June 30, 2016 – In Washington, Pa. last week, the weather was on our side when we took to the sky for a drone shoot – it was a gorgeous, late-spring day. The drone footage was shot for a new John Sisson Nissan commercial. Look for the spot and drone shots on TV!
When we were young and playing with remote control cars and helicopters, who would have thought we’d be using drones to capture beautiful aerial footage for commercial video production?
“If you’re good at video games and have an understanding of photography to frame the shots, you’re all set,” said pilot Rich Schutte who has been flying drones for about two years and has a video production background.
The DJI Inspire 1 model Studio 11 Pittsburgh used hovered 100 to 200 feet in the air while capturing video of the John Sisson Nissan dealership, but the highest the FAA allows you to go is 400 feet. Dealership employees and even some people in our crew had never seen a drone fly in person. It was fun for everyone to watch!
The drone remote sort of looks like a gaming controller, and the drone itself is light in weight. A monitor shows you what the shots look like. Drone operators must have a pilot license and file a notice to all airmen in the area before flying. Drone pilots can either guide the drones or put them in GPS mode. The drone battery we used lasts about 20 minutes. Schutte flew the drone about 15 minutes at a time before charging back up.
As a forward-thinking and innovative video production company, Studio 11 Pittsburgh has used helicopters to achieve great aerial shots for commercials in the past. We’re excited to add another aerial option for client commercials that offers quick and clear movement. Studio 11 looks forward to flying a drone again soon!