FLYINGHIGH AERIAL FILMMAKER
“I’velostcountofthe number of potential clients who’ve checked withme upfront that I have my own equipment”
filmmakers the benefits outweigh the costs. For DOP Dan Mears it was a missed opportunity that sparked his interest in accreditation. “I looked at attaining my PfCO in early 2017 after a request for some drone work to supplement my usual camera work on a documentary project. Sadly I missed out on the work as I didn’t have a licence,” he said. Not to be put in the same position again, Dan went out and bought a DJI Phantom 3 Pro and quickly began his love affair with aerial but after putting some feelers out he realised his new passion might not be as long-term as he’d hoped. “I’d had some interest so decided to look into the complete cost of operating as a Qualified Drone Pilot. Given the cost of carrying out the course, completing the Operations Manual with the continued CAA fees, along with the cost of insurance and keeping up to date with the latest drone, the amount of work I could have attained just didn’t match the operating costs.” While it was a business feasibility decision that led Dan to decide to continue working with external aerial specialists when needed, he admits that aerial is getting more popular and would revisit the idea in the future if the accreditation costs were lower and the demand from regular clients were higher. The benefit The key benefit of learning to fly legally with your own kit is flexibility. I’ve lost count of the number of potential clients who’ve checked with me upfront that I have my own equipment. Not needing to
The costs If you’re a regular Pro Moviemaker reader you’ll probably be familiar with the legal requirements for shooting aerial footage commercially, but here’s a quick recap for those who don’t know. Put simply, if you’re in the UK and you’re going to make money from your drone footage you need to get your CAA wings. If you’re not planning to get paid for your footage you still need to adhere to the drone code which is being updated this year as outlined in Drone News this month. The increased regulation will likely put some hobbyists off, but that doesn’t make it easy for professionals. The CAA Permission for Commercial Operations (PfCO) licence requires those flying UAVs weighing under 20kg/44lb to have their competency assessed. If the drone operator has no previous aviation training or qualification they’ll need to seek out an appropriate National Qualified Entity (NQE) to undergo a training course. These typically involve online study, up to three days of classroom learning, a written theory test, development of a personal operations manual and actual flying skills before the final flight assessment. The average price of training and accreditation is £1,500/$2,015 plus at least a week out of your schedule, the cost of the drone itself and additional insurance requirements. Nevertheless course popularity is increasing. According to the UK’s Department for Transport the number of active commercial licences saw a 52% increase from 2016 to 2017 – up to 3800 – suggesting that for many
IMAGE Professional drone pilots need to have a PfCO licence in order to make money from their footage. depend on rental houses makes clients feel more comfortable that you’ll be their reliable, go-to videographer who can come in and film something at the drop of a hat whilst maintaining a consistent aesthetic. Having your own drone and being qualified to use it only adds to a client’s confidence in you as a versatile filmmaker. They know that you can talk about creative concepts freely without being limited by the kit you have available. After all, being able to fit a little bit of aerial into your production if you don’t have a drone isn’t as easy as just hiring in a gimbal for a day or two. That flexibility not only has benefits for your clients but also for your business model. As drones become increasingly regulated it should leave more space for professionals to operate. Adding aerial to your service offer may mean you can charge more for drone shoots and diversify your markets. Aerial footage is particularly popular in travel, property and sports but appears in almost every genre. Also, when it’s not anxiety-inducing, filming with a drone is really fun. You get to feel like you work for a production company and a toy shop at the same time. Win.
IMAGE Drone footage of action sports is becoming increasingly popular with commercial clients.
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PRO MOVIEMAKER AUTUMN 2018
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