A Sample of our Videography
Check out our photography and videos on Instagram #FutageX
Serving South Bay Communities and portions of Orange County: Torrance, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, San Pedro, Lomita, Carson, Wilmington, Harbor City, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine and others.
Meet our Chief Remote Pilot in Command
Note: At this time the FAA is delayed in approving some airspace clearance for flights, contact us for details and to get scheduled.
Futage is not a business or entity in itself. In fact, its sole purpose is to inform you of the services available and connect you to a freelance drone pilot (a sole proprietor for hire).
First, to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration’s regulations that dictate the operations of unmanned aircraft in the U.S. airspace (effective since August 29, 2016). Not anyone can legally fly a drone in most locations. The national airspace has many, many restrictions. An FAA Certified Pilot is required to fly in most instances, and aircraft registration is required even if flying a toy quad copter weighing just 0.56 lbs. in your own backyard!
Second, we enjoy what we do, and this produces great results that ultimately benefit you. Note that a 333 exemption is no longer the sole requirement for commercial drone operations.
One of the options: As pilots, we can obtain an on-demand type of liability insurance for up to $1M, purchased at the time of flight via our smart phone for each project. A policy can be emailed to you for verification at that time. Insurance rates begin at $10 / hr. See Verifly for liability insurance details (see sample policy), a location map shows the rates. This hourly insurance cost can be added without markup to your project’s quote. The insurance covers damage that could occur should the aircraft crash into something and cause significant damage or injury.
While safety is a remote pilot’s top priority, the unexpected could occur. We prefer you don’t take legal action against the pilot you’ve just hired. Due to the nature of airborne flight, weather, interference and electronics, a fly-away event could occur. All flights vary and a small amount of risk is involved. If you’re on scene during the flight, we may ask that you be a volunteer Visual Observer to aid the process.
Provided the weather is optimal, filming can take place from as high as 400 feet above the ground’s surface, and within line-of-site. We may also fly as high as 400 ft. above tall structures and within a 400 ft. radius. Keep in mind, most filming is done at the 20 to 80 foot range, this yields the best results. The remote aircraft cannot be flown directly above crowds of people, under a roofed area or above highways or traffic, nor interfere with other forms of transportation or sensitive infrastructure. Client projects include anything from filming a wedding ceremony and reception, real estate listings, roof inspections, commercial property footage to offshore activities over open water. You present the idea, we’ll let you know if it’s obtainable.
There is never an intention to invade anyone’s privacy in the aerial filming we do. We respect everyone’s privacy rights. Our camera angles are very wide and shallow in detail, we don’t have the capability to zoom into anyone’s private yard or window.
Weddings must be filmed without direct flight over people. This means the drone should film from either a distance away or from an angle that is not near or over the guests. Often to the side or behind the bride and groom (opposite the audience). The weather, location and setting dictates the possibilities for safe and legal filming. Drone videography should only be a secondary supplement to the services of traditional videography during the ceremony. Relying on drone videography alone for your most sacred wedding moments could be risky. Think of it as an add-on service. Since noise can be an issue with drones, the drone videography can be conducted just after the ceremony, capturing some unique aerial angles, and fly arounds of the bride and groom.
Price varies with individual pilots. Here’s a rough competitive example: hourly rate per clock hour, anywhere from $150 to $200 per hour. Additionally there are fees for insurance, and setup time. Travel time and expenses may also apply if the project is not local. Fees for a Visual Observer and other Crew Members could apply to certain projects. Consultation charges are also possible. A two hour minimum is usually required by the pilot. An eight hour day could range upwards of $1,000 for a single pilot’s time.
We can’t just spy on people, and we’re not security guards. We can work under permission of local police and authorities, military, port police and other security detail to do just about any aerial videography. Let us know what your needs are and we’ll discuss the options.
Mostly prosumer grade quadcopter’s that film in 4k resolution (DJI Phantom 4). We also have various communication equipment to monitor air bands, and to detect frequency interference.
Flight times average 15 to 20 minutes in duration. Two flights are often achievable within one clock hour rate.
Download links will be emailed to you within 48 hours. Video and photo files are raw in nature, meaning no video grading or editing has been done. Editing services are available for additional fees. We can also post your video on YouTube if you’d like. Videos are provided in a common format, such as .mov, .avi, or .wmv.
Each project must be planned well ahead of time, days or weeks ahead, sometimes longer. FAA permission must first be requested and granted depending on the local airspace before any flying can be done. This approval process could range from a few hours or up to 90 days to obtain. Contact us today to start planning your next project, we’ll explain the details further.
It depends on the situation. If the location is sparse, such as an event in the desert or the ocean, then perhaps. We can’t fly over major popular sporting events. For special projects, feel free to contact us.
We don’t use additional lighting other than the ambient light source, usually the sun. We may use various filters to enhance the picture quality. We don’t fly at night, but we can fly 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset.
No. The 333 exemption was the original workaround for commercial drone operations. This was the only legal alternative prior to August 29, 2016. Today, a Part 107 FAA UAS Pilot Certification is the requirement for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems operations.
Yes and no. The quad copter itself sounds like a weed whacker or giant mosquito buzzing. Once it is higher in the air, the noise tends to dissipate and is less of a disturbance. Audio is not captured while filming. An outdoor wedding for instance could be filmed from above and to the side, or from behind, and not directly over the event or attendees.
In a nutshell, heres the steps: You hire a certified commercial pilot > we meet at a convenient location (usually previewing the site to be filmed, access the location details and return there on a later date) > agree to the terms > sign some papers > arrange the location and time for filming > we request and await final FAA authorization to fly > arrive on scene for setup and weather check > hourly insurance is purchased > the pilot then does the flying and filming > fees are paid to the pilot for services rendered > within hours, video files are available for download or placed on YouTube > request optional editing services if desired.
Check out our photography and videos on Instagram #greghfoto
FAA certified UAS pilots operate under the FAA’s Part 107 regulations. In simple terms, they are certified to fly a drone or quadcopter legally for commercial use, such as filming property listings for real estate agents or wedding events.
Certification is a serious matter, it separates professional operations from hobbyists or backyard enthusiasts. Our pilot’s operations are not what some may call “flying a toy helicopter”. Certified unmanned pilots respect the serious nature of an airborne object within the National Airspace System. Beware: there are rules to flying unmanned aircraft, uncertified persons cannot legally fly in any location at anytime for any purpose.
Remote Pilot Services:
*Note: No flights are allowed directly over people, under roofs, over traffic or sensitive infrastructure. Airspace restrictions and weather will dictate all flight operations, including unforeseen cancellations. Limited weight and cargo restrictions apply. No night time flights will be conducted.
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