Drones really are everywhere - in almost all high-quality commercials, films and videos you see there will be some element of aerial cinematography involved. As technology advances and drones get smaller and more powerful, media production is no longer reliant on helicopters to get that unique bird’s eye view. Even if you don't think you need a drone for your next production we have five compelling reasons why you do need to consider adding a drone to your next production!

Drones add amazing views

view of ocean by drone

The first, most obvious, reason why you should use a drone is to add a unique perspective to your production. With orbital views and a limitless reach, a drone can do what no land-based camera can. No need for a crane or spiderman-like camera operator. Technology has made such leaps that now drones can safely lift most high-end production cameras with ease; which for you means more breath-taking shots and majestic panoramic sweeping views. By using drones your audience/ target customers will be treated to some spectacular-looking footage.

Drone hire won't break the production budget

team operating drones

Using drones is much more cost-effective than hiring a helicopter for a shoot. Not only is it much cheaper but you can also fly a drone all day with fewer restrictions. With a helicopter, there will be a limited window to get your ideal shot; but with a drone it's all much simpler. If you have a good drone operator they will be able to switch batteries in and out easily, ensuring that your drone stays in the air and you get the most out of your investment.

Greater mobility

flying drone with sunset in background

Hands-down, drones are more mobile than helicopters and mounted cameras. Over cliff-tops, houses, through arches, over water, and down where the action is happening: drones are highly versatile. The only limit is the skill of the drone and camera operators you employ. You can take awesome moving shots without having to lay down tracks to achieve outstanding footage. The possible perspectives are limited only by your imagination (and the skills of your drone crew).

Did we mention drones are versatile?

drone flying over meadow during sunset

Not only can they swoop and soar more ably than most birds do, but you also have the freedom to change which camera and what lens you are using with ease. With a mounted camera – such as the ones used in helicopter flight - you need a special mounting for each one. The time to land the helicopter and make the changes is considerable when compared to changing the equipment on the drone.

Don't get left behind!

Drones are high-tech and innovative in terms of media production. Drones are no longer the exclusive toys of big-budget movie directors like Lucas and Speilberg. Getting high-quality drone footage is now obtainable for most productions. A good drone operating company will be able to help you pick which drone and camera are best to meet your needs. So to keep your footage looking fresh and cutting edge you need to embrace this new shift towards using drone footage.

Here at LA Media, we've been flying drones for over 8 years! We've flown almost everything there is: from custom built Quads to large heavy lift Octo-copters. So if you have any questions or would like to know a bit more about what we do, e-mail us at louise@lamedia.co.uk or give us a call on 0131 622 0220.

With the iPhone 11 Pro Max, anyone can become a photography superstar. But as great as the camera system on this phone is, I thought...why not try taking it to the next level. 

So ‘Creative shooting...with a few juicy accouterments’  became my mantra and I embarked on a journey to find out how to ‘up my game’.

iPhone 11 Pro Max

The biggest hurdle I faced was knowing where to start - so if you don’t know where to start then let me help you. I was instantly overwhelmed by the number of options to be considered. 

From optics to filters, to stabilizers and so on - there is something for everyone and an option for whatever you need. 

So to save you the leg work and preserve your sanity, I have done the legwork for you and pulled together some of the best add-ons I found. Let’s get into it, shall we?

 

Transform your lens options!

Same lens = same shots = boredom.

Your choice of the lens determines how you will view the world and as a creative you should always be looking to shake things up.

You could try being different from everyone else simply by using a fisheye - it will give you stunning distortions on all your shots.

An anamorphic lens that will make your shots look like those in Star Wars.

A telephoto prime will give you sharp, crystal clear detail on anything you focus on, while a macro will let you capture a close-up of a raindrop on a spider's web.

Any of these lenses will make your shots hugely different from those around you and they are not that expensive to buy.

There are lots of brands and types so whether you're an Instagrammer or a Youtuber - have some fun by transforming your lens collection.

The following M-Series lenses are now part of my own professional gear:

14mm fisheye

58mm telephoto

10mm Macro

1:33 Anamorphic

Each one of these has reshaped what I can do with my iPhone 11 Pro Max and I love it. I recommend that you should check them out.

 

The Transformative Power of Filters

While we all love a sunny day, it’s a challenge when eye-searingly bright sunshine is ruining your images. 

