The best part of this “drone” shot? There was no drone.
The crew was deep in the mountains. Trees packed tight. Zero room for error, so we skipped the heavy zipline rigs and the drone.
Nigel Edwards and crew outstretched 50 feet of lightweight cable, clipped on a small 360 camera, and let it fly. That camera captures everything, so in post we picked the exact angle to tell the story. No hauling 100 pounds of cable cam. No risking a drone in the branches.
Is it perfect? Nope. Cinema cameras still win on lenses and resolution.
But when you’re racing daylight in the mountains, speed, safety, and access are the winners.
At Magnafire we’ve also been testing DIY rigs that let us circle talent without the weight of a cinema body. Same creative intent, lighter footprint.