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This week’s featured image. Brisbane from Toowong. Head to www.stockphotosaustralia.com.au and search 10378 to purchase it or many others like it instantly.

We recently helped shoot the aerial component of this TVC for Mark Toia and Zoom TV. Shea piloted our Inspire 2 and Mark was on the camera. Even though the weather wasn’t ideal, Mark made the finished product look unreal!

HSV SPORTSCAT – Directed and shot by MARK TOIA. from Mark Toia on Vimeo.

As this year comes towards a close, we thought it would be a good time to look back on some of the exciting projects we were a part of in 2018.

 

 

The year started with an international shoot in Nauru, or as the locals call it – ‘The Pleasant Island.’ We were commissioned by an Indian company – Sterling and Wilson to shoot photos and video of two newly installed 3MW Generators and the associated Switchgear. This was one of their most challenging projects from a logistical standpoint and they wanted to document the finished product. We traveled over with two drones (redundancy) and our ground camera gear.  We stayed at ‘Budapest Hotel’ located on the opposite side of the country to the location of the newly installed power station. The trip around the entire coast of Nauru can be made in 20 minutes, we figured a 10-minute commute to the site was reasonable.

 

Panorama of Nauru captured by drone

 

Over the course of the year, we have done many drone shoots for Television Commercials. Our Inspire 2 drone with the X5S camera system gives production companies the versatility they desire with high bit rate footage that cuts in with RED ground-based cameras very nicely.  Shooting all over SEQ and northern NSW for Isuzu, we have had the pleasure of working in some of the regions most spectacular locations, with some incredibly talented directors, producers, and precision drivers. Not to mention the rest of the huge crew required to create these engaging and emotive commercials. Below are some screen grabs from a few of our shots posted on the Isuzu Ute Youtube channel.

Lennox Head

Hastings Point

Lake Moogerah

Mount Alford

Witheren

 

This year we have also been involved in many film shoots that require large gimbals mounted to helicopters. We have utilised the Shotover F1, GSS and Cineflex Elite. Each of these helicopter gimbal systems has their pros and cons, however the Cineflex Elite stood out to us a great gimbal that could travel relatively easy, and also has the pedigree and capabilities that our clients require for high-end film work. In August we took the leap, traveling to California in the United States to purchase our own system to have in-house. Equipped with an Arri M, this is the first 5 – axis gimbal system in QLD to support 4K video output. We are also working on some research and development of the system that we will be excited to share more on in the near future.

Our Cineflex Elite with Arri M & Canon 30-300mm Lens

A helicopter gimbal job that stood out this year was a television commercial we shot working together with Brisbane’s’ Brother and Co and Cartel for the University of Southern Queensland. This TVC required very precise orthographic shots in a variety of locations with a Gimbal Operator(Anthony), DOP, Director, Camera Assistant and Client on board the helicopter. Below are some frame grabs from this 30-sec cut that was the initial release from the ‘Become more’campaign.

 

This year we also achieved another milestone for our drone ops in Brisbane CBD, successfully being granted permission from CASA and Air Services to operate above 400ft to take view perspective view photography for the new residential tower – The One, located in the new Brisbane Quater development. This approval process was very involved and took over 6 weeks, however flying the drone legally at over 700ft AGL in Brisbane CBD was worth the effort. For this Job we also shot a 360-degree panorama of the top level at dusk with the helicopter, doing this with a drone with the current regulations would not have been achievable. Below are some of the images that were captured from the drone and heli.

Dusk Panorama Shot in a Robinson R44 Helicopter

Drone – Recently Completed W Hotel. 

Drone – Flying high over the CBD

 

We were also lucky to be involved with shooting render back-plate and spherical panoramas for Brisbane’s new Queens Wharf development. We shot on a stunning evening where 1 William Street lit up, looking absolutely spectacular! Below is one of the frames from a spherical panorama that was captured.

This year our work has spanned most of the country. Whether it was shooting 6K Shotover F1 helicopter gimbal footage of the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, drone video of agricultural equipment being offloaded at Fremantle Port in Western Australia or 450MP Spherical panoramas for Virtual Reality in Victoria, clients are happy to send us great distances if it means getting the shots they require to the standard they require, on the first shoot.

We are looking forward to the next year of challenging and exciting projects, where we continue to strive to capture stunning photos and video on time and to brief. See you on your next project.