A quick Google of the phrase ‘helicopter filming services’ will bring up countless Australian companies who provide this sort of support. If you’re planning to use an aerial filming crew for the first time or have previously worked with an aerial production company but are keen to try out other teams, you might be wondering what separates the top crews from the rest.
While you will certainly have your own preferences, here are a few key factors to consider and attributes to keep an eye out for.
Experience
Aerial filming is not for the inexperienced or faint-hearted. It takes considerable skill — both cinematographic and aviation — to produce high-quality footage. The last thing you want to do is leave this type of work to someone who doesn’t possess the experience or industry skills.
Before hiring a helicopter filming services team, ask about what types of projects they have previously worked on. Are they experienced in both film and television? Can they show you a portfolio of footage? What types of challenges have they faced in their work and how have they overcome them?
The more experienced your team is, the more you can rely on them to produce high-quality work.
Equipment
What is an aerial filming team without equipment?
The top helicopter filming services crews come fully equipped with everything they need to make your creative vision come to life. This includes cinematography gear — camera equipment, lenses, live broadcast equipment, and more — as well as their own filming helicopter.
Working with a team that doesn’t have easy access to this equipment only complicates matters and can mean your budget blows out very quickly.
Creative vision
As a director or producer, if you could carry out your own aerial filming, you probably would. However, as it’s such a specialised skill set, the sensible choice is to outsource this work.
Introducing anyone new to your creative project can be a daunting task. Before hiring an aerial filming team, ask about their creative background and what skills they will bring to the shoot. Ideally, they will be able to complement the existing experience you have in your team whilst also offering their informed perspective and opinion on how to improve the creative vision of the project.
Professionalism
Whenever you are looking to bring on new talent to your creative team, professionalism should be top of the attributes list.
This statement is particularly true when you are working on high-budget productions where individuals need to take responsibility for their work and perform their assigned tasks in a timely and professional manner.
If you’ve never hired a helicopter filming services crew before, consider asking for recommendations from others in your industry. They’ll no doubt have individuals they would highly recommend based on their attitude and personality, as well as those you should steer clear of due to unprofessional conduct.
Take your time when deciding on an aerial filming team — it’s a big decision that can have significant ramifications on your end creative product.
Marta Jordan is a professional writer & blogger, who writes for a variety of online publications and loves working with words of all shapes and sizes.
