Drone Cinematography for Commercials, Film & TV

What We Bring to a Production

Xizmo Media builds an aerial camera department for a production, not a single drone operator booked for a day. Our pilots hold FAA Part 107 certification and years of on-set experience, and every flight is planned around the same call sheet and safety meeting the rest of the crew is already using.

Aerial cinematography for film and television only works when it is planned with the rest of the shoot, not layered on top of it. We build the flight plan around the shot list the DP and director already have, so the drone unit fits into the day instead of adding one to it.

This is where drone filming for movies, television and commercials actually happens on set, matched to whatever the scene calls for that day.

Our drone payloads range from a GoPro for tight interior shots to a RED or ARRI Mini on a 3-axis gimbal for principal photography, so the aerial camera package matches what the DP is already shooting on the ground.

When a shot calls for a ground-level move instead of altitude, we bring in a Motocrane vehicle-mounted arm or a Techno Crane telescopic boom, both paired with the same stabilized heads we fly in the air. For long, unbroken tracking shots along a set or location, our AGITO Cable Cam system covers distances a drone cannot fly indoors or on tight urban blocks.

Over the past decade, Xizmo Media’s aerial team has flown on hundreds of national commercials, television series, and independent and studio feature films, working under directors including M. Night Shyamalan, David Fincher, Mike Mills and Brian Kirk.

Recent aerial work has appeared on screen in Old, I Care a Lot, C’mon C’mon, 21 Bridges, The Following, and the HBO documentaries Wig and Exterminate All the Brutes, among others.

Aerial Reel – view video

Every pilot we send to a set holds an FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate, and we carry commercial drone insurance with coverage limits that meet studio and network requirements before we accept a booking.

On the day, we file for airspace authorization where the location requires it, run a dedicated safety meeting with the AD department before the first flight, and keep a visual observer on set for any shot near cast, crew or public streets.

Most bookings start with a call sheet or location list, so send us your shoot dates, addresses and camera package as early as you can, ideally two to three weeks out for anything that needs airspace authorization.

Xizmo Media provides drone services for film production companies of any size, from a single unit day to multi-week episodic coverage, and for rush bookings we can often turn around a quote and crew within 48 hours.

What camera systems can Xizmo Media’s drones carry on a production?

Our fleet carries everything from a GoPro for lightweight interior work up to a RED or ARRI Mini on a 3-axis gimbal for principal photography, matched to whatever camera package the DP is already using on the ground.

Does Xizmo Media work on union productions?

Yes. We carry the commercial drone insurance and FAA Part 107 certification that studios and networks require, and our crews are used to working inside a union call sheet and safety meeting structure.

How far in advance should a production book an aerial unit?

Two to three weeks gives us time to secure airspace authorization where it is needed. For a single shoot day without restricted airspace, we can often confirm a crew within 48 hours.

Can the same crew handle both drone and crane work on one shoot day?

Yes. Our pilots and rig operators work as one unit, so a production can book drone, Motocrane, Techno Crane or Cable Cam coverage together instead of coordinating separate vendors.

Do you handle FAA waivers for restricted airspace near a location?

Yes. We file for the necessary airspace authorization ahead of the shoot date and coordinate with local authorities where a location requires it.