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BTS video shows how Michael Bay got those insane drone shots for ‘Ambulance’

Michael Bay’s latest movie, Ambulance, will hit the theaters on April 8. Ahead of the release, a new behind-the-scenes video has dropped this week, showing how the director used FPV drones to pull off some absolutely spectacular shots in the pulse-pounding heist thriller.

Based on a 2005 Danish film of the same name, Ambulance tells the story of two bank robbers who hijack an ambulance occupied by a paramedic and a patient in critical condition. In keeping with Bay’s signature style, the action sequences are extremely fast-paced. And what better than a small FPV drone to get right in the middle of the action and capture shots that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible?!

Also read: FPV drones go mainstream with Netflix’s ‘Red Notice’

Bay’s fascination for the best, most innovative camera technology is no secret. Producer Michael Kase, who’s done nine movies with Bay to date, says one of his first jobs on every production is to find the “newest, coolest gear out there.” On this one, it’s FPV drones.

And to capture the high-octane drone shots, Bay roped in Alex Vanover – one of the fastest, most aggressive, full-throttle drone racing pilots who won the 2019 DRL World Championship at the age of 19! The Dallas lad says:

When I’m flying the drone, I’m acting like Superman, in a way. I’m trying to get these really unique angles and shots. I fly what’s called an FPV drone, and FPV stands for first-person view. We wear a set of goggles on our face, and when I’m flying the drone, I’m actually flying it with a VR headset. I’m able to see exactly what the drone’s seeing in real-time. So, it’s a whole new arena for flying, and it allows us to fly really crazy locations and get some really awesome shots that you can’t get with any other camera or drone.

That’s enough buildup, right? Check out the Ambulance featurette below:

Read more: DJI celebrates store opening with FPV drone video of longboard dancing champ

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Avatar for Ishveena Singh Ishveena Singh

Ishveena Singh is a versatile journalist and writer with a passion for drones and location technologies. She has been named as one of the 50 Rising Stars of the geospatial industry for the year 2021 by Geospatial World magazine.


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