TV Prop Drones
Create dramatic content where the drones are not just doing the filming, but are part of the action!
- Lidar Mapping
- Thermal imaging
- Tree Planting
- Surveying
- Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
We can help create and operate highly effective ‘on screen’ drones
With experience of both filming from drones and flying drones for ‘on screen’ roles, we can help you create highly effective drone related content
On Screen Drones
When you film from drones, you need to understand how to create the most effective shots to meet the criteria of the Director. The same applies to drones that will be part of the content. We have experience from both sides of the camera, and understand what is needed to create those stunning shots.
Prop Drone Creation
We have helped to create drones that make outstanding on screen content. From game shows where the aircraft are flown by contestants to convincing futuristic military aircraft, we have worked with set designers and model makers to provide highly effective, fully functional aircraft to create the desired effect. Whether it be a drone dressed as a dragon with a flame thrower in it’s mouth, or a military drone able deploy ‘weapons’, we have the experience you need to ensure highly effective and entertaining results.
Regulatory Compliance & Safety
We ensure all drones comply with the required aviation regulations, keeping you within legal guidelines for safe and efficient operation, and we know how to operate them safely in a film set environment.
Vigil 2
Created for the BBC in 2023, Vigil 2 was the follow up to the highly successful original mini series Vigil. In the original series a murder brought the police onto a nuclear submarine to solve the crime. In Vigil II, advanced military drones were hacked during a live firing test, resulting in death and destruction. Working with model makers, we produced four aircraft, two flying and two static, and undertook extensive flight operations to achieve the required shots, including automated formation flying at high speed and low altitude. We also did much of the aerial filming including air to air sequences coordinating up to 5 systems flying at a time. Click to view: VIGIL 2 CLIPS.
Lucid
This world first from Flying Screens – a joint venture between RES Ltd. & Light Initiative Ltd – presented us with some unique challenges! Each aircraft carries a pair of ultra-bright hi resolution LED panels displaying live co-ordinated graphics whilst in flight. See four of these in action in their ‘Lucid’ video promo. Click to view: LUCID
The aircraft had to be designed to fit entirely behind and within the screens themselves causing some interesting aerodynamic effects, and well as creating the difficulty of managing the considerable weight outside the diameter of the propellers. The aircraft have to be flown accurately and in close proximity in a turbulent air environment, and so uses both lasers and optical flow for position and height control. An interesting challenge! On top of this the aircraft were designed to be stacked and fitted together to make one large screen, then flown off one at a time.
Airmageddon
Airmageddon was a ‘Robot Wars’ type TV show made by the BBC in conjunction with DHX Media in Canada. It features 9 – 14 year old pilots flying drones in tasks from obstacle courses to knocking down brick walls with wrecking balls, lifting objects with electro magnets, hitting targets with paint ball guns and more.
An interesting project as we had to produce six ‘house drones’ (WASP & GUARD featured in this picture), as well as a fleet of bespoke X8s for the competitors to fly. These had to be very tough but also easy to repair as crashes were, to say the least, common!
Gassed Up
Rapper Mist takes on Olympic boxer Nicola Adams in a game of hide-and-seek at a former nuclear bunker site. Drones were used for both filming of content and by the contestants to try to track down and outsmart each other. For the climax of the episode we were asked to produce a large drone with a fully stabilised and operational paint ball gun and camera sight for a final chase to the flag! Immediately nicknamed ‘GunBird’ on the set, our pilot flew the aircraft with the gun being operated by Nicola Adams. She won!
How long does it take to build a custom drone?
This will vary considerably depending on the nature of the project. We are able to produce anything from a custom sensor suite on a standard drone, to a fully bespoke aircraft designed from the ground up. Most custom projects start from a relatively standard frame, in which case around 6 – 8 weeks is normal, although this will vary depending on the work we are currently undertaking. We are happy to give a good indication of this when we start to discuss your project, and we are often able to expedite production if required.
What types of sensors and payloads can be integrated?
There are a wide range of sensors and communications that can improve the functionality of your aircraft, and we will suggest the best options once we start to understand your project.
For payloads, given certain weight and size limits, we can normally carry just about anything! We have integrated almost all commercially available payload sensor packages, including Lidar, GPR, magnetometers, camera systems, lights, gas sensors, ranging equipment, water sampling, and more. We have also worked with customers to lift all sorts of experimental payloads, even sometimes flying equipment that was never designed to be used in the air. We can supply power from the aircraft, independent communications, shielding from magnetic and RF interference, extreme weather proofing, payload control, release mechanism, stabilisation and anti vibration systems, and much more.
Are custom drones more expensive than off-the-shelf?
Not necessarily! As all our aircraft are specified for each application and then built to order, additional cost is often limited only to the cost of any specific additional equipment that needs to be included in the system. Inevitably, higher levels of customisation can incur higher costs, but this is not necessarily nearly as expensive as you might expect. We are happy to give cost estimates once we understand the requirements, and always supply detailed quotes once the details are agreed.
What do we consider when building a custom drone?
All aspects of the system are considered from project feasibility to the legality of the operations. We start by looking at what the aircraft needs to achieve and work backwards, considering the nature and function of the payload, specific operational requirements of the application, circumstances and conditions of use, performance requirements, weather and altitude resilience, transportability, deployment time, maintenance, ease of use and much more.
Need an ‘outside the box’ solution? We’re the company to talk to.
