Last week, in an announcement that could have far-reaching implications, the Federal Aviation Administration allowed six leading filmmaking companies to make commercial use of drones fitted with cameras. Until now, drones could be used only over the wilderness of Alaska. However, with these flying machines now being allowed to operate over populated regions in the United States, the skies will likely never be the same again.
Film and entertainment companies such as Cirque du Soleil and Disney have already showed great interest in using drones in their productions. Disney, for instance, has made three patent applications for using drones in its outdoor shows. These drones will carry Disney characters’ marionette versions, or be lit-up as a substitute for actual fireworks.
On the other hand, Cirque du Soleil too recently released a video that that showed a man in a ‘flying dance’ performance with 10 ‘quadcopters’.
Computer-generated imagery is currently being felt in Hollywood and companies are vying to gain the first-mover advantage. The use of drones will help these companies generated awe-inspiring footage, ultimately potentially leading to better revenues at the box office.
The new decision by the FAA will boost the use of commercial drones, and unprecedented applications will now emerge from this new opportunity.
Last year, new reports about Amazon testing drones to offer 30-minute delivery on a purchase, created quite a buzz. The service is reportedly being called ‘Amazon Prime Air’. In addition to these big names, there are at least 40 other applications pending with the FAA for the commercial use of drones. Other companies that have been proactively pushing for this cause include Google and Facebook.
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