Aerial/helicopter shot

[fernando97echeverria]

Now, before you start laughing at me.

There is a brief, 5-second aerial (completely overhead, like 2-D) shot over a school in my feature script, Shadowed, which I intend on filming as a debut. It adds to the disorientingness of a specific montage, set to "The Youth" by MGMT:

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL- MORNING

A soaring, aerial view of the school as students pile in.

The question is, how would I be able to at least get close to access to a helicopter shoot? How much would it cost for someone to do it- and how could I pull strings to do it?

I understand how naive this must sound, and I know how I'm way too young/inexperienced to get such a complex shot, but I really feel like if this was at least within reach, I should go for it.

For any references, I live in the DFW, Texas area.

 

[moonshieldmedia]

Look into a remote control helicopter with a camera mount. You can even hire pilots/camera operators who know how to get the shot you need.

 

[Zensteve]

1) Go down to Fry's and buy a radio-controlled helicopter for $90.

2) Strap a GoPro Hero to the 'copter, or similar beat-em-up camera

3) ????

4) Profit.

 

[fernando97echeverria]

 

[2001 Productions]

Does it have to be from a helicopter? Even if you could afford to rent one to get the shot, it probably won't have a gyro camera mount (unless you've got the really big bucks to spend). Plus, you're liable to run into FAA issues, depending on how close you intend to get to the school. The logistics involved in arranging this are potentially huge.

As an alternative, could you rent a tall crane or bucket truck and use a wide-angle lens? Way cheaper and easier.

 

[Zensteve]

Fine, go buy some stock footage then.

Saves you the trouble of having to get insurance, film permit, school coordination, etc which will prolly get more trouble than it's worth pretty fast for a 5-second shot.

 

[knightly]

It'll be f'ing expensive to get permission to turn a school into a low altitude fly zone. You'll also have to get the school board and the parents to sign off on it. Good Luck. I'd say google maps as a panning shot... then comp actors filmed against a green floor from a ladder into it and make them tiny.

Or, get permission ($$$), Insurance ($$$), Actors ($$$), Pilot + Helicopter ($$$)... You get the drift... that's more of a holly wood thing and helps explain some of the budgets we laugh at, but secretly wish we had

 

[directorik]

Seriously?

You get two responses right away and THIS is what you post? After only 40 minutes?

 

[2001 Productions]

Those remote helicams are friggin' awesome! Saw one on the behind-the-scenes for Herzog's Cave of Dreams doc. The shots he got were truly astonishing!

 

[LasVegasIRA]

I'd do it the cheeeep-y way and mount a flip camera to a bunch of helium balloons that are tied to a guide string.

 

[knightly]

2 guide strings would allow you to keep the camera from spinning.

 

[LasVegasIRA]

Right. Sorry, I mis-typed that!

Thanks!

 

[Lucky Hardwood]

If you really want to do the shot from a helicopter, go to Love Field and chat up the chopper jockeys on the weekend. A buddy of mine is whirlybird pilot and will take people up for the cost of operation (about $150.00 hr), which isn't cheap but if you MUST get the shot it's a hell of a lot less expensive than hiring a film pilot.