GEAR. AERIAL
I f drones in general have freed cameras from the clutches of gravity, the smaller, lighter types designed for racing, operated using first-person view (FPV), are a get-out-of-jail-free card for the laws of physics. The lightning- fast, ultra-nimble machines used for competition, though, might struggle to carry any more than a GoPro. Emma Boswell, co-founder of The Helicopter Girls, describes beefing up the technology. Now, filmmakers can get something close to that startling manoeuvrability in aircraft capable of lifting professional cameras. “At the leading edge of it for us is the way we are now using FPV,” Boswell begins. “Flying the small box cameras was always going to be of interest to the sort of productions we work with. We did a lot with our hybrid FPV in Thailand on a large-scale feature film, which wrapped earlier this year, and on another project which is still ongoing that involves high-octane action sequences and stunt work.” Boswell uses the term ‘hybrid drone’ when referring to a combination of a high-performance FPV aircraft and a gimbal-mounted camera. “The hybrid drones are more interesting as they offer something different and they’re highly adaptable. You get all the benefits of a dual-operated system with a level horizon and full lens control, but at high speed. In Thailand, much of the work was action sequences over water, which is a risky environment for a drone. But, we were able to build bespoke FPV rigs that could withstand that
environment and carry the MoVI gimbals we use on the heavy-lift systems, while still maintaining the immersive experience of high- speed proximity flying.” Traditionally, many of the shots made possible by FPV would require extensive visual effects or ground rigging: “Shots like coming through small gaps in the tree canopy down to a precision shot alongside a car, a horse, or a person running can be achieved easily with a gimballed FPV,” she explains. “If you’re over water, for example, there’s no wake. Last year we worked on Enola Holmes 2 with our partners at Marzano Films and some of the things we shot with the second unit couldn’t have been achieved with anything else.” Speed, though, is only part of the equation. “It’s also about accuracy,” Boswell confirms. “We’re able to get precision and movement in a way that you can’t with the aerodynamics of a larger aircraft. We’ve certainly tested them, we made it to something like 100mph with some of the FPV rigs. Safety-wise, you’re surrounding that operation with the same level of security you’d put on any heavy-lift operation. But, you can weave through a forest at incredible speed to get very dynamic shots with trees whizzing past in the foreground and the action behind.” POWER PLAY FPV flying is certainly a more extreme kind of drone work. An orthogonal concern is endurance, with flying traditionally limited by the performance of lithium-
SKY’S THE LIMIT Agility, combined with heavy-lift capability, opens up a whole new world of shooting
“You can weave through a forest at incredible speed to get very dynamic shots with trees whizzing past in the foreground”
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