If you go down to a park or a beach you may come across the buzzing sound of a drone flying overhead — under the control of a vlogger, a camera operator or perhaps a lucky kid who received a very nice birthday present.
Drones have really taken off in the past 18 months or so. This is both good and a bad thing. It’s great that people are able to film things that it used to take hiring a helicopter or plane to get. The bad thing is that the ‘Everyday Joe’ isn’t qualified and most likely doesn’t know all the rules and regulations on how to fly or where you are able to fly.
I was lucky enough to go to a course to get my Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) certification a few weeks ago. I would have had no idea about the relevant laws if I didn’t go on this course but now I’m jam-packed full of knowledge about things like how to look after batteries properly and safe distances to fly from people.
There are so many reasons to include drone footage in your next production. Here are just a few.
1. It’s Cheap
The traditional way of getting aerial footage meant hiring a helicopter or small aircraft to fly you around whatever it was you wanted footage of. This is very pricey — sometimes upwards of $20,000. A drone is able to get the same footage, or even better, for a fraction of that price.
2. It’s Manoeuvrable
Drones are small, so they’re able to get really nice footage of your talent from quite a close distance and are easily able to make quick turns or fly through small spaces. In a helicopter you have to stay far away from all obstacles and they are very hard to manoeuvre quickly.
3. The Cinematic Visuals
Having drone footage in your production really takes the quality of your video up a notch. Instead of just having all the footage taken from on the ground, it adds a different perspective to your video and makes it look a lot more cinematic.
It is very important if you choose to have drone footage in your production, that you get someone who is CASA certified (if you are in Australia that is — other jurisdictions will have their own certification laws and agencies). They will know what is possible and legal and be able to secure permission to fly in different conditions, if need be. If you hire someone who doesn’t have their certification, you and your company could get yourselves in a lot of trouble if they do something not “by the book” or potentially dangerous, like fly near a flight path.
So if you would like someone who is certified and knows what they are doing, give us a call.
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