Filming with drones (Aircraft not Shane O'Neill)

[Seamus_McShamebag]

This is something that peaked my interest not too long ago and I figured I would share.  I discovered that you you can buy remote control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) relatively cheap.  There are basic models available that run anywhere around $1000 to $1500 (no camera gear included) which isn't cheap but when you think of the type of filming that you could do with one it's not too bad, I assumed that they cost a lot more.  The models I been looking at come with free open source software that gives you flight data and video streamed remotely to a laptop on the ground.  They can auto level, maintain altitude etc.  The software can be used to set up way points for fully autonomous GPS based flight.

Is anybody using these to film yet?

I have zero experience filming so maybe I am talking out of my ass but it seems to me that one of these would open up a world of new camera angles and filming styles that can't done otherwise.  You could get all kinds of crazy angles from the air like hovering in front of a stair set, shoot over the deep end of a bowl or follow someone through a line in situations that you can't do on a filmer board with a camera in your hand.  You could seamlessly follow the entire line which includes off of stairs and down hand rails. I am not sure if there is any autonomous tracking technology out yet but it would be perfect for following somebody in a line.

The tricky parts are probably financing buying one, learning how to fly it and getting the camera stuff set up but that seems do-able. 

Here's a shot somebody took of me with one, I understand it's shit in terms of the skating but it illustrates the concept since the 'copter was literally just hovering over the bowl when the shot was taken:


Here's a good place for some info if you are interested: http://diydrones.com/

Some videos UAVs filming in flight:

Twilight with the GoPro 2 and Hexakopter on Vimeo

arducopter octoquad.MOV

[kools]

they've been doing this for a few years in snowboarding.

[able]

You can get a cheap quadracopter here for $299

http://www.amazon.com/Parrot-AR-Drone-Quadricopter-Controlled-Android/dp/B003ZVSEN6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344022691&sr=8-2&keywords=Quadrocopter

It's controlled by wi-fi via an Ipad app. It's pretty hilarious to read some of the reviews. Apparently these things keep flying away. Like people try to fly them over a tree in the back yard then all of a sudden, the thing sky rockets 60 feet into the air and then just shoots forward a mile or so until they can no longer be seen. My guess is that this is some kind of alien technology and the aliens are taking them back.

Here's some reviews:

Gone in maiden outdoor voyage., August 1, 2011

Once outside, elevated it about 10 feet high in an open field, and suddenly it skied up to about 60 feet, and started to follow the wind with a mind of its own. As it departed, it raised to perhaps 120-150 feet, disappeared into a neighborhood, and that was that.

Probably not the fastest $300 I ever lost, but it ranks "up there."

CAUTION - DON'T BUY - FLAWED PRODUCT, September 11, 2010

the drone shot up in the air - well over 60 feet - and flew away. I chased after it, but lost it as it disappeared into a nearby forest. I was really unhappy to watch this $300 toy fly away during it's first outdoor flight.

Please keep it low and slow, August 6, 2011

I had my for 3 days then it decided it did not like me anymore and flew away

It got away!, December 23, 2011

I set the altitude limit to 10 ft today, but it rose to about 50 ft and started drifting away and outside my wifi, and just kept flying away!

[shit_for_brains]

You can get a cheap quadracopter here for $299

http://www.amazon.com/Parrot-AR-Drone-Quadricopter-Controlled-Android/dp/B003ZVSEN6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344022691&sr=8-2&keywords=Quadrocopter

It's controlled by wi-fi via an Ipad app. It's pretty hilarious to read some of the reviews. Apparently these things keep flying away. Like people try to fly them over a tree in the back yard then all of a sudden, the thing sky rockets 60 feet into the air and then just shoots forward a mile or so until they can no longer be seen. My guess is that this is some kind of alien technology and the aliens are taking them back.

Here's some reviews:

Gone in maiden outdoor voyage., August 1, 2011

Once outside, elevated it about 10 feet high in an open field, and suddenly it skied up to about 60 feet, and started to follow the wind with a mind of its own. As it departed, it raised to perhaps 120-150 feet, disappeared into a neighborhood, and that was that.

Probably not the fastest $300 I ever lost, but it ranks "up there."

CAUTION - DON'T BUY - FLAWED PRODUCT, September 11, 2010

the drone shot up in the air - well over 60 feet - and flew away. I chased after it, but lost it as it disappeared into a nearby forest. I was really unhappy to watch this $300 toy fly away during it's first outdoor flight.

Please keep it low and slow, August 6, 2011

I had my for 3 days then it decided it did not like me anymore and flew away

It got away!, December 23, 2011

I set the altitude limit to 10 ft today, but it rose to about 50 ft and started drifting away and outside my wifi, and just kept flying away!

I want to get one purely because it would fly away.

[JUSTICE BEAVER]

A mutual friend works with those.

ANTIMEDIA SHOWREEL 2012 on Vimeo

[weedsk8er_21]

jus 2 let u know - u cant have a mutual friend wivout a fird party

[kools]

after watching that anticini drone clip i would like to see some skateboarding filmed.

might have to film in a school yard or somewhere fairly open but it would interesting to see.
actually surprised no one has tried it yet.

pool footage would be interesting

[TheDraught]

Skateboard photographers often go for a low angle. Not without reason.

