I’ve spent some time in Hollywood, so I know a little bit about how things work. Creating memorable scenes takes planning. The time it takes for execution can be estimated, but on the set, as in life unexpected things will happen. I’ve been on the sets of tv shows, commercials, and movies. I’ve met enough of the people in the magazines for one lifetime. I think cinema drone are one of the most interesting things to happen to film-making in a long time. The best cinema drones for you will depend upon your budget and the feel you are looking to bring across to the audience.

Drones are advantageous over helicopters due to the cost savings. The advancement of the technology has benefited many small film-makers. Anyone can get out and start filming quality productions on a small budget. Furthermore, drones are capturing images that would be downright dangerous otherwise, images of lava spewing from volcanoes is a perfect example. 

Often on movie sets, the saying is hurry up and wait. The weather and sunlight need to be just right to capture a scene the way the director envisions it. For example, many of the car commercials you see with the car zooming down the street will take days to capture. Crews will be waiting for the sun to shine just right on the buildings and car. This whole time, the costs are piling up, waiting for that moment.

Budgeting is something that needs to be taken seriously, one movie set I was on ran out of money during filming. The crew literally went around with a hat asking the actors to chip in money for gas to keep the generators running (it was night-time). Obviously, the people who were making the movie were devastated that the film could not be premiered as intended. I spent a week filming the movie and was owed a few thousand dollars, which I never received. Situations like this affect hundreds of people.

One of the names to consider for a professional cinema drone is the JohnnyFPV drone. Johnny Schaer is a legend in the first person view drone film business. His work with Porsche created a commercial where the drone seamlessly tracks the Porsche Taycan as it drifts across two different locations in the desert and snow. The drones do a flyby, at one point getting caught in the dirt and rocks shooting up for the desert track. The film goes into slow mo at this point, adding another layer of interest to the film.His flying skills are evident throughout, especially when the drone flies through the open windows of the moving car.

I recently enjoyed watching John Wick 4 in theaters, part of what makes these films great in my opinion is the fact that the director does not want to overly rely on CGI. Real action creates a feeling in the audience and belief that is difficult to obtain otherwise, the car chase from the movie Bullitt with Steve McQueen is a perfect example of what is capable in film. Action movies, nowadays can rely on drones to follow stunt drivers and make some really interesting collaborations.

It is my opinion that many people don’t realize just how much their lives have become intertwined with drones, I point them out everywhere.

For example, I was watching a fishing show that used footage captured by an FPV drone. The racing drone zoomed along the islands that were next to where to their boat was fishing. The cinema drone was able to capture great aerial footage and fly by setting the scene for the show. One thing I would caution is overuse of the technology, this makes its use more special.

Movies should not be about introducing great technology to the world. People go to movies to escape the everyday mundane, people want to be entertained. The more attention film-makers put into the storyline, the more risks they can take adding special flourishes without taking away attention from the story. Drone footage should enhance and complement the other parts of the film that’s what makes it memorable.