NAB snapshot: "Flying-Cam"
My friend Wayne de Geere is in Vegas this week for NAB, cruising the halls for cool stuff. He shares this snapshot of one of the more interesting products on display -- the "Flying-Cam," a methanol-powered aerial vehicle with on-board camera, used in the production of such films as Harry Potter (3 of 'em), 007 (at least 3 of 'em), Van Helsing, and The Kite Runner. The company's website contains a bunch of groovy Quicktime movies that show the device in action.
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It was pretty cool how they made a lot of those shots in the Harry Potter movies!
O Noes! Server down!
They got BOINGED!
Lovely photo platform, but I dread the fleet of these things that will start clogging the skies as every news station, paparazzo and police department wants one to snoop around with.
I wonder what the FAA thinks of nearly invisible collision hazards in the air...?
why worry? Shotguns are cheap.
When I snapped the shot yesterday, I did not dare ask how much. The more I look at the photo and the demo reel on their web site I realize I must have one. :)
Very cool device!
Price depends on use. It's almost all rental. As always, if you have to ask you can't afford it. General mid five figures per day depending on travel and requirements for the shoot. Us mortals generally don't get to touch it. I tried to and was slapped with a ruler.
If I'd known I could have posted other goodies. I have been in Vegas since 4/10, been to some press events and the floor. One word, HUGE! 2 days and I have only covered 80%. I prefer not to run everywhere.
Have one more day if there are any requests.
(I may regret that last statement. But I will get what I can.)
Not sure what the big deal is with this. R/C, photography hobbyists have been doing this for years, albeit the majority of which have slightly lesser video quality. Check out some videos:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=r%2Fc+camera+plane&search_type=
Aside from the steadycam aspects, it appears to be nothing more than a video camera on an R/C copter.
Coming soon to an NSA mission near you!
I suddenly have an urge to start building and testing autonomous anti-flying cam devices. I'm envisioning little helicopter-based robots that shoot paintballs.
nah, .22 longs.
The difference is this is a stabilized Leica HD camera in that pod and not some hobbyist hack.
The videos that come out of this thing are spectacular.
I'm not sure of the price of the one discussed, but I have been helping a company with a similar product: www.rotomotion.com. Their low-end electric UAV version costs under $20K...but you'll also need a ground control station (laptop w extras), shipping case, 'camera payload rig', spare batteries, etc. I would expect a single UAV 'setup' to shoot movies with spare batteries, etc, to run closer to $35K. Of course, the better the camera...the higher the price, they can't reduce that. :-) I think adding a new RED SCARLET camera to it will be the killer combo. :-)
I just returned from NAB as well. Huge show.
Why shoot at helicopters? Rig something that'll throw a lot of fibers into the air, and wait for the propeller shaft to clog.
If you want to keep full-size helicopters from landing on your roof, or a roof near you, set out open-topped containers full of small pieces of styrofoam. Packing peanuts will do. When the helicopter approaches, the turbulence will blow the styrofoam up into the air, where some of it will get sucked into the chopper's air intakes and gum up the works.
Or so I'm told, at any rate.