ROUND TABLE
ROUND TABLE
Two leading specialists sit down to discuss the latest innovations in their field, where the tech is headed and how to get the best aerial shots for your project
DEFINITION: What recent changes in aerial technology have most affected how you work on-set? JOHN MARZANO: Drone stability, sensor quality and integration with cinema cameras. Modern drones can now carry full-frame cinema cameras with advanced gimbals and real-time monitoring, letting aerial shots match ground-based cinematography more seamlessly. Our in-house CAD design and engineering team has designed and integrated bespoke, multicamera array systems to fly under our heavy-lift drones for specialist VFX applications. We have also seen advances in FPV systems, autonomous flight planning and live transmission, enabling directors and DOPs to make faster creative decisions on-set. Our unique helicopter systems, the award-winning Eclipse and mini Eclipse, have GPS targeting capabilities that can provide VFX teams with highly accurate telemetry for image tracking. DANI ROSE: A lot of changes that have had the biggest impact on how we work have come from developing technology in-house at CineAero and CineArray. One of the most significant is our 3+1 array for the Shotover K1, which combines a
180° camera array with a single camera and a zoom lens. This lets us capture VFX plates and high-quality GVs at the same time, and is a real game changer on-set. It saves valuable time both in the air and on the ground by removing the need to land, re-rig or swap payloads for different shot requirements. It also avoids issues such as losing light or continuity because everything is captured in one pass. We’ve always focused on developing aerial technology that serves the film and television industry: from speedflying,
dual-camera body rigs to complex drone arrays, we’re constantly pushing to find smarter, safer and more efficient ways to deliver what productions need. DEF: What tends to have the greatest influence on whether an aerial shot succeeds or fails? JM: Planning and communication are the biggest. Weather, airspace restrictions and safety constraints are crucial, but the deciding factor is if the aerial shot
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