Skip to main content

FAA green lights commercial drone use for movie and TV companies

As expected, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday granted permission for a number of movie and TV production companies to use drones in their work.

As things currently stand, the commercial use of drones is severely restricted by the FAA, with Thursday’s ruling the first clear indication that the authority is at long last moving toward a more relaxed policy regarding the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by businesses.

Recommended Videos

Safety OK

Persuaded by the safety reassurances provided by the applicants, regulatory exemptions were granted by the FAA to six production companies, marking the first time that permission has been given to the film and TV industry for the use of UAVs in American airspace.

The companies include, for example, Flying-Cam, which used drones to shoot several sequences for the recent Bond movie, Skyfall.

The freedom to use drones in filming could help to reduce the cost of production budgets, as shots that before would’ve involved the use of helicopters or planes can now be captured using UAVs.

Limitations

However, the green-lighted companies don’t have complete freedom when it comes to operating their flying machines. In an effort to gain permission from the FAA, the application, submitted on behalf of the companies by the Motion Picture Association of America, promised drones would weigh no more than 55 pounds (25 kilograms) and fly only on closed sets.

In addition, the UAVs will go no higher than 400 feet (123 meters) and no faster than 57 mph (92 km/h).

With an increasing number of industries keen to use the relatively new flying technology for their own purposes, Congress has told the FAA to come up with a comprehensive set of UAV rules by September next year.

Until now, the only place in the US where commercial drone flights are taking place is in Alaska, where oil firms have been using the technology to carry out aerial inspections of equipment.

US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx called Thursday’s decision “a significant milestone in broadening commercial unmanned aircraft systems use while ensuring we maintain our world-class safety record in all forms of flight.” Foxx added, “These companies are blazing a trail that others are already following, offering the promise of new advances in agriculture and utility safety and maintenance.”

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Where to watch all the Transformers movies and TV shows
Optimus Prime readies to fight in Transformers.

In 1984, Hasbro and Takara Tomy released Transformers, a robot toy line that can be converted into vehicles, animals, or devices. These transformations explain the toys' tagline, "Robots in Disguise." The toy line then led to an animated series and animated film in the mid-1980s. However, it was not until Michael Bay launched the live-action Transformers film series in 2007 that the franchise eclipsed newfound popularity.

After six live-action films, Transformers is one of the 15 highest-grossing film series with over $4.8 billion worldwide. The seventh film, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, hits theaters on June 9, 2023. Catch up on the Transformers movies and TV shows before heading to the theater.
Where to watch Transformers movies

Read more
Where to watch the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards
Sam and Tara hide behind a shelf in a bodega in Scream 6.

The top films and television shows are set to be honored at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Originally known as the MTV Movie Awards, the show was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards in 2017 to include television (scripted and unscripted). Drew Barrymore (The Drew Barrymore Show) was scheduled to host the show in 2023. However, Barrymore stepped down as host to support the strike involving the Writers Guild of America. The talk show host did commit to hosting the show in 2024.

The nominated films and shows will battle it out to win the trademark "golden popcorn" trophy. The nominees include Top Gun: Maverick, Stranger Things, Wednesday, Scream VI, and The Last of Us. Find out how to watch the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards below!

Read more
I tried ChatGPT to search for TV and movie info, and here’s what I found
ChatGPT intro page.

I’m the type of person who revels in the second screen experience. Any time I’m watching a TV show, I’m also on my laptop or have my phone in hand. Either before, during, or after, I’ll relentlessly search the web for details about said show. Who played that character? Where else have I seen that actor? Where was The White Lotus season 2 filmed? What did that moment in the finale mean?

Google is my default source for this, as is the case with virtually any query one might have on the internet. But ChatGPT has been making waves recently, so I was curious to see how it works and if it was any easier to use or yielded more palatable, easily digestible answers versus pages and pages of search engine results.

Read more