AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY

This is the main focus of our business where we produce film footage from the original perspective of a flying machine. At our imaginary hangar, we have several different types of drones or helicopters available, differing mainly in size and the type of camera that they are intended for. They range from the biggest machines, designed for Alexa Mini and Red Epic/Dragon/Weapon, through medium sized ones, designed for Panasonic GH4, Sony A7S II or A7R II, to the smallest drones, suitable for indoor use, for example.

Size is not the only parameter that differentiates drones in our squadron. Equally important is the flight time. We can provide machines that have a limited load capacity, but can boast a significantly longer flight time. Among other uses, this makes so-called “live” broadcasts possible.

All of our drones are equipped with a gyro-stabilized head, controlled in all three axes, which allows composing the shot independently of the drone movement. A wireless video downlink in HD quality is of course available to the crew on the ground.

We usually work as a two-man team consisting of a pilot (responsible for all flight maneuvers) and a cameraman (responsible for camera control and shooting pictures). Team play and experience of the two is crucial for high quality shots and also for the speed of work.

Working for film crews is challenging because production requires precision and speed. There is not much room for fixing any failed shots and every minute of delay has a negative impact on the project budget. We are proud to present evidence by many of our film references of our capability to cope with these demands and deliver top-class shots for even the biggest projects.

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Aerial photography was the first way of utilizing remotely controlled airplanes or helicopters, and thus laid the foundations of all commercial use of drones and their huge boom in recent years.

Although movie footage, video or film is the dominant product these days, classical still photography has maintained its place on the market until now. The use of drones makes it possible to shoot from different heights, ranging from a few meters up to 300 meters, and, at the same time, to fix the exact position thanks to the use of GPS. Along with that comes a live image preview at the ground station and remote control of the camera. The load capacity of our drones will allow using even a heavy SLR camera with a high-resolution image sensor. A drone can, for example, carry an electronic flash unit to places where the photographer cannot bring light in any common way (above water surface etc.).

It is possible to use aerial photography in the fields of creative advertising, development projects, visualizations, real estate business, but also as a documentation of the status of diverse objects or units, and also in applied form, as a basis for digital mapping or surface scanning in various spectra, for example. For more information, see Technical Applications below.

VIRTUAL TOURS

Today, virtual tours are a very popular way to convey an interactive view of a landscape or an object in electronic media. We can apply this technology even to aerial shots and thus create unique aerial virtual panoramas that provide a view of a landscape or an interesting place.

We have drones with a programmable camera mount, which can fully automatically take the series of photographs needed to create a spherical panorama. In the same way, we can create a panorama view on the ground or indoors.

To process image data, we use industry-leading professional software tools that translate the panoramic photographs into virtual tours and add further information to them, in the form of descriptions, links and multimedia.

The result can then be easily embedded in web pages, and their browsing is seamless on all types of devices including mobile ones.

CABLE CAM

Speaking of filming from drones, there are situations where, for various reasons, it is not possible or appropriate to make a flight – in a forest amid tree trunks, in studio scenery, at a sports or social event, when a movement needs to be exactly repeated many times, or when the camera is required to move above people.

These are all situations where our cable-suspended camera or cablecam can be used. All you need is two fixed anchor points and a rope tightened between them. The maximum length depends on the quality of the anchor points. The longer the rope, the greater the tension required.

For our cablecam, we use the same gimbal as for our drones and the camera car. It can smoothly and reliably drive with Alexa Mini and Hawk lenses including FIZ control, for example. The resulting image quality is nothing short of perfect. For the cablecam, we also use our proven HD video downlink – the cablecam footage can thus be used for online TV broadcasts and the like.

 

Rope: 200 meter length, 8 mm Dyneema material
Speed ​​range: 2–50 km/h
Maximum payload: 8 kg
Maximum climb: 15 %

BUGGY CAM

Our remotely controlled camera car – the buggycam – provides a completely new way of moving the camera. It allows for an extremely low and dynamic camera angle. The car is equipped with a fully controllable and stabilized three-axis gimbal. It’s the same gimbal that we can use for our drones and the cablecam. Transferring from one vehicle to another is a matter of seconds. The car (just as the cablecam and drones) can carry a whole range of cameras, from Panasonic GH5, Sony A7, through to Alexa Mini or Red.

Using this car, you can put the camera right in the middle of the scene. You will create action shots never seen before – you can get to places where it would be hard or dangerous for a cameraman to go. All of that provided with perfect stability and maneuverability.

CAMERA GIMBALS

A high quality camera mount or gimbal is a key element to creating stable aerial shots without any unwanted vibrations. Therefore, it has been a clear choice for us to use the products of one of the industry leading companies – Gremsy Ltd. Their products combine an excellent quality of the mechanical construction with top-class electronics of the control unit, guaranteeing exceptional mount stability along with a wide range of customization options. We consider innovative Gremsy products to be at the top of the current market offerings and we would like to make them available to other users as well. Therefore, we are their exclusive importer and distributor for the Czech Republic.

We offer Gremsy gimbals in two product lines – H3 and H16. There are two versions available in each line – the full model and EcoFly.

