Leigh Hubner Instructing

I attended the Aerial Videography Field Trip for Advanced Flyers as part of the Post Production World Conference at N.A.B 2015.

One thing that stood out many times during the event was how much of a big impact this technology will have in the areas of video and film production, not to mention applications like geological aerial surveys, pipeline inspections, construction project documentation, search and rescue..  The list is endless.

In the area of film and broadcast even the gimbal assemblies from these systems are now being used as hand held miniature Steadicams.

Ronin Gimbal

It is easy to see a day when every television and film production will have one of these systems on set and how they will in many instances replace costly jibs, Steadicams and full helicopter systems. For the cost to rent a full helicopter system for one hour ($9000), one can purchase an extremely advanced aerial multi-rotor system with full FPV (first person view) system and record on the likes of the Panasonic DMC-GH4 in 4K format with interchangeable lenses.

Some of the larger multi-rotor camera systems that were present at the workshop were: Xfold, S1000, S800, and the Titan X8 (using a DJI Ronin Gimbal).

Titan X8

There were a handful of other medium and small sized multi-rotor systems such as the DJI Phantom, DJI Inspire, Q500 Typhoon and the Tayzu, a completely waterproof and floating system.

Q500 Typhoon

One gentleman who was a wealth of information and who provided really good insight into flying aerials was Leigh Hubner. He has mainly shot using multi-rotor systems for news, investigative reports, documentaries and TV series.

Check out some of his latest videos. Click here

Please stay tuned for my full video report on what Leigh Hubner had to say and visuals of the different multi-rotor systems in flight.

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There were a variety of demonstrators attending the workshop. DSLR Pros, XFly Aerial SkyLab, SkyJetty, Drone Media Group, and AeroVision Pro.

Long Range FPV system

Being a part of the workshop gave me a better understanding of how we may incorporate multi-rotor systems in what we do at Sheridan College and what possible challenges may be ahead.

Some interesting things that are expecting to be announced at NAB this year regarding multi-rotor systems:

– 3DR are coming out with a new version of the Iris called the Solo. It apparently will come with a parachute system.

– GoPro will be releasing a new camera system that will allow better camera controls specifically for drones.

– Connex will be releasing a new HD wireless FPV system with a range of 3000 feet that provides zero latency for an approximate price of $1600.00

– DJI will be unveiling their Phantom 3 with 4k, Live HD view, and vision positioning to help it land easier.

Some other interesting general information I learned:

– A company from the GTA called Plexadrone is creating their drones using 3D printers and apparently they share their designs.

They have also been working extensively on “swarm’ technologies.

– Ragecams offers flat lenses for Go Pros that take away the fish-eye effect which is very noticeable while panning or tilting.

These are some of the areas that were covered in the workshop.

–           Safety – basic and advanced safety considerations

–           Equipment and peripherals, next level

–           Basic Flying techniques- brief overview

–           Aerial Video Basics – camera settings for specific shots, camera matching in the field, working with a production crew, basic flying skills overview

–           Drone Video Shot skills. Basic and Advanced

–           Elevator shots – going up or down, pointing up or down, camera moves during elevator shots

–           Rolling shots

–           Advanced Tracking shots- staying in frame and in focus

–           Parallax and full circle shots- smooth, cinematic subject shots

–           Yaw – Smooth moves. It’s all about the yaw!

–           Two-person team – pilot and camera operator

–           FPV Goggles- hands-on

–           Craft Maintenance

–           Heavy lifter cinema-copter demos

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for more info on this workshop with more pics and videos!

greg