How to fly a DVX at 40ft

[Ki-Ki]

Basically for the Drama-Fest entry. One or two shots in my film are going to basically require a few long and high shots. Since my last name aint "Brandson" or some other posh guy. I need to find an alternative for hiring out a helicopter for some short shots.

My first, more obvious reaction was. Mount or create a remote control plane with a camera. Since i seen some tutor do this back when i was in secondary school. Then I though. Why would I mount £2500 of crap onto a unstable plastic wing.

Then I got reaslistic and tried to imagine a heavy 3 ton camera on a remote control plane.

BASICALLY

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could somehow create a helicopter, remote control plane. That can somehow take footage from the air. If it helps. Maximum budget of around £200 for the whole film. [$450?]

The shots would be flying through landscapes, over rivers, over a hill, around a castle. Etc.

Any help, feedback of any sory, what so ever, is much appreciated.
:beer:

 

[Kevin Briggs]

Buy stock footage. Ask user named Owen where he got his.

 

[Kevin Briggs]

Here is the project owen has the arial footage from:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=28051

http://www.kalonmedia.com/video/SCG_Ep1_Ep2_Large.mov

 

[kyle.presley]

What about a cable cam? It's just a length of cable, some pulleys and some way to rig your cam onto it. I think it would be easy to diy.

 

[Inexistence]

Stock footage or this expensive thing...

http://www.rctoys.com/rc-toys-and-parts/DF-TSU/RC-HELICOPTERS-DRAGANFLYER-TSU.html

 

[Capt Quirk]

The Dragonfly is only for sale to Military or Law Enforcement. The price was $5,995, but now it's $5,995- you save $1,000??? Huh?

 

[Inexistence]

Does it need to be 40ft? Drive on a hill, zoom in a little and fire away... fake it.


oops wrong link!
http://www.rctoys.com/rc-toys-and-parts/DF-XPRO/RC-HELICOPTERS-DRAGANFLYER-XPRO.html

same deal just as pricey

 

[Ki-Ki]

Does it need to be 40ft? Drive on a hill, zoom in a little and fire away... fake it.

I would imagine 40ft would be a reasonable height. I could probably do the shot at 20ft, depending on certain things. Though Zooming in wouldnt be able to do it because the camera would be ever so slowly curving as it would be moving forwards, and looking down.

I might go back to a model shop or something. Stick a webcam on. See what happens. I cant imagine having the money to do the others above. Though a pully..i dont know, maybe. Though I might sound like a bit of an idiot here. But, whats Stock Footage?

 

[SomewhereinLA]

How about renting a crane and using a very wide lens.

 

[SadMax]

Get in touch with your local R/C plane club - some of those guys might fly helicopter models capable of lifting the weight of a dvx...although you might want to buy enough insurance to cover the value of both the R/C aircraft, and the dvx you'll be lifting...

'Stock Footage' is footage of almost any sort that is cataloged and held in a library, to be sold or otherwise provided to people who need a certain shot but can't get it for themselves within their schedule or budget.

On second thought, that R/C aircraft idea isn't much good; you'd need a remote video tap, plus remote camera controls, in order to have any clue what you're actually shooting, while the camera is aloft...

 

[Wayne Kinney]

I did this last year with my petrol powered .30 size RC helicopter and a cheap consumer cam. Vibration was the main trouble, even after trying to isolate the thing.

A .60 class heli would be better, but I certainly wouldn't want to strap my DVX or such under it, I was afriad enough with my cheapo cam!

 

[jeremytuttle]

First off, I don't recommend this to any one and I hold no responsibility for this insanity:

But, what if you use a large helium ballon (a 8ft weather ballon can carry about 15 pounds) tethered to you and a monitor. Guide it around the best you can with the tether and hope for great footage. A 8ft ballon will cost 70-100 bucks and then you have to fill the huge thing.

 

[SadMax]

That's not only insane, it's brilliant.

And I'm holding you responsible.

 

[Ki-Ki]

Thanks for the advice so far guys, its been awesome. I dont know what Id do without this place.

SadMax - I'll probably do that at some point this week. See if theres some type of equiptment that could do it, some sort of plane etc. I would need some sort of video feed, where i can see what im recording when its flying. So i could turn the plane. Thats what im thinking.

SomewhereinLA - Great, I'll look into that now actually. Seems like a possible concept.... Actually. Probably not. Due to the budget for a start. And the location is in the middle of a country...Hmm

 

[SadMax]

I think jeremytuttle has the best (safest-sounding, for sure) idea so far...

 

[Ki-Ki]

Damn, Skipped the 3 posts then as i was typing...ballon..could work..maybe...hmm...

I'm going back to the locaiton im mainly thinking of shooting at this saturday. Its for a shot that requires CGI anyway. Where an armarda of men are going to be. Thank god for the wonders of bluescreen .

Yeah, he probably has. This Insurance things gonna hurt though.


I just hope it dont float off with my DVX if the string or something snaps.

 

[Wayne Kinney]

If going via the R/C heli route, please approach a local model flying club. a 30 size glow powered heli can easily harm or kill you.

 

[SadMax]

I just hope it dont float off with my DVX if the string or something snaps.

Well, if it does, when it comes down someone in Newfoundland will have a new camera plus some marvelous stock footage of the North Atlantic...

 

[Ki-Ki]

Ha! Laughed like hell at that one. Knowing my luck though thats probably no joke If I go that way.

 

[Capt Quirk]

Instead of risking that balloon floating off with your cam, how about a parasail? It seems to me, I've seen people parasailing behind a car. Think Jurassic Park 3.