AERIAL GEAR.
were so many different structures around the city that were much more efficient to capture with a helicopter than robotics. “With a drone, you’re a little more dependent on the weather conditions – if it’s too windy the drone might struggle – even though weather is still a factor for a helicopter,” Marar continues. “Another reason is, although drone cameras have improved so much over the last few years, at the time of filming this series the quality of the images coming from the main cameras were superior to the drone footage; it was worthwhile for the production to hire the helicopter.” Using a helicopter clearly has its benefits. However, there were some challenges Marar had to deal with. “Firstly, you have to overcome the fear if this isn’t something you have done before,” she adds.
“I had to find a new niche if I was to remain a component part of the camera department,” he says. “I’ve been fortunate during my career to do a variety of aerial work from helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, the desire to do something connected was already there.” Miller enrolled onto the original Permission for Aerial Work (PFAW), the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) qualification requirement for commercial drone pilots. The four-day course and examination process takes in practical flying, meteorology, aviation law, health and safety, aircraft maintenance and basically anything pertaining
very much en vogue. Tanya Marar was the camera operator on BBC series Invisible Cities , a presenter- led show travelling to different historical places, exploring deep underground and what is going on beneath the archaeological and historical structures people frequent around the world. The show used high-end laser scanning technology and VR to reveal the historical secrets of great cities. “We needed to get some epic aerial imagery of the city we were in – which happened to be Istanbul at the time,” Marar recalls. “We chose the helicopter because with a drone, we were a little more limited on the amount of area we could cover from one spot, whereas with a helicopter you can really travel across larger areas in one journey.” Furthermore, she explains how for that specific show, there
MAIDEN VOYAGE The Arri Alexa 35’s first top-secret trip at the sea forts for DOP James Friend
to remote control. THE ORIGINAL FLYING MACHINE
Although these compact robots are gaining traction, helicopters are
61. APRIL 2023
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