Written by on Dec 18, 2012. Posted in Production News

Revolver uses helicopter drone to film surfing Santas in Queensland for Aldi

Production company Revolver has used a remote-controlled drone helicopter to film surfing Santas on location in Queensland, Australia, for retailer Aldi. The spot celebrates Australian Christmas as the Santas enjoy the country’s festive sun.

Revolver filmed the Santas in the Noosa region of Queensland, north of Brisbane. Having both north- and south-facing beaches helped the team to cover itself over the five-day shoot.

Aerial shots were filmed using the remote-controlled ‘Heliguy x8’. The device carried a RED Epic camera and allowed the team to get around low-altitude flying restrictions that would have applied to full-size helicopters, as well as removing the need to have a bulky crane on the sand.

Guy Alexander operated the helicopter: “The ‘Heliguy x8’ is a collective configuration of best-of-breed parts from around the globe running on high-powered batteries.

The ‘Heliguy x8’ is a collective configuration of best-of-breed parts from around the globe running on high-powered batteries.

Guy Alexander, Heliguy

He adds: “The state-of-the-art system has taken years of development, with many levels of redundancy such as light sequences showing the voltage levels, GPS navigation system enabling the pilot to flick switches to hold position and 'come-home'; however these are just there as a safety measure as all filming operations are controlled manually and line-of-sight of the pilot.”

Using the Heliguy helped Revolver capture low sweeping shots across the water and steer the focus of the spot back towards the Australian summer.

Credits:
Client: Aldi, Australia
Agency: BMF, Sydney
Executive Creative Directors: Carlos Alija and Laura Sampedro
Agency Producer: Jenny Lee-Archer
Production Company: Revolver, Australia
Producer: Adrian Shapiro
Executive Producer: Michael Ritchie
Aerial filming: Heliguy, Australia
Director of Photography: Tim Tregoning
Director: James Dive - The Glue Society

(Stills: Aaron Crothers)