WE ARE KIWI

Cinematographers of the air

AERIAL SHOTS SPECIALISTS

CHASING BOLD IDEAS WITH OUR PASSION FOR TECHNOLOGY

Kiwi Aerial Shots, often called “The Kiwis” on set, is an Amsterdam-based aerial cinematography company specialising in high-end drone production for feature films, commercials and television series. Founded 14 years ago by Kim Hoogervorst and Willem de Groot, the company was built on the technical challenge of flying stabilised cameras long before consumer drones existed. Willem has since moved on; Tom van Oijen joined in 2018 as lead camera operator and producer. More than ten years and hundreds of productions later, we operate as a full drone department on some of the most demanding shoots in Europe.

We still build our own drones and custom camera rigs in our Amsterdam workshop. That in-house engineering is what allows us to fly systems no off-the-shelf drone can carry: from ARRI Alexa and RED cinema payloads to our custom-built Immersive Condor for the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive.

Beyond commercial work, we have always made room for conceptual projects and independent films. We are drawn to productions that take us somewhere difficult: a glacier at 4000 metres, a remote coastline, a location that requires waiting for the right conditions to get the one shot that matters. Today we do this as a dedicated team, with the same drive we started with.

KIWI TEAM

KIM HOOGERVORST

Founder, insainly experienced pilot, technical nerd and the driving force behind Kiwi Aerial Shots. He has flown in the most extreme conditions and has a unique view on how to get the best shot.kim@kiwi-aerialshots.nl

VLADDIE DE KONING

FPV drone pilot Vladdie de Koning. Translate his name and you know how good he is!

TOM VAN OIJEN

Owner, camera operator and all-round project manager of Kiwi. Always looking for new challenging assignments and managing the company so we can keep on pushing!tom@kiwi-aerialshots.nl

PIM DIJKMAN

One of the most experienced drone pilots in the Netherlands, with years of dual-operator flying experience. Pim has a strong cinematic instinct and storytelling sense, making him a true cinematographic asset on any film set.

STEFAN JANSEN

Stefan is a great all round DoP and has experience with almost every cinema camera out there and is our Kiwi Cineflex operator for helicopter shoots.

BAS KOOLE

The Kiwi DoP on our outdoor productions, a true underwater specialist with absolutely no fear when it comes to trying bold, creative shots on set.

FPV LEN

Lennart van der Zouwen, an early pioneer in FPV drone flying. He navigates the most chaotic productions with total calm. No pressure for this guy, even during the toughest shots and challenges.

THOMAS TE BRAAKE

Thomas is a certified drone pilot with over 12 years of experience flying all sort of big film productions for Kiwi.

REIN RIJKE

Our go-to photographer for both helicopter and drone shoots. Rein is a true outdoor beast who thrives in the toughest conditions, whether scaling mountains as an alpinist or diving into massive waves with an underwater housing.

RIK KOMAROMI

Rik is a real camera freak and briljiant drone pilot and always know how to get the best shot!

ALWAYS WELCOME IN OUR KIWI WORKSHOP IN AMSTERDAM

3D PRINTERS | DRONES | CAMERA's | CNC FREES | KOFFIE!

Kiwi Aerial Shots has been rooted in Amsterdam since the very beginning. We started at the NDSM wharf and have since moved into a large-scale workshop near the Damen Shipyard. This is where we spend our days engineering custom equipment to optimize our workflow on set and push the boundaries of what is possible in film production.

Equipped with our own CNC milling machine and a fleet of Bambu Lab 3D printers, we create components that simply didn’t exist before. Our builds range from specialized lens adapters to entire heavy-lift platforms, such as our 2400W LED array and a unique immersive drone designed specifically for the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive.

Over the years, we have tackled the most demanding aerial productions and have never failed to deliver. We thrive on assignments that seem impossible at first glance: the more creative and conceptual the challenge, the better.

Get in touch if you have a challenging production in mind. The coffee is ready, and we are always excited to brainstorm and realize experimental drone or helicopter productions!

"Realising unrestricted aerial cinematography requests!"

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES AND CONCEPTUAL ART PRODUCTIONS

PRODUCTIONS WITH PASSION, ADVENTURE AND CREATIVITY

In addition to feature films and commercial productions, we have a deep passion for challenging outdoor shoots in some of the most remote locations on the planet. Over the years we have had some remarkable adventures: filming Iceland’s most spectacular landscapes for The Last Line, a film we produced ourselves; travelling the world for the kite film Capture One; and covering triathlete Andrea Masson for the film Instilled, journeying from the coast of England to the summit of Mont Blanc in five days.

Days of hauling drones through mountains or rainforests, little sleep, and non-stop breathtaking footage: this is where we are at our best. Whether it is a documentary, a conceptual project, or something that has never been done before, these are the productions we make time for.

filming outdoor adventures

EUROPEAN CERTIFIED

FLYING DRONES IN AMSTERDAM, AT NIGHT AND HARBOR AREAS

Kiwi is a professional and fully certified Dutch drone company that has its own European drone certificates. In short, this means we can get permission to fly our drones in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and maritime locations like harbors and off shore windmill parks. We can perform drone flights at night, and fly our drones near both military and international airports.

We are also allowed to fly near actors, roads, and buildings when they are part of a controlled ground area. At Kiwi, we only work with fully certified drone pilots and all our drones are registered and insured. Let us know if you want to see our documents, we can send over a copy if needed.

WE LOVE EXTREME NATURE

The bigger the challenge to get to a certain place, the more we like it! The most beautiful locations on the planet deserve the best drone and camera equipment. We know how to get to these remote and hard-to-get locations and make the best drone shots!

We love adventurous productions

Telling small stories with esthetic shots in adventurous outdoor adventures is what we love to do!

Before drones existed

We where flying drones before the word drone even existed! because of this we have the technical knowledge and set experience you can expect from a professional drone company.

CUSTOM IS KING

We are constantly working on a custom project in our workshop in Amsterdam. Let us know if you have a unique, groundbreaking project in mind that will push the limits!

Extreme conditions

At Kiwi Aerial Shots we love drone productions for which we have to go to extreme environments. The summit of the Mont Blanc or the glaciers of Iceland, we love to go there and get you the best possible shots!

Only the best pilots and operators

We only work with fully certified and highly experienced people so we can always deliver high-end quality aerial shots.

SPECIFIC certified

Kiwi Aerial Shots is a European-certified drone company. We have all the needed insurance and certificates to get exemptions for flying in Amsterdam, in the harbor or offshore.