Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, ‘Built for the elements’ The movie
‘Built for the elements’ is a non-standard movie filmed in slow motion – 1,200 frames per second – with a high speed Phantom Flex camera. A true technical challenge, it offers stunning images that feature the robustness and the power of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, definitely a one-of-a-kind quadricopter!
The film will premiere May 22 on www.youtube.com/ardrone.
The machine faced with the elements
Lighting in chiaroscuro, a black set whose boundaries aren’t visible… The scenery is arranged.
The singular shapes of the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 appear in a halo of light…
Its engines pushed to their maximum, the quadricopter throws itself in a mad dash during which it has to brave the elements rising up in front of it, like water or fire…
The soundtrack, an astonishing metal rock version of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, highlights the beauty of the images and the power of the flying machine.
Freeze frame
To make such precise images, Parrot used, for the first time, a high-speed HD Phantom Flex camera.
By filming in 1,200 frames per second in 1920X1080 resolution, the camera captured every single detail of a movement, revealing all that was invisible until now.
With this camera, time seems to be suspended; the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 takes on another dimension.
Much more than a movie, ‘Built for the elements’ is a technical feat and a true cinematic experience.
Behind the scenes
Filmed in four days in a 500m² studio near Paris, this one-minute movie required more than four months of preparation!
Parrot surrounded itself with a team of 40 professionals (Parrot engineers, pilots, decorators, lighting engineer, special effects manager…) lead by Director and Producer Ben Elia, and Michel Benjamin, head cameraman who worked with noted French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
Despite its young age, Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is a frequent visitor of movie sets. Hollywood-like blockbusters or independent movies, multi-awarded, Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 remains simple and easy to reach.
For the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, this movie was a great experience, “Cinema is a family story. My brother, Parrot AR.Drone, appeared in several roles on movies and shows like the ‘Smurfs’ and ‘Modern Family’. With this project, I wanted to show what I can do, thanks to my creators and all who encouraged me since the beginning. I think the result is here.”
As a pro, the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 completed all of its own stunts, with no understudy.
Parrot confirmed that no AR.Drone 2.0 were harmed during the filming.
‘Built for the elements’ in figure
- 4 days of filming
- One 500m² set
- 40 people
- 25 AR.Drone 2.0 used (all alive!)
- 20 resin panes
- One 4m² pond
- 2 coffee machines
- 800 coffee tablets
- +200 cans of energy drink
