

"It's easier, faster, quicker and safer," said Woolf, who also used drones to film a scene at a ranch in Simi Valley standing in for Morocco. "From my perspective as a unit production manager, it's amazing."

Helicopters can be hazardous. In 2013, three people were killed when a helicopter crashed in Acton during the filming of a reality TV show for Discovery Channel. In March, 10 people were killed when helicopters collided during filming of a reality TV show in a remote part of Argentina.

"When you're flying a helicopter you have a human being on board," Chambliss said. "If something goes wrong you can almost guarantee people will get hurt or killed, whereas with a drone, all you need is a broom and a garbage bag. It's a much smaller impact."

Of course, drones can still be dangerous.

There have been a rash of incidents, mostly involving drones operated by hobbyists. A Pasadena infant was injured in September when an operator lost control of his drone.

In another incident, a 57-year-old man was charged in Los Angeles with obstructing a police officer when he flew a drone near a police helicopter.

In 2014, TGI Friday's mistletoe drone promotion went awry when a drone filming in a Brooklyn restaurant struck a photographer, cutting her nose and chin.

The cinematographers union, which has members employed by 16 drone companies, has been working with other industry groups to develop a set of safety guidelines for use of drones.

2016-02-28

FAA Announces Effort to Expand the Safe Integration of Unmanned Aircraft

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is establishing an aviation rulemaking committee (PDF)with industry stakeholders to develop recommendations for a regulatory framework that would allow certain UAS to be operated over people who are not directly involved in the operation of the aircraft.

2016-02-18

Australian Researchers Navigate with Drones in Antarctica

Flying drones in Antarctica is not easy. A 100-110 degree difference between true and magnetic north at this location complicates navigation. There’s zero terrain protection against the strong headwinds that cut through like a knife, there’s snow, and drone batteries discharge quickly in the freezing conditions.

2016-02-12

UAS Project to Increase Snowpack in Nevada Mountains

A new industry-academic research partnership will bring together Nevada’s top atmospheric scientists and leading unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) engineers, designers, and data experts to develop and test innovative applications focused on increasing snowpack depths in the Lake Tahoe region.

2016-02-07

Invitation to Review NATO UAS Airworthiness Requirements

The US Government has issued an Invitation to the Unmanned Aircraft Industry for Review and Comment Period on Edition 1 of NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4703 Light Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Airworthiness Requirements.

2016-02-02

Bonded Cellular Technology for Wireless Video Transmission Available for Commercial UAS Operations

TRIDENT, from FlyMotion integrates LiveU‘s technology for live video acquisition, management and distribution over IP with FlyMotion’s capabilities as a FAA 333 approved UAS solution provider.

2016-01-25

FAA Registers 300,000 Unmanned Aircraft Owners During First 30 Days

Nearly 300,000 owners have registered their small unmanned aircraft in the first 30 days after the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) online registration system went live. Owners who registered in the first month received a refund for the $5 application fee.

2016-01-23

US Army Special Ops Want Multi-Intelligence UAS

Army aviation special operators want new unmanned aircraft systems that can carry multiple sensors to collect vital intelligence from the battlefield and they’re working with the Army to achieve the capability, Brig. Gen. Erik Peterson, the Army Special Operations Aviation Command commander, said last Thursday.

2016-01-12

DHS Privacy Suggestions on Agency Drone Programs

As technology continues to blur the lines between privacy and security, the Homeland Security Department has several suggestions to help agencies consider civil rights and liberties issues when setting up their respective unmanned aircraft system programs.

2016-01-04

Air Bases Report Increase in Near-Collisions with Drones

Rogue toy drones – a hot-selling Christmas gift this season and last – are starting to interfere with military operations at several bases across the country. With sales of consumer drones expected to approach 700,000 this year, military officials say they are bracing for the problem to get worse and are worried about the potential for an aviation disaster.

2015-12-28

Europe Takes Next Step on UAV Regulations

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has taken the next step in developing a regulatory framework for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with the publication of its “technical opinion” on the safe use of unmanned aircraft in Europe’s airspace.

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Reports

2021-05-05
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