You have to be able to control light if you want to shoot your best. 

You could always move away from the sun... you could change your camera's position and get the sun behind you...or you could just go for delicious ice cream and come back another day, but the better option is -  use a filter.

 

Filters will allow you to take control of bright light situations but it’s important that you understand what a filter does.

They can:

1. reduce the light coming into your camera

2. change your shot's colour when your creative demands it

3. eliminate glare from reflective surfaces like glass and water

Again, I would say there are lots of brands and types out there and with filters quality is important.

For my filters, I went to GOBE – acknowledged specialists in professional quality filters. I bought a 62mm CPL and a 62mm ND 2 – 400.

They were not cheap but are very high quality. I would like to say ‘bring out the sunshine' but I live in Scotland.

Stabilization!

For static shots I've always used a tripod to ensure my iPhone 11 Pro Max was steady while recording...it also allows my hands to be free for more other things - like sweeping away wasps).

However when I’m on the move...either walking, running or riding a bike that's when I want to have smoother shots.

The answer?

‘Stabilization’ - it's how to stop your camera from wobbling around.

The tool that can do this is called a ‘stabilizer’ or ‘gimbal’ and is often quite a small, handheld device into which you sit your phone.

Some simple balancing is required before they work effectively but it's not a very tricky job.

When you have done that you are basically good to go.

The DJI Osmo Mobile 3 - Available from Heliguy for £99 (click the image above to go the Heliguy website)

 

Now you have a stabilizer on your phone the difference will be quite dramatic, transforming your options of how you shoot things.

Apart from the price tag, 6 other things you may want to consider when looking at stabilizers are:

1. Is my phone compatible ?

2. Is it easy to operate?

3. How heavy is it to carry?

4. Are the motors powerful enough for my camera and lens?

5. Do I need to buy counterweights?

6. Operational running time before recharging?

I discovered that with my add-ons rigged onto my iPhone 11 Pro Max that I would need two stabilized setups to cover my options so I went for the ‘DJI Osmo 3’ and the ‘Freely Movi Cinema Robot’.

Check them out... both are truly awesome stabilizers and totally reliable.

The Freefly Movi Cinema Robot - Available for £279 from Heliguy (click the image above to go to the Heliguy website)

 

I went on a great learning curve with all the above and it has taken me time to get the best out of each.

But I'm happy to say I've been using my gear for a while now and I'm delighted with the results I'm getting from working with the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

As a professional filmmaker, I can honestly say that these 3 add-ons have been game-changing and have rekindled and inspired my enthusiasm for shooting with the iPhone 11 Pro max.

I hope they will do the same for you.

Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions or think we got something wrong or simply want to let us know what we missed... e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 622 0220.

In celebration of #LoveTheatreDay 2017, we wanted to share the love with you with these snaps taken behind the scenes at King's Theatre Edinburgh, one of Scotland's most historic and important theatres.

#LoveTheatreDay is a social media phenomenon that celebrates theatre around the world online. The goal is to inspire people to find out more about their local theatre, maybe to consider a career in the arts, and to help build a lifelong habit of attending it.

LA Media was asked to create a promotional video to help promote the restoration. Now 110 years old, the theatre is in dire need of major redevelopment to bring it up to twenty-first-century standards and to meet the needs of modern audiences.

We will share more of this fascinating project with you when it has been released to the general public. For now, though here are a few sneaky behind-the-scenes pictures.

 

The Ceiling Mural

King's Theatre Edinburgh roof mural

Playwright and artist John Byrne created the stunning mural on the ceiling of Edinburgh's King's Theatre. The mural plays on the duality of light and shade and the progression of the day following night. The mural has theatrical motifs and references, including the lines from Jaques' monologue in As You Like it.

 

The Auditorium

Theatre

Although the trust plans to modernise and preserve the building for generations to come they will be keeping the charm and heritage of the Edwardian auditorium.

 

The Fly Loft

King's Theatre Edinburgh fly loft

Welcome to the flies, this is the area above the stage where the theatrical rigging system is kept. This allows a stage crew to (fly) hoist curtains, lights, scenery, stage effects, and sometimes people (think Peter Pan) out the way quickly and quietly. If you suffer vertigo better give this part of the theatre a miss!

