FPV dive the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world

Sony has done some crazy things for their Play Station V campaign. Yet, this has to be one of the craziest videos/advertisements of 2020. Here you will see some stunning drone work, architecture, and aerial performance from the beautiful city of Dubai.

For this ad, Sony went the extra mile, teaming up with wingsuit jumpers to FPV dive the tallest building in the world. The Burj Khalifa stands 2,722 feet (829.6 meters) tall, almost 1,000 feet (304.8 meters) taller than the Freedom Tower in NYC.

To film something of this degree, a trusted team had to be hired. Choppershoot’s aerial crew was on site flying a Sony A7s III w/ Summilux 21mm f1.4 lens on the Thicc FPV Drone. This drone was used to capture the free-fall movement and track the two people jumping off the top of the building. For the other cinematic-style shots, Choppershoot’s team was flying a RED Gemini on the BFD Drone.

The magic of the FPV dive

How was it ever possible to capture this perspective before? Drones have seriously advanced in the past three to five years, especially the pilots who fly them. Understanding what goes into this technology can be a job of its own, but when you are dedicated to learning, that mindset can quickly change. A few months back I posted an article about diving an 18-story building with a RED. Yet, the Sony A7s III with the Summilux 21mm lens may come out to be a similar weight.

For a drone that weighs around 15-20 pounds, this thing has some serious agility. Not only does the pilot need to know how to fly/maneuver the drone, they have to understand the technology and its limitations. In order to perform safe flight, there’s not much room to make mistakes. Sailing up to heights and pushing the range is something that is done before a big project like this. When executed correctly, stunning results are achieved.

Over a course of 15+ years, Choppershoot has been finding talented pilots, camera ops, and other creatives to work with. He has worked on several projects with brands all across the globe. During his time in the business, he has built strong relationships that allow him to jump on board with projects like this.

Conclusion

It takes a lot of practice, patience, and trust to perform work like this. Seeing the final cut looks so fluid and clean. Yet, what goes into the production may never be explained. We don’t get to see how often these pilots practice on their own, let alone with their team. We do however get to see the final result of several teams coming together to produce one epic ad for Sony’s Play Station V. Being a drone pilot myself, I look up to the people who can shoot like this because they push the limits of what is possible with drone technology.

For more about Choppershoot and the team, visit their website or Instagram.