CINEMATIC DRONE LIGHTING
MASSIVE 2500W LED DRONE OR 600W FPV SETUP
Over the past years we have developed a range of groundbreaking drone lighting systems for high-end film and television productions. Our custom-built lighting drones are deployed as mobile key lights to illuminate film sets, track fast-moving subjects, or when moving light itself becomes a conceptual and narrative element of the production. Flying powerful drone lighting opens up cinematic possibilities that are simply unattainable with traditional rigs: from static moonlight over a night exterior to an FPV light racing alongside the action in real time.
This approach is used across commercials, feature films, music videos and complex productions where flexibility, precision and creative control are essential. All of our drone lighting technology is engineered in-house at our Amsterdam workshop, developed on set and proven in real-world production environments worldwide. We work closely with your gaffer and DOP on position, height, colour temperature and intensity before we fly. Our aerial lighting systems have been deployed on productions including Afterburn, directed by J.J. Perry and starring Samuel L. Jackson and Dave Bautista. If a shot seems technically impossible, we will design and build a fully custom system tailored to your production and creative vision. We are fully certified for night-time drone operations and ff you are looking for a full drone department for your production, including aerial cinematography and on-set coordination, visit our drone page.
"CONCEPTUAL LED OR KEY LIGHT FOR DIFFICULT SET LOCATIONS"
1200W LED GIMBAL SETUP
2400W WATER COOLED LED
Coloured and dimmable
100W or 600W MINI FPV LED
600W LED INSPIRE 3
POWERFULL 360 LIGHTBULB
DRONE LIGHTING SOLUTIONS
FAST TO DEPLOY | PRECISE POSITIONING | STATIC OR MOVING
Where a crane or condor cannot reach, we fly a light. Using GPS hold, we can return the drone to the exact same position take after take, so every shot has consistent lighting. Above water, in a forest, on a mountainside or in the desert: our lighting drones get there.
If the angle is not quite right, we reposition in minutes. Because all lights are gimbal-mounted, we can adjust the beam direction without landing. We can fly multiple heavy-lift drones simultaneously to light a subject or location from several angles at once, with each source independently controlled and dimmable from the ground.
Need something that does not exist yet? We build it. No brief is too unusual.
2400W AND 360.000 LUMENS
MAXIMUM OUTPUT WITH ONE OR MULTIPLE LIGHTING DRONES
Flying LED lighting at high power requires deep technical knowledge: remote operation, real-time dimming, triggering a lightning sequence during the take. And contrary to what many people assume, high-power LEDs generate extreme heat. Cooling is essential. As early as 2019 we chose a water-cooled design for our first high-output system: an 1800W lamp measuring 15x16x14cm, weighing just 1,800 grams, with an output of 163,000 lumens. An unprecedented combination of compactness and light output at the time.
Since then, more powerful LED modules have become available. We use our own 3D printers to build custom LED configurations for different drones and applications: from a 600W LED on an FPV cinelifter and a gimbal-controlled 1000W LED to a 600W mount on the DJI Inspire 3 and a water-cooled 2500W system delivering 360,000 lumens. Every setup is engineered in-house at our Amsterdam workshop.
"STATIC 'MOONLIGHT' VS LIGHTING A HIGH SPEED CHASE"
Dual drone key-light for high-speed film sets
FPV DRONE LIGHTING
SMALL, FAST AND UNLIKE ANY CONVENTIONAL RIG
Alongside our larger lighting drones we operate a compact FPV LED setup that opens up an entirely different range of creative possibilities. The LED is mounted directly on the FPV drone and shines in one or two directions, turning the drone itself into a moving light point within the frame. The effect is intimate, fast and impossible to replicate with traditional lighting rigs.
This FPV setup is flown by our dedicated FPV pilots Thomas de Koster and Vladdie de Koning. The compact LED drone has been used on Mitsubishi commercials, a superyacht reveal for OceAnco and the SIRE campaign that launched at the end of 2023.
DRONE LIGHTING WORKFLOW
FLIGHT TIME | BATTERY MANAGEMENT | MONITOR FEED
Working with drones as a light source is different from placing a condor and leaving it. The freedom in positioning and movement is unmatched, but flight time is a factor we plan for in pre-production. During a reset on set we swap batteries: land, replace, return to position. Current flight time on our heavy-lift lighting drones is approximately 12 minutes. We are actively working to extend this to 20 to 25 minutes through a lighter lamp design and larger drone platforms.
We charge alongside the Kiwi production vehicle or with a 5kW generator on location. Battery logistics are discussed in pre-production together with the gaffer and ELT, so we can charge continuously and keep the drones available throughout the shooting day. For the monitor feed, we run an FPV camera on the drone. Where possible we provide a DJI transmission unit to the VTR so the lighting position can be monitored live from video village.
"FOR FULL FEUTURE FILM PRODUCTIONS OR CONCEPTUAL COMMERCIAL OR MUSIC VIDEO"
YOUR CUSTOM DRONE LIGHT
BESPOKE AERIAL LIGHTING ENGINEERED FOR YOUR PRODUCTION
Our drone lighting systems are available in multiple configurations and fully adapted to the specific requirements of your production. Every system is modular and custom-built, engineered for maximum control, flexibility and reliability on set.
Have an idea that goes beyond existing solutions? A flying LED tube, an alternative light form, an experimental setup for a specific shot? At Kiwi Aerial Shots we deliberately look beyond off-the-shelf solutions. From our Amsterdam workshop we develop bespoke technical solutions for productions that demand the extraordinary. Custom engineering is not the exception here, it is how we work. If an idea seems impossible on paper, we want to hear it.