King's Theatre Edinburgh fly loft rigging

 

Don’t forget to follow us on: TwitterFacebook, and Instagram for your daily dose of media & drone chat!

 

Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions, e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 622 0220

LA Media is super excited to be part of the BLOODHOUND Project. We will be filming as the world’s most advanced straight-line racing car, the BLOODHOUND SSC is driven for the first time at Cornwall Airport Newquay. This astounding supersonic car was designed and built in the UK with the main aim of inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. All the information about the research, design, build, and testing of BLOODHOUND SSC – the supersonic car – is freely available.

BLOODHOUND SSC

Pictured Above The BLOODHOUND SSC Being Built

 

The plan is that Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, a British Royal Air Force pilot and World Land Speed Record Holder, and his team will run the jet and rocket-powered car at up to 200mph on the main runway of the airport. The car will do this using its EJ200 Eurofighter engine - that is some pretty extreme power right there!

Andy Green Driver of The BLOODHOUND SSC

Wing Commander Andy Green OBE

 

LA Media's Production Team are the jammy bandits who get to go down to Cornwall and film it on behalf of Cisco TV. If all goes swimmingly in Cornwall then Andy and the team will take the car to make its record attempt in South Africa, where it will try to break the 1,000mph barrier and set a new world land speed record.

BLOODHOUND SSC

Pictured Above The BLOODHOUND SSC

 

Here are five fun facts about the Bloodhound SSC

1. It can cross four and a half football pitches in 1 second

2. It's faster than a bullet fired from a Magnum 357

3. At 3,000 degrees centigrade the rocket is twice as hot as the inside of a volcano

4.  At 1000 mph the drag on the car is 20 tons

5. The Bloodhound SSC has 25,000 hp more than the QE2

 

Don't miss out on this historic event, keep clued up by following on Twitter!

@BLOODHOUND_SSC & us @lamedia_uk

Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions, e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 622 0220

 

LA Media has been at the forefront of commercial drone production since drones have been around. Naturally, we were thrilled to be asked by 422.tv, a Glasgow-based production company, to fly drones over Celtic’s iconic football stadium.

This was a historic first in terms of drones, as previously no other drone operation has been allowed to fly over this hallowed football turf!

Making Celtic Drone History

Built-in 1888, Celtic Park is one of the biggest football stadiums in Europe. This was an exciting and challenging project for us. We were tasked with getting a 180 down shot of Celtic Park using our drones.

Our footage would then be used for the end of a video that 422.tv was directing for the marketing team at Celtic Football Club. Brendan Rodgers, former professional football player, and the current Celtic manager was to be featured in the shot too.

Outside Celtic Park

Image by LA Media  'Outside Celtic Park'

 

Too much steel for GSP Goose, I'm switching to Accro

For this shoot, we used our Inspire 1, mounted with our X5R camera. As mentioned earlier this was the first time a drone had been allowed to film inside the Celtic Stadium. Here are some surprises we encountered on location!

Our first surprise was the interference the metal of the stadium had on our drone’s GPS. This meant that our GPS was unreliable and sporadic. Lucky for us we aren’t dependent on GSP and our drone pilot John Banks is an ace at flying in Accro mode. Therefore, this didn’t present us with a problem but it was something we hadn’t thought of before.

Our second surprise was that the 12mm Olympus prime we had on the camera was not enough to get the full width/length of the stadium - top-down, even from 400ft (our legal height limit). To get the whole picture would have required hiring a helicopter!

We needed to rethink the final shot on our feet!Drone Filming Inside Celtic Park

Image by LA Media 'Drone Filming Inside Celtic Park'

Waste not, want not!

So, while some of the team had a rethink about the final shot, the other half of the team kept working and went to capture GV’s in and around the stadium. These GV’s would be used by the Celtic marketing people in various other marketing projects. However, this threw up another surprise, wind!

We quickly became aware of how the wind would swirl around the seating creating a vortex.Statue outside Celtic Park

Image by LA Media 'Statue Outside Celtic Park' 

Don’t crash into the talent!

The final shot agreed upon was for us to fly towards and then over the head of Brendan Rodgers as he was walking off the park and back towards the player’s tunnel. We were to finish on an end frame showing the Celtic stand. With the untrustworthy GPS and random whirlwinds naturally, all were concerned for Brendan’s safety.

