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AERIAL DRONES VS HELICOPTERS
Matt Coyde Sales director, ACS
Jeremy Braben DOP and CEO, Helicopter Film Services
In a word, yes. However, when all things are considered, the actual cost between using a helicopter and using a drone can be surprisingly close. The real question is, is a drone the right tool for the job? Is a helicopter the right tool? Once we have taken a brief from the director, we would advise the best tool to accomplish the shots required rather than be dictated by budget. Quite often, there is the belief that drones are cheaper, and of course on paper they are, especially the small drone systems. However, those have restrictions and constraints – as do helicopters – but the bigger drones capable of flying the ALEXA and RED cameras are more expensive: once you factor in parameters such as wind, environment, distance and speed, the helicopter starts to close the financial and production value gaps by being able to cover off more shots over a larger distance at greater speeds than a drone, and in conditions that potentially ground a drone. The flip side is, for shorter, closer and lower distances, the drone works better and, yes, is significantly cheaper. However, if a helicopter can do it in a few hours, and the drone takes a few days, you can see where the economies start to change.
The ACS aerial unit operates an Inspire 2 UAV alongside a fleet of gyro- stabilised helicopter mounts; all have their part to play in aerial filming. We see the Inspire 2 as a complimentary product to our more traditional helicopter work and in fact we have successfully delivered several projects using this drone with a separate helicopter to provide a diverse range of aerial imagery which would not have been achievable using one system type alone. Both drone and helicopter have their own unique strengths and weaknesses so it’s a case of determining which option best suits the filming requirement and available budget. With helicopters you benefit frommuch longer endurance, range, filming height and camera system payload capability, plus currently, there’s not as much paperwork or flight planning involved! A drone enables you to get closer to the action and you can dynamically shoot in the space between the ground and the air, eg. horizontal, vertical or extended jib-like movements. Given the limited flight time and payload capability as well as operating restrictions we still tend to turn to helicopters for live coverage, although with continued improvements in drone technology this is likely to change.
DRONES HAVE FOUND THEIR PLACE IN THE TOY BOX – THEY’RE HERE TO STAY
IMAGE Shooting plates is a huge
new part of aerial cinematography. Can drones achieve this too?
DEFINITION MAY 2018
DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
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