Various scribblings on Aerial Video
This is the first part on our series of Aerial Video. It'll contain any issues or cool stuff we think you might enjoy.

Low flight
The issue is flying low, whether it's just above the water, next to a herd of stampeding buffulo, through grass or between machinery. Radio Control Helicopters are perfect for this application.

River Bed Flying

In the sequence above for National Geographic, we were required to fly down a river, just above the water. The shot would be impossible with a crane, full-size helicopter or boat, due to uneven ground, narrowness of the river and the lack of water respectively. This particular clip is available for viewing on our showreel or for download as National Geographic under our Documentaries.

Ground Flying

This sequence was also for National Geographic - Predators at War. The take started with a low shot over a skull, slight rise over a tree stump, back down to ground level for a bit and them climb over a vehicle. This is the second longest take we've ever had to do and was almost 30 seconds in length. Once again, using radio control helicopters was the only real way to get the shot as it was through trees and the ground was too rough for a vehicle and steadicam unit. This is the same clip as above and is available for viewing on our showreel or for download as National Geographic under our Documentaries.

Ground Flying

The above sequence was flown for the purposes of a corporate video. The shot involved flying low over some very uneven flooring and then rising up, ready for a whip pan back to cover the entire inside of the building. This could have been done with a trolley, crane and steadicam, and cost a lot of money. However, we managed to do it with a single team transported in a single minivan and our client loved it. This clip is available for viewing on our showreel or for download as ELCA Engineering under our Corporate Videos.

Stay tuned for some more scribblings on aerial video coming soon.