When Your Eyes Grow Wings

Recreational drone use has never been more popular, so that "pizza delivery by drone" business idea you had might not be such a pie-in-the-sky dream after all. They create innovative perspectives by giving our eyes the ability to grow wings, which has now been harnessed and refined by every major industry in our economy. Over the last decade, that new perspective has exploded in the film world. As drone accessibility and battery life continue to grow, they’re use in media production is becoming as common as the tripod. With 900,000 new non-military drones registered in the US last year, annual sales have skyrocketed into a $12 billion industry.

A plethora of online tutorials and a host of affordable introductory models, have made it easy to become an amateur drone operator. Here’s a quick video guide that describes some of the common ways they’re being used in film today: https://youtu.be/BdtHWr_nDeU

Hollywood has utilized helicopters for aerial footage since the late 1940’s, but the cost of operation has always limited their use. They also can’t fly through confined spaces like today’s drones can. These previously unattainable angles and close-ups are what really set the two apart visually. As a result, cinematic drone footage is pushing the medium to new levels.

Increased air traffic has caused obvious public safety concerns, so the Federal Aviation Administration has had to place a lot of restriction on who can fly drones and where they can fly them. Drone operators on set typically need to be FAA-Certified and can only operate an officially registered drone that weighs less than 55lbs. After watching this drone fail video, it seems like government oversight is a good thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3iML1HgVGI

Drone shots have become so popular that DIY filmmakers have learned how to recreate them without actually using one. Maybe you can’t afford to buy one, or maybe you’re filming in a no-fly zone, either way, you still have some options. Mounting a camera on a really tall stick, a fishing pool, a kite, or a zipline can have a similar effect. Check it out: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CMNCsdqpkoA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

We’ve even created synchronized light shows with an armada of light-up drones that fly around to create pre-programmed images. How will we use them next? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44KvHwRHb3A

Here's a clip from a very familiar location that our friend Brian Grubb captured with his drone. Can you guess what famous building is being demolished? https://youtu.be/80Popohests