Hollywood moves closer to widespread use of drones in future filmmaking with The Federal Aviation Administration newest set of proposed guidelines for the use of commercial unmanned aircraft systems, more commonly known as drones.
The new regulations announced by the FAA on Sunday pertain to drones used for non-recreational purposes that are under 55 pounds. Such drones may be flown during daylight hours only, below a height of 500 feet and may only be operated within sight of the operator.
“We have tried to be flexible in writing these rules,” FAA administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement. “We want to maintain today’s outstanding level of aviation safety without placing an undue regulatory burden on an emerging industry.” On a conference call with reporters, Huerta boasted that the FAA had created “the most flexible regime for unmanned aircraft 55 pounds or less that exists anywhere in the world.”
As TheWrap reported in January, drones are not only a cool new tool for filmmakers to use but also represent a huge cost savings for productions that are seeking images from on high, as low as a third of the cost of traditional transport like helicopters.
The day rate for a helicopter can range from $20,000 to $40,000 with crew. Operating a drone with crew can cut costs down to a rate that ranges between $9,000 to $15,000. Elements that affect drone day rates pends the camera, aircraft, crew and location.
Seven companies have been approved to use drones in movie, television and advertising production: Aerial MOB, Astraeus Aerial, Snaproll Media, Vortex Aerial, Pictorvision, HeliVideo Productions and Flying-Cam now have the right to use drones for films, TV and commercials on closed sets.
While filming with drones was legal in other countries and was used on productions such as “Skyfall” and “Harry Potter,” the FAA prohibited the use of drones for commercial U.S. filming until the ban was lifted in September. The government agency is still scrutinizing the process.
In January, the FAA also struck a deal with CNN to come up with best practices for news organizations to use drones in news gathering and reporting.