Dayton film producer buys a UAV

By Thomas Gnau

A Dayton film producer has purchased a helicopter. A very small one.

Niche Productions said Tuesday it will take possession of a “Black Armored Drone” with a gimbal, or pivot mechanism, manufactured by Intuitive Aerial, of Sweden.

Niche Productions owner and filmmaker Allen Farst first saw the drone in Las Vegas in April and was “incredibly impressed with its capabilities,” he said in an announcement.

Farst called the machine the “first 12-blade heavy lift drone” in the United States.

“The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has a full function gimbal and can lift up to 20 pounds, allowing Niche to fly its RED digital cinema rigs, including lens and motors, to control focus, iris and zoom,” the company said.

Niche has made safety and training films for corporate clients and has worked in website design, graphic design, aerial photography and other services.

“We looked closely at a number of aerial helicopter companies and decided that the Black Armored Drone had that extra attention to detail and quality we were looking for to add cinema-quality aerials to our films,” Farst said.

“Allen approached us early on with some creative ideas and opportunities,” said Torkel Danielsson, Intuitive Aerial chief executive.

Niche can use the UAV not only for aerial photography, but also to scan houses, buildings and city blocks to create “natural composite” 3D models that can be used in print, movies, games, and for mobile and tablet apps, the company said.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/business/dayton-film-producer-buys-a-uav/ncGy4/