  • The H3 line is designed for popular still cameras also used for video recording, such as Panasonic GH3/4, Sony A7 line, and the like.
  • The H16 line is designed for large movie cameras, such as Alexa Mini, Red Dragon, or Canon C100/C300 movie cameras, and the like. It can also handle smaller cameras, of course.
  • In addition to the gimbal itself, the full model also includes components for using it on the ground, hand-held.
  • The EcoFly version is designed for drone mounting only.

As already mentioned, Gremsy gimbals are characterized by a high-quality, light-weight, yet highly durable construction due to the use of materials such as carbon and duralumin. The mechanical adjustment of the gimbal is quickly and easily accomplished with practical quick-action fasteners in all three axes. Thanks to that, balancing the selected movie or still camera is a matter of a few minutes.

Gimbals work in two modes – lock mode and follow mode. Switching between the modes is accomplished using a button, or remotely in case of using an RC set. PPM, S-bus and Spektrum protocols are supported.

All gimbals are equipped with a Wi-Fi module that allows a tablet or a mobile phone to be connected. A mobile app available for Android, Apple and Windows platforms can then be used for setting up, tuning and controlling the gimbal. In addition, a USB cable connection to a PC is available, of course.

Rich accessories are available for the gimbals, such as a joystick module, transport case, batteries, and a variety of mounting adapters for drones.

If you are interested, do not hesitate to contact us and let us arrange a presentation including a practical demonstration.

Here is the complete range of gimbals and accessories offered.

TECHNICAL APPLICATIONS

Drones are generally in fashion these days, but they also present a very dynamic and fast-growing solution penetrating industry branches and technical applications. At present, drones may be primarily used for creating visual content, but future will see them employed in industrial activities and used instead of human workers or as a more economical alternative to crewed aircraft.

A drone is a versatile carrier, and besides a movie or still camera, other types of data recorders or sensors can be mounted on it. A typical example is mounting a thermal imaging camera, which can provide valuable data about the object being monitored through non-contact temperature measurement. Similarly, multispectral sensors, lidars, and the like can also be mounted on a drone.

Employing this technology opens up new possibilities for using drones in a wide range of activities where deploying drones can be more efficient than using any other technology:

  • monitoring and inspection of solar and wind power stations
  • monitoring of line structures, such as pipelines
  • mapping the Earth’s surface from relatively small heights
  • 3D modeling of the surface, buildings or other objects
  • multispectral analysis

The acquisition of various types of data is just the first phase of the solution, followed by the processing and evaluation of the data obtained. Output can then be maps, 3D model of the landscape or buildings, including volume data, etc.

UAV SALES AND SERVICING

Besides offering services relying on UAVs, Helicam also sells these devices and their accessories. Our long-term experience from working with UAVs reflects in our offer, where you can find high-quality and reliable models of drones that have been personally tested and can be recommended by our team.

In addition to drones as such, we also offer their accessories, spare parts, assembling and test flying the models, as well as their maintenance and servicing. At the heart of our offer there are the proven machines by DJI Innovations, and then the iconic products of the Team Blacksheep, creators of the now legendary Discovery drones and a wide range of top-notch FPV equipment.

We are an official distributor of products by Gremsy top-class gimbals, DJI Innovations drones, Team Blacksheep and other products.

You can find our e-shop here.

FLYING SCHOOL

If you are tempted to become a UAV pilot, we can offer you an opportunity to attend our flying school.

We offer several types of courses led by David Sachl, a professional pilot and cameraman. David is a licensed pilot for UAV, GLD and PG, and he has been flying all sorts of aircraft for many years. At the same time, he is a Cinematography graduate from the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, so he can also train those interested in the job of a UAV camera operator, including basic elements of film composition, shooting, lighting, etc.

Another variant of the course is the preparation for theoretical and practical examinations at the Civil Aviation Authority for obtaining a flying license.

The basic course includes 3 hours of flying and 1-2 hours of theory, and is designed primarily for beginners, but it also has something to offer to intermediate users. The course content can be tailored to the client’s requirements.

We will fly with our smaller multicopters (DJI F450, F550, and the like) in trainer mode, using a “buddy box”. This means that the pupil controls the multicopter with a transmitter that is connected to the trainer’s transmitter. In case of any problems, the trainer can take over control at any time. It is also possible to first let the pupil control only some of the functions, and gradually add more.

More information about our flying school can be found here.

CONSULTATION AND LEGISLATION

Drones are in fashion today, which logically raises questions related to safety and, above all, the legislation governing their operation. We are holders of all the licenses required for the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Czech Republic, including licenses to conduct aerial work.

If you are thinking about operating a drone, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will assist you in obtaining the necessary licenses covering the intended activities. We can also offer the possibility of assembling the operating manuals and the complete documentation for applications to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic. On top of that, we can get you ready for the theoretical and practical exams.

We have been employing unmanned flying equipment and RC models for many years, so we have gained a lot of experience in operating these machines and using them for both commercial and entertainment purposes.

If you are preparing a project where you intend to use drones, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are able to objectively assess the situation and available options, propose a specific solution, or point out possible issues and pitfalls to the UAV deployment under consideration. This kind of analysis can help you significantly reduce the risks associated with your project and avoid a technically inappropriate solution, for example.