MAAA Wingspan - Quarterly Magazine

18 WING SPAN FEBRUARY DRONES FOR HOLLYWOOD WE EXPLORE HOW TINSELTOWN HAS UTILISED DRONES FOR CAPTURING SOME OF THE MOST AWE-INSPIRING SEQUENCES IN MOVIES The seemingly unlimited possibilities that drone aerial cinematography affords filmdirectors, has seen it become a go-tomethod for capturing audacious, previously unthinkable footage for Hollywoodmovies. With the visual grandeur up there on the big screen for audiences to enjoy, it’s clear why this innovative technology continues to be embraced in enthusi- astic fashion on the big screen, to the point where it will inevitably become ubiquitous. Although it was prohibited in America up until 2014, the relatively safe and in- expensive use of drones for action-ori- ented or high drama filming purposes, (in comparison to the use of traditional helicopter shooting for example) has really expanded the potential of drone cinematography. We look at four silver screen sequences made possible thanks to the utilisation of these UAVs/camera-mounted chop- pers. Skyfall (2012) The adrenaline-induced pre-title chase sequence features Bond dangerously pursuing his foe viamotorbike on top of the roof of Istanbul’s iconic Grand Bazaar- all thanks to drone photogra- phy. It would’ve been impossible to cap- ture these jaw-dropping aerial shots any other way due to safety regulations restricting a full-size aircraft flying that low in such a built-up area. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Impressive aerial shots that start from the ocean, then pan across to encap- sulate the ambiance of amassive pool party in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 movie, weremade possible thanks to drone cinematography. According to Skytango.com, the filmmakers used a Canon C500 with a Convergent Design Gemini for 4K recording, which was at- tached to a Free fly drone. The Expendables 3 (2014) The explosive opening train sequence that features a low-flying helicopter descending to collect people froma moving vehicle, amongst the carnage of explosions and kinetic soldier ac- tion, would have been unthinkable without the engagement of safe, easily moveable drones. Jurassic World (2015) The largemajority of low perspective aerial sequences seen during the running time of this fourth entry in the long-runningmovie franchise, was achieved thanks to the use of drones. This includes the sweeping, aerial in- troduction to the park’s eye-opening at- tractions and the low anglememorably terrifying attack by a horde of escaped pteranodons upon crowds of innocent theme park tourists.