Emirates and Boeing have partnered together to sponsor View from Above, one of the largest aerial filming projects ever conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones. Filming was conducted in 18 destinations on five continents, including Emirates’ hub in Dubai and Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ home, Seattle. Footage for Dubai was provided by Dubai Film.
Keeping safety at the forefront, the aerial capabilities of the drones meant the project team could produce previously unseen aerial imagery and perspectives with incredible precision and accuracy. This was true even when operating in tighter spaces in destinations like Vietnam, where drones grazed rice fields, Norway, in between mountain crevices and over lily pads in the Seychelles, to name a few.
The team produced previouslyunseen aerial imagery and perspectives
The drones were also able to reach locations that would have been challenging with traditional helicopter and fixed wing aerials, like deep caves and beneath jungle foliage. Once such example is Japan, where drones were used to film in between the branches of cherry blossom trees and closely hover over steep waterfalls. In Rio, drones were able to vertically float above Maracanã Stadium producing a fresh new take on the iconic football arena.
Justin Thomas Ostensen from Shotwell media, who piloted the drone to shoot the Seattle film, commented on the extensive preparation involved in the filming process: “Safety really comes down to the individuals and companies flying drones to be responsible, cautious, follow common sense rules and operate within a strict set of pre-flight and post-flight procedures. Drones are very safe with failsafe features that create high levels of reliability and stability. However, extensive experience is required to operate drones for aerial filming. A blend of technical knowledge and creativity are a prerequisite to achieving cinematic aerial imagery.”
Over 13 qualified drone pilots from around the world worked on the filming project, which was produced and directed by Mofilm.