[pekkaaa]

https://vimeo.com/32004491

[SockCucker]

lmao dis some white nigga shit. filmin from a fuckin hellacopter man you crazy

[poowizard]

This is something that peaked my interest not too long ago and I figured I would share.  I discovered that you you can buy remote control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) relatively cheap.  There are basic models available that run anywhere around $1000 to $1500 (no camera gear included) which isn't cheap but when you think of the type of filming that you could do with one it's not too bad, I assumed that they cost a lot more.  The models I been looking at come with free open source software that gives you flight data and video streamed remotely to a laptop on the ground.  They can auto level, maintain altitude etc.  The software can be used to set up way points for fully autonomous GPS based flight.

Is anybody using these to film yet?

I have zero experience filming so maybe I am talking out of my ass but it seems to me that one of these would open up a world of new camera angles and filming styles that can't done otherwise.  You could get all kinds of crazy angles from the air like hovering in front of a stair set, shoot over the deep end of a bowl or follow someone through a line in situations that you can't do on a filmer board with a camera in your hand.  You could seamlessly follow the entire line which includes off of stairs and down hand rails. I am not sure if there is any autonomous tracking technology out yet but it would be perfect for following somebody in a line.

The tricky parts are probably financing buying one, learning how to fly it and getting the camera stuff set up but that seems do-able. 

Here's a shot somebody took of me with one, I understand it's shit in terms of the skating but it illustrates the concept since the 'copter was literally just hovering over the bowl when the shot was taken:


Here's a good place for some info if you are interested: http://diydrones.com/

Some videos UAVs filming in flight:

Twilight with the GoPro 2 and Hexakopter on Vimeo

arducopter octoquad.MOV

Hell yeah Broomfield park! It looks cool from up high!

[alcol]

https://vimeo.com/32004491

That wasn't that bad. that thing's shadow was too distracting though

[kools]

Skateboard photographers often go for a low angle. Not without reason.

after 30 years of the same photos/footage its good to try something different.
might take a while to get something good out of it but its worth investigating.

[Red]

Heli-Attack on Vimeo

Some pretty cool angles, I'm surprised Ty Evans isn't using them.

[Congo]

Heli-Attack on Vimeo

Some pretty cool angles, I'm surprised Ty Evans isn't using them.

You can't have cool angles from LA 

[Seamus_McShamebag]

Skateboard photographers often go for a low angle. Not without reason.

Good point, I was thinking the same thing but don't write off the low angles. I have seen clips of people flying these things through their living rooms.  They are pretty fucking precise.  Just imagine a low angle without the skidding to a stop once you get to a gap or stair set.  Just following the dude all the way down.

[shit_for_brains]

Do they use hover monitors or it's just a crap shoot to frame things or what? I'm not much of a camera guy, and shockingly not a tiny helicopter enthusiast.

[hadouken]

Here's some reviews:

Gone in maiden outdoor voyage., August 1, 2011

Once outside, elevated it about 10 feet high in an open field, and suddenly it skied up to about 60 feet, and started to follow the wind with a mind of its own. As it departed, it raised to perhaps 120-150 feet, disappeared into a neighborhood, and that was that.

Probably not the fastest $300 I ever lost, but it ranks "up there."

CAUTION - DON'T BUY - FLAWED PRODUCT, September 11, 2010

the drone shot up in the air - well over 60 feet - and flew away. I chased after it, but lost it as it disappeared into a nearby forest. I was really unhappy to watch this $300 toy fly away during it's first outdoor flight.

Please keep it low and slow, August 6, 2011

I had my for 3 days then it decided it did not like me anymore and flew away

It got away!, December 23, 2011

I set the altitude limit to 10 ft today, but it rose to about 50 ft and started drifting away and outside my wifi, and just kept flying away!

Those reviews are hilarious. I love the idea of some dork all stoked on his new toy, then the fucking thing goes kamikaze on him. Then he writes a review about it.

[doyle]

this is a good one of windell's
https://vimeo.com/41406911

[other2]

Some pretty cool angles, I'm surprised Ty Evans isn't using them.

who says he isn't?

 

[Red]

Some pretty cool angles, I'm surprised Ty Evans isn't using them.

who says he isn't?

 

touche

[grimcity]

Just imagineering here... it'd be sick to have one to get pool shots like Seamus has in the opening post... it'd be even better if you had either a second cam or little digital audio recorder so you could cut the sound out of the overhead footage and synch it with audio from inside/close to the area being skated. Avoid the music-only soundtrack and hear some urethane barking.

It'd also be sick to see a filmer fool us with one of these things... like position the flying camera in a way so that the footage looks like it's being recorded by a following skater, then something crazy. Imagine something like a line being recorded at 3rd and Army, the skater gets to the end and then the cam pulls up high and starts flying over water. Random shit like that would be too fun to make!

[Joust Ostrich]

this is a good one of windell's
https://vimeo.com/41406911

This was pretty cool.  That park looks so fun. 

That dog's bank shot off the wall!!


Someone should just staple a Go-pro to a kite and tie it to the skateboarder doing his line down the street.  Can't fail.  $4 kite> $300 coptor.

[escapistfool]

Paging Ty Evans and Jason Hernandez. These dudes have the budget to try something like this. Pretty rad idea, I would actually love to see that happen, preferably on some transition footage.

[sleepypancakes]

the coolest thing in my mind to do with these would be transition footage. Some of those copters are so precise that you could damn near skate the transition with oh, say, Hewitt. You could get good enough to fly the thing with the same flow and speed, that would be a video to see.

[hankmasterflex]

i skate with my dad and he films me

[grimcity]

i skate with my dad and he films me

...films you skating, or do you need CHanz?