Definition July/Aug 2025 - Web

FLIGHT OR FREIGHT The AS350 helicopter was used for dynamic air-to-boat shots, providing dramatic aerial perspectives

THE DRONE WAS A TRULY FANTASTIC TOOL, BUT nothing can compare to a helicopter ” water, operating the drone from the rear deck of a tugboat. Finding the right spot to shoot into the sunlight – without seeing the mainland in the background – often meant travelling several miles out to sea. Again, the Inspire 3 proved its versatility. By sending the drone half a kilometre away from the tugboat, we could run with the picture vessel. This gave aerial 1st AC Ben Bannister quite a challenge, but never once did his focusing ability desert him. With the Inspire 3’s 15-minute flight time, we could complete three runs before needing to land for a battery swap and media reload. The drone was a fantastic tool, but nothing compares to a helicopter. At the end of our month in Malta, we brought an AS350 single-engined copter in from Italy. With the Sony VENICE 2 and a Premista 28-100mm, the air-to-boat shots looked spectacular – loaded with pace and drama, and flown by the film pilot Sergio Franceschini. Gareth flew in the helicopter to direct cast action on the boat. On films like the Jurassic World franchise, almost every shot has a VFX element. Working closely with VFX supervisor Dave Vickery and on-set supervisor Chris Lynch, we supplied extensive data for post-production – including camera sheets, flight telemetry, playback material and the pilot’s FPV feed. This media was crucial to the VFX team for compositing complex shots. Jurassic World Rebirth is currently playing in cinemas

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