One of the exciting things about video production is that the technology is ever changing. When I started my TV career we used to film on huge tapes (bulky, back breaking, expensive things). Now we use tiny little memory cards that fit in your pocket! They’re brilliant.
For me though, one of the most exciting changes over recent years has been the in the world of aerial filming. Before remotely piloted aircraft systems (or RPAS) aerial filming and photography was reserved for just the lucky few. The only option was to hire a helicopter, which came at a great cost and was time consuming and lacked flexibility. Thanks to the RPAS fabulous epic aerial shots are now affordable.
As with all new technology there’s a lot to get your head around. There are, of course, rules and regulations – Where can you fly? How high? How close? And then there’s the kit… I certainly didn’t know my Octocopters from my Hexacopters from my Quadcopters or the importance of a 3-axis gimbal not to mention the array of cameras. That’s a lot to take in especially if you’re techie challenged like me.
When the team started going out on shoots I had been apprehensive about how complicated and difficult it would all be. On my first shoot I was very pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be really enjoyable and interesting. Luckily the team have had a lot of training, and are incredibly skilled, so I was in good hands. For me, and the client, we could just focus on watching the beautiful shots being captured (great day at work for me!).
When we returned to the office I mentioned to the bemused team how much more straightforward it was than I had anticipated. So the guys decided to go out and about around Yorkshire, to make this great little film to show how it all works.