ADVERTI SEMENT FEATURE | FLY I NG P I CTURES
FLYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE With innovation at the heart of its ethos, the team at Flying Pictures are no strangers to adapting to challenging situations – they welcome it. We find out how how the company is utilising its expertise to work Covid-safe and get your production back on track
DRONES Chief pilot Dani Rose explains that drones can offer a socially distanced method of capturing a great variety of different shots, with minimal adjustments to the traditional ways of working. “Drones fit well into the new Covid-aware landscape. Our drone units usually have two to three crew only, and the aircraft is operated remotely. Therefore, the crew does not “The Flying Pictures brand stands for honesty, creativity and innovation”
Reduced contact, smaller crew sizes and stricter budgets are hot topics as productions begin to ramp up. For Flying Pictures, much of this is already part of its ‘normal’, as is the experimentation that is so valuable to the new landscape of film and TV production. A new management team now exists at Flying Pictures, having been brought into the Paramex group, an elite group of specialist aerial filming and industry- leading stabilised camera companies. “The Flying Pictures brand stands for honesty, creativity and innovation. It’s all about having that vision to see the opportunity and then be able to execute it and create some amazing imagery,” executive director Phil Beckett says. The agile approach of Flying Pictures is what has prepared it for life after lockdown.
need to be in close contact with others. Although they are not a direct substitute for some traditional grip equipment, drones are incredibly versatile and can achieve an array of shots, which would previously have required larger crews and elaborate rigging.” The company’s newest and most advanced drone, the Ultra, which boasts a 60kg payload and a MTOM of 110kg, is a good example. “Now, instead of having to compromise on camera or lens options, there are no limits to what we can offer production,” enthuses Rose. “We can fly the Ultra from 1ft off the ground up to 600ft if necessary. It’s the most powerful cinematic drone in the world right now. We haven’t even shown what it’s capable of yet.” Rose further explains that Flying Pictures can add extra monitors and video transmitters to the package to allow for increased social distancing or remote working for the production team, on and off set – a change that has garnered positive feedback. If you’re keen to explore what the company can do for your production, Flying Pictures has an impressive collection of drones to suit any shoot and budget – from the enormous Ultra to smaller, lightweight packages and everything in between.
IMAGE The powerful Ultra, capable of flying the heaviest camera and lens packages
40 DEF I N I T ION | NOVEMBER 2020
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