The use of drones and the aerial photography they can provide are becoming more and more mainstream in local TV news coverage. And with good reason, as they provide viewers with a point-of-view previously available only via an expensive helicopter. Steady, sweeping, controlled aerial footage from drones can dramatically illustrate the scope of a story […]
The use of drones and the aerial photography they can provide are becoming more and more mainstream in local TV news coverage. And with good reason, as they provide viewers with a point-of-view previously available only via an expensive helicopter.
Steady, sweeping, controlled aerial footage from drones can dramatically illustrate the scope of a story like flooding, a scope that can’t be conveyed with shots from the ground.
The camera attached to a drone has become a captivating way to witness many news stories.
Drones can add significantly to the storytelling, they’re a tool that can differentiate one news operation from the others in the market.
But there’s a lot to consider when thinking about getting a drone in your shop.
Now comes word about one new option from Measure, a provider of drone services — a complete drone tool kit that lets any news organization operate drones themselves with their own people, but Measure provides the support, the equipment, the know-how and the training.
“It’s a very white glove service”, says Jon Ollwerther, Measure’s media VP, who says few can match his experience when it comes to using drones in broadcast for major network news organizations.
“I have probably done more news broadcasting via drone than anybody in the world. I think of the first, let’s call it 20 live broadcasts via drone in America, I was there for 17 of them.”
Ollwerther says Measure’s recent announcement of offering a drone tool kit is a paradigm shift, because “previously this idea of a tool kit didn’t exist.”
And since the announcement a few weeks ago, Ollwerther says there’s been a lot of interest from TV stations and their corporate owners.
“Many stations don’t have the budget to pay for someone to come in and fly every single time they want a single drone shot. So having that reporter or camera person on staff who is trained in how to safely and effectively operate a drone is a great asset.”
What Measure offers is a complete soup-to-nuts, turnkey solution that includes a broadcast-ready drone and camera hardware, a cellular uplink, a pilot training program, flight operations and equipment tracking, maintenance and repair support, regulatory support and discounted insurance.
“We make your headaches go away. We take all the pain that’s associated with flying a drone, the regulatory issues, permitting issues, compliance issues. We take all of that off your plate. Additionally, for the operation itself, we have trained media experts who actually do this and do this for broadcast. So the advantage is you’re working with drone professionals who have been doing this for years now, who actually know how to get the shots that you want to get.”
The most recommended option for the training, says Ollwerther, lasts three days, with one day devoted to classroom work followed by two days of practical flying in the field.
So how much does all this cost?
“That’s a call to find out more information, but it’s surprisingly affordable. I would say that the training itself exceeds industry standards. We have crammed as much as we possibly can safety-wise and operations-wise into this course. Our training practices are recognized as being industry leading.”
NOTE: The video examples of news footage shot with a drone that I used were found online and are intended to show what’s capable using a drone for news coverage. The stations are not associated with Measure in any way.
More information on Measure’s services for the media sector is available at www.measure.com/newsdrone or at [email protected].
Click here to see Measure’s newsgathering reel of drone footage.