AERIAL GEAR.
STOP, DROP AND KEEP ROLLING
DAVID RAEDEKER SPEAKS ABOUT WORKING WITH THE HELICOPTER GIRLS “I was dreaming up an opening shot to dive straight from an aerial view into the personal drama of our characters,” explains David Raedeker BSC, DOP for the acclaimed BBC One drama Best Interests . “It was important that it didn’t draw attention to itself and that we could record dialogue. I passed this challenge to [drone pilot] Pete Ayriss and his team at The Helicopter Girls and I expected some head shaking. To my surprise, he told me about a piece of kit they were keen to try out which could disengage the drone from a gimbal seamlessly during the take. The team rehearsed the move beforehand, but I was sceptical. There were two very good takes from just three attempts, with hardly any rehearsal on set – impressive! We didn’t have to disguise the moment the drone got disengaged as it was imperceptible. The final shot seems effortless and subtle, following our characters smoothly from an aerial view right into the living room of their house, all while listening to their dialogue.” Ayriss explains: “Previously, drone hand-catches and releases have been limited by the fact that you couldn’t remove the drone once you’d caught it without seeing unwanted movement in the footage. This becomes limiting because where you can go with the shot is then dictated by the footprint of the drone – shots moving from outside to inside are impossible as you can’t fit through the door. Griphaus’s Shotdock is a mechanical system designed to enable a fast method of docking and un-docking a camera gimbal during continuous sequences. We worked with Griphaus to adapt the system to be light enough to fly on our drone and it gives us the seamless transition that we need.” “It’s the first time that aerial cinematography can connect with the camera on the ground seamlessly without a cut,” Raedeker adds. “I am sure this will open the way for many more exciting shots. I’m looking forward to seeing what people come up with next, it’s a truly liberating tool.”
Achieving the impossible
PHIL ARNTZ, AERIAL DOP “The Aerial Film company has been very busy on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and Two . These films required a lot of complex and challenging flying. [Director] Christopher McQuarrie wanted dynamic movement, high-speed flying and extreme proximity in the air. This pushed us to develop lighter systems, allowing greater helicopter flight performance, and bolder lens choices, giving audiences a new perspective on the action. Most importantly, however, we established a way of working together that’s built on an unspoken understanding.”
aerialfilmcompany.com
thehelicoptergirls.com
@thehelicoptergirls
31. AUGUST 2023
Powered by FlippingBook