Drone Video is great in your corporate productions, but you need to follow the rules!
These 10 tips will ensure you stay safe and legal the next time you use drone video in your corporate production.
1) You must use a CAA registered operator, If the drone video work is for a business.
There are almost no cases where drone video used for business can be shot by an unlicensed operator. Any drone video used to generate a profit must be legally produced.
In the UK you need to be licenced by the CAA.
For operations in Europe, EASA registration is required.
Page One holds both licences and can operate their drones anywhere in Europe.
2) Every location needs a risk assessment.
Problems include airports, specified no fly zones or infrastructure such as power stations, railways, motorways etc.
Sometimes this can be done on-line, but in more complex environments, its essential to visit.
3) You can’t fly within 50 metres of people you have no control over.
Unless you have specific permissions from the CAA if using a drone with a mass greater than 250g.
Use of an “Open Category” drone increases your domain, but these may not produce the best footage.
4) You can’t fly above 400 feet.
5) The weather must be right.
Winds and rain (Or snow!) can keep us on the ground.
6) You can’t fly at night without specific permission to do so from the CAA.
Again you may be able to do this on the smallest drones, but these lack the best capabilities.
7) You need a safe place to land and take off from and then observe the flight.
The drone must be in site of the operator at all times.
8) Electromagnetic interference can make flying impossible.
Strong electromagnetic interference can make control of the drone impossible.
This can come from high voltage power lines, or mobile phone masts.
9) You need consents from landowners.
People and companies have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and we can’t control people on property if we don’t have consent to access that property.
10) You must have specialised insurance.
Drone flights require specialised insurance to ensure coverage in the event of an incident.
General business insurance, won’t cover you operating a drone.
We produced this social media version of a wind farm case study for E.ON with extensive use of the drone, and yes, Welsh language subtitles.
A drone can be a powerful tool which can add real value to a shoot, but if the filmmaker can’t make operating the drone part of their normal operations, then this added value will be out of reach for many clients.
Being able to tick all of the boxes as part of your SOP, makes aerial photography and video straightforward.
At Page One we shoot drone video on almost every project.
We build the considerations for drone video into every project we undertake, from moment one.
The complications and costs associated with this camera are more than offset by the additional value and productivity it brings to projects, and minimised by making the drone operations part of our DNA.
The drone produces shots which would otherwise take more time, more expensive gear or simply not be possible. It’s a productivity multiplier.
If we can fly, and it will add value to the project, we will.
If you want to see how our use of drones could make your next corporate video production better value, talk to us.
