If you thought you were getting good with your drone by flying it through an open window without crashing, then check out the remarkable footage (above) captured by filmmaker and expert drone pilot Jay Christensen of Minnesota-based Rally Studios.
The stunning sequence, shot at Bryant Lake Bowl and Theater in Minneapolis, was shot with a first-person-view (FPV) Cinewhoop quadcopter, a type of drone that’s smaller and more stable than many regular FPV devices, and used, as the name suggests, to capture cinematic footage.
The film starts with an aerial shot outside the bowling alley before swooping in through the door and out over the bowling lanes. But that’s not all. Demonstrating astonishing skills to create the 90-second clip, the footage takes you behind the bowling lanes and through the machinery that puts the pins down before continuing with a grand tour of the entertainment facility.
The skit is beautifully choreographed, too, with the clientele making carefully timed moves as the drone flies past, while the specially recorded audio track perfectly captures the atmosphere of the place.
But perhaps the most remarkable thing about the impressive short film is that Christensen only started flying the Cinewhoop drone last June, revealing on Instagram that he was “absolutely terrible” at it for a whole three months. The now-skillful drone pilot added that it “took a lot of tries” to nail the final sequence.
FPV drones, known for their speed and agility, have been thrust into the spotlight in recent days after drone giant DJI launched its first-ever FPV machine last week. While the $1,299 machine isn’t really aimed at FPV aficionados, it could prove popular with DJI fans already familiar with the company’s Mavic drones and who like the idea of adding some speed to their drone shots.
As for Christensen’s incredible drone flight, can you guess what happens at the end? Well, let’s put it this way, it’s very fitting for a bowling alley, and though it may look as if the dramatic climax must surely have destroyed the drone, the flying machine apparently survived.
