When we think of commercial drone companies, we think about flying over the treetops, chasing a car through the mountains and the vast outdoor spaces they can capture.
But what if we said, you can also save $300,000 worth of equipment (or more) on your indoor shoots with a drone? What if we said, it can save time, maintain quality and often deliver shots that no other camera accessory will allow you to?
The Facts
With technology getting smaller and more advanced all the time, drone technology is becoming more reliable and indeed preferable for many indoor shoots.
Drone movements can mimic many of the traditional forms of camera accessory. If you plan properly and have the right Drone team, you can get a shot that effectively acts as a jib, slider and steadycam, all in one.
It’s also worth noting: this evolution of technology means you can still operate at the same level of safety that can be achieve outdoors.
As a licensed drone operator, born from an award-winning film-production house (filmsbynomad.com), we are really rather good at this new trend in production approach.
The Drones
We prefer two types of drone for this kind of work:
DJI Inspire 2—Stabilised camera on a gimbal.
FPV drone—Fixed camera angle, always moving forwards.
Our DJI Inspire 2 has an impressive output with its Zenmuse X7 camera, which gives us access to 16-, 24-, 35- and 50-mm lenses.
The reason for this drone’s success in the industry has come down to its quality, versatility, reliability and ease of use. Its arrival meant that for the first time, getting beautiful aerial cinematography was made easy on a budget, without compromising image quality.
So how can this be used on your indoor shoot?
Imagine it being an unlimited-length SuperTechno crane that takes under 10 minutes from arrival to first shot. And that’s just the beginning; the ultimate versatility of this 3D platform in an indoor environment is yet to be realised. But here are a few unique ways that we’re already putting it to use:
Crane Jib
We’ll start with the most-simple shot we can capture in an indoor space. It can take time to rig a camera to a crane arm; building it up, setting up the balancing weights, not to mention the physical size of a crane capable of jibbing above 6ft.
A simple increase in height, while keeping the drone still replicates that jib move perfectly.
A drone operator can also add an ‘Orbit’, circling round the subject as you increase in height, which adds a really interesting dynamic to your shot.
Slide
The drone’s horizontal speed can be controlled just as finely as its height to create a steady track across your frame. This is especially useful if you want a reveal of an object at height, such as a chimney top or the edge of a building.
Alternatively, by adding a steady increase in height to this move, you can achieve vertical or even diagonal slides.
Spider Cam/Cable Cam
Execute 90-degree downward tracks across the length of the studio with ease and precision.
You’d normally use a cable cam or spider cam for this move. These can take hours to rig and require a large team of operators and equipment to be set up correctly.
With the camera pointed 90 degrees downward, the Inspire 2 can get right on top of the action at any height you wish.
And if you need to make last-minute adjustments to the actors’ movements or action, fear not; the drone operator can adapt their movement to match this in seconds. A significant saving in time from having to re-rig a cable cam’s wire to adjust its track.
Steady Cam
With its dampened camera and stable gimbal, you can also use the drone as a steady cam to get tight into the action.
The Inspire 2 is light and strong enough for an operator to hold and carry throughout a studio, and focus can easily be pulled remotely to ensure you don’t miss any of the action.
Multi Cam
If you’re a fan of Sam Mendes, you’ll know he’s famous for his long, single-shot sequences. These can be effortlessly achieved by drone, shifting from pillar to post as a jib, slider, steady cam, and wire cam—one after the other to create the ultimate cinematographic symphony.
Our imagination really is the limit of what is achievable.
Previously Impossible Shots
With our indoor-specific FPV drone (first-person view), you can get close to the action, fly through tiny gaps and up flights of stairs in an instant.
The pilot wears a set of goggles, which are linked to the on-board camera. When the pilot takes flight, they see from the perspective of the drone. This creates an immersive feeling of flying around/above/behind a subject, in a miniature flying machine. 10 years ago, getting indoor shots like these would have been next to impossible.
The sky’s the limit
Well, technically the ceiling is, since we’re talking indoor shooting. But the point is that there really is no end to the versatility a professional drone company brings to in an indoor space. And to add to the list of bonuses, the costs from the Civil Aviation Authority and Ministry of Defence do not apply when flying in an enclosed space. Pretty neat, eh?
If you’d like to explore these aerial filming possibilities and more on your next shoot, email us at info@dronesbynomad.com or call +971 (0)4 551 5368.