Setting up an FPV drone production often involves more than many productions might anticipate. First, it’s crucial to determine the filming location and the camera setup to be used. The camera choice dictates the type of FPV drone required, which in turn affects flight paths and the safety protocols associated with that particular drone. For instance, when flying near actors, we prefer to use prop guards. Similarly, whether the shoot takes place indoors or outdoors influences the drone size. A location scout is often recommended to assess the environment, identify potential hazards or privacy concerns, and ensure that the drone’s signals are unobstructed by thick walls, steel structures, or other obstacles. For indoor shoots, a tech scout with test flights (without the camera) is particularly useful to verify that the signal between the operator and the drone remains stable along the desired flight path envisioned by the director.

An FPV drone production team consists of at least two people, and for larger Cinelifter shoots, typically three. The core team always includes a pilot (drone operator) and a spotter. The spotter acts as an observer and first assistant camera (1AC), helping the pilot with tasks such as managing batteries and cameras while also monitoring airspace, potential risks, and ground activity near the pilot. Since the pilot wears FPV goggles and cannot see their immediate surroundings, the spotter ensures the pilot’s safety by keeping onlookers, crew members, or talkative producers at a distance, allowing the pilot to focus entirely on capturing the shot.

For the director, we always provide a monitor for live viewing of the footage. With smaller Cinewhoop FPV drones, this feed shows the same view as the FPV pilot, which comes from the 03 Air Unit rather than the GoPro. With larger Cinelifters, the live feed is from the camera itself. These larger drones are equipped with a DJI transmission system, allowing us to display the exact footage from our RED Komodo-X camera on a 21-inch monitor. This setup ensures the director can guide the pilot and achieve the desired shots, just as with traditional (drone) filming.

After filming, we stabilize the drone footage using specialized software. Since FPV drones typically do not use gimbals, there are often vibrations in the raw footage. By using the gyro data from the GoPro or RED Komodo-X camera, we can eliminate these vibrations, resulting in smooth footage ready for post-production editing.