What do I need to do to get drone video and aerial photography for my company?
Aerial photography & film are becoming more and more popular as marketing tools. Nothing captures scales or gives a viewer ‘sense of place’ quite like an aerial point of view.
So isn’t getting it as easy as calling up your friend’s husband who has the newest DJI Phantom and ‘loves flying drones’…?
If only!
With drones comes big risk. You could seriously damage property, cause an accident or, worse, severely injure someone. Just search ‘drone battery fire‘ to see why these things need to be treated with respect. (People always look at me funny when I turn up to a drone shoot with a fire extinguisher. Not trying to scare you off, that’s just the law!).
Let’s take a look at the process you should follow in order to get the best aerial media for your project.
1. Determine what you need, why, and how you intend to use it:
This should be the first process when commissioning any film or photography work. Asking these questions will ensure that you get the right person for the job, and ensure you have a well thought out plan for its use, and not just archiving it away.
What?
– Do you need stills, video or both?
– What aspects of your premises or location do you want captured?
– What should it look like – is it the right time of year (flowers and greenery vs barren winter landscape)
Why?
– How will these images fit into a broader context of your branding or marketing?
– Does your customer want or need to see this?
– What effect will it have on the viewer?
How?
– Will you use the images on your website/brochures etc?
– What will you write in the post when you share it on Facebook?
– Would you need to send it to a news/broadcast programme?
Asking these questions will help you develop the brief you send to the drone operator, and more importantly, develop your own strategy for the media and justify the budget spend! (Your supervisor/bank account will thank you for that later!)
2. Research CAA-Approved Drone Operators:
It’s easy to do a quick Google search for ‘drone pilot‘ and get a list of local providers, but you really must do your due diligence…
Are they CAA approved?
If yes, carry on. If no, stop right there! (Here’s why you should only use CAA-approved drone operators.)
Areas of Expertise?
Do they have a background in filming, or commercial photography, or do they specialise in engineering surveys? Most will have some experience in all, but you must find the one that fits YOUR brand and quality in the desired field. Naik Media are film and photo specialists. Don’t ask us to do a survey… We can, but even we’ll advise against using us for that!
Relevant Insurance?
All CAA approved operators have a minimum insurance of £1m public liability. Does that suit your spec? If not, find out if they can offer higher levels or insurance, or keep looking! We had to increase our public liability when filming by a listed stately home, so take into account the actual value of your property.
The Right Equipment?
Drones are amazing bits of kit. Most can be used for most jobs, but here’s some factors for you to consider:
– Camera Quality: important for photos and film, but especially for surveys where fine detail is vital
– Video Quality : NOT the same as camera quality! Most drones record video in a weak file type, and this isn’t great for high-end videos. The drones we use have 4K in a high bitrate, a log gamma curve, and 10bit video recording for best quality and colour.
– Lenses: some drones have interchangeable lenses or zoom lenses. This is ideal for high end film or survey work.
Are They Local?
It’s always good to go local with your suppliers, but this point has more than just supporting local industry…
Aerial shoots are heavily dependent on good weather. It’s more prudent to have a supplier near your location who can be flexible with their days and come in at a day’s notice (we’ve had clients saying “Tomorrow is great weather, can you come in?”; this is not that simple when you’re based far away!).
3. Research The Practicalities
(Your chosen operator can, and should, help you with this)
You need to take your brief and look at the practicalities of flying a drone, keeping in mind the laws [UK Drone Regulations].
Can it be done safely?
– is there enough space to takeoff and land safely?
– are there roads or railway tracks nearby?
– do pedestrians come through; can they cordoned off?
Will it disturb my customers?
– don’t risk a bad TripAdvisor/Google review by cutting off their access or having a drone buzzing around their ‘relaxation’ space
– you should always advise your clients/customers about the drone shoot and relevant safety information
Do I need any permissions?
– Yes is always the answer. Every shoot needs at minimum the landowner’s permission, so check who owns the land and get written/email permission.
– If you are filming near/over a road –> Highways Agency permission is required.
– Train Tracks? –> Network Rail
– Countryside? –> Lake District National Park or National Trust?
Some permissions may cost money, but all of them will take time to get. Ensure you leave adequate time to get these. Your chosen operator can help, so use them!
Hopefully this makes you feel more confident about the process, and not more intimidated. You can always ask you supplier for help or advice. They will know the questions to ask, and where appropriate, who to ask.
Following these steps will help ensure that you get the most value out of the service and use the right people for the job.
The process works for ANY film/photo procurement, so you can use it for your next media marketing campaign, drone or not.
We are of course a CAA approved drone operator, but we also have worked with other more specialised drone companies we can recommend, such as Skylark Aerial Photography & Eastwood Media.