This is a two-fold post. First, we wanted to point out an excellent CineWhoop fly-through that caught our attention on Instagram (along with an interview with the pilot). Second, we wanted to identify what’s becoming an increasing business trend in the world of drones.
For those who fly drones regularly, CineWhoop First-Person-View piloting isn’t new. But the niche has had some tremendous exposure this year, largely thanks to the immensely viral (and skillful) bowling alley video. Suddenly, a whole new audience become aware of the amazing potential for these videos.
And that includes their potential as marketing tools for commercial operations.
CineWhoop flights now a business
Think about it for a second: A CineWhoop flight can highlight multiple aspects of a business operation, particularly one that’s visually interesting. Well-planned flights can take us through the front doors of a shop, thus beginning a tour that’s both entertaining and informative.
And that’s the key here: People like watching CineWhoop videos. And so, providing the videos are done well, viewers wind up watching marketing without really realizing that they’re watching marketing. They’re simply watching a great flight that helps tell a story: the story of the business.
We’ve seen this before
Here at DroneDJ, we’re pretty familiar with this – in part, because one of our own writers has done shoots like this. Ty Poland did an amazing job at a high-end car dealership in New Jersey. You can read his take on that shoot here, and watch the video right now:
So you get the idea.
And now, part two
Remember how we said this was a two-fold post? Well, congrats on reaching the second half. We’ll start by saying we saw a cool fly-thru on Instagram and decided to contact the pilot. His name is Stephen Weir, and he’s been piloting for about four years. He has a company, S1W, that specializes in a drones services with an emphasis on CineWhoop/FPV flight. Here’s what he flew in the video you’re about to see:
This was flown with a homemade sub250g cinewhoop with a ‘Naked’ GoPro Hero8. The frame is by NamelessRC and I use the DJI FPV system for video link, and TBS Crossfire for remote link.
And here’s the rig:
Let’s see Stephen fly his CineWhoop through a business!
You asked, we deliver:
That’s an awesome fly-through.
Flying CineWhoops as a business model
Remember how we said businesses are starting to clue in that this is a great way to market certain, visually compelling operations? Well, Stephen has done others like this and tells us he sees increasing demand:
I did my first commercial fly-through at a local bowling alley “The Ballroom” in October 2020. Recently I flew at the Porsche Sports Cup at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. OBJX Studio, a photography studio in a massive warehouse, and have an ongoing project with a large commercial cannabis grow. I started offering Real Estate FPV tours in March 2021 and have flown-through over 75 homes from boutique condos to $20M Lakeside estates. I also fly FPV for a popular Youtube channel “The Straight Pipes” who review cars and have chased everything from Subarus on a dirt track, to Porsches on a race track.
Cool. Stephen also sees an increasing demand for these kinds of shoots:
As FPV becomes more mainstream, I’ve seen an increase in demand for the services. FPV has allowed us to move a camera in ways that previously seemed unimaginable. The commercial applications of this technology are only limited by our imagination… I can’t wait to see what the future brings.
Let’s check out a bit more of Stephen’s work
Stephen’s a busy guy. Here are a few of his recent videos:
And something for the gearheads:
DroneDJ’s take
We are big fans of skilled CineWhoop flights. We love how they can really tell a narrative, providing the subject is visually interesting. It seems businesses are really starting to catch on and looking for skilled pilots who can carry out this kind of work. We anticipate this is a sector that will continue to grow.
And if you’re in the Greater Toronto Area or nearby, here’s Stephen’s site again, which includes contact info.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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