When you add people to the drone mix you need to be on your “A” game as you don’t want anyone getting injured. However, the shot went well, Brendan survived and it was used in the final video to end the film.

We’d like to extend a big thank you to all the staff at Celtic who welcomed us into their sacred ground and to the team at 422.tv for giving us the opportunity to fly for them.

 

We hope you enjoyed this blog post! Don’t forget to follow us on: TwitterFacebook and Instagram for your daily dose of media & drone chat!

Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions, e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 622 0220

 

 

 

LA Media recently reunited with Cisco Systems Inc, a multinational technology conglomerate that develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware. We were asked to film a piece about the integration and installation of a Cisco system into one of France's national broadcaster, Canal Plus.

Canal Plus Group SA is a French film and television studio and distributor. Canal Plus or Canal+ translates as  "Channel Plus/More," which is a very apt name for them. It is owned and controlled by Vivendi and has a film library in excess of 5,000 films.

The video we were tasked with making had to show the results of the integration process through the eyes of those at Canal Plus. Watch out for the final version on our website, which will be up at later date. We thought we'd share some of the snaps captured on Justin's phone during the day!

Studio Gallery at Canal Plus

Image by LA Media 'Studio Gallery at Canal Plus'

The Road to Paris

Although LA Media has much of its own equipment in-house, sometimes we link up with our Partner Procam for our technical needs. This time was no exception! Darryl Hewat, at Procam Glasgow, went above and beyond for us at short notice in delivering what we needed for this shoot.

LA Media Team at Airport with Equipment

Image by LA Media 'The Production Team Arriving at Edinburgh Airport' 

 

The phrase travel light moves fast doesn't really apply when you go abroad with equipment. We want to be clear, we aren't sponsored by EasyJet, but we wish we were!

Flying with EasyJet made traveling with copious amounts of camera equipment easy peasy! No headaches and no surprise airport baggage fees.

The outsized baggage handlers were really helpful and polite. Everything was fast and efficient. The self-check-in kiosk was simple enough that even our Director Justin was able to use it all by himself.

Green Screen at Canal Plus Studio

Image by LA Media ' Green Screen at Canal Plus'

Our impressions of  Canal Plus

We were absolutely astounded at how Canal Plus is run. They have three studios and all were busy the entire day. Their turn around was like lighting and they efficiently moved from project to project with ease. Truly a well-oiled machine making good use of studio space.

New CISCO system at Canal Plus

Image by LA Media  'Cisco Systems Installed in the Technical Area'

 

One studio produced a live game-show and a live music show on the same day without a hitch. Another produced a political comedy using spitting-image style puppets and the last studio generated a live children's show. For anyone that doesn't understand the effort that involves it was herculean!

 

Canal Plus studio gallery

Image by LA Media 'Studio Gallery at Canal Plus'

 

We came back feeling really inspired by Canal Plus's work ethic and will definitely be using some of their methods and tricks in the future.

Filming in the Canal Plus studio

Image by LA Media 'Cameraman Andrew Murray hard at work in Canal Plus studio'

 

This is one studio group that really knows how to get some real bang for their buck. Four different formats were produced by three different studios each one an hour in length.

French bagpipers at canal plus studio

Image by LA Media 'French-Scottish Bagpipers not what we were expecting!'

 

This was a really awesome project to work on and we were thrilled to have a chance to have an inside look at Canal Plus's studio space. It was great to team up again with the wonderful people at Cisco. We'd like to send a big thank you out to Procam for being such pros and to EasyJet for making the journey so simple!

 

We hope you enjoyed this blog post! Don’t forget to follow us on: TwitterFacebook and Instagram for your daily dose of media & drone chat!
Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions, e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 622 0220

 

So why video? Well, you know that old saying a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, now the picture has officially been replaced by the video. Facebook users alone watch 8 billion videos per day, that’s one reason that why video is considered one of the best marketing tools a company can have.

Video by LA Media 'Why Video is so Important'

Guess video did kill the radio star after all… however, the facts and figures don’t lie and the bottom line is that video is king. Cisco projects that global Internet traffic from videos will make up 80% of all internet traffic by 2019.

Whether it’s buying a product or trusting a company to deliver a service - people don’t like pushy pitches. They want information so they can make what feels like an informed decision.

Considering that YouTube reaches more 18+-year-olds during prime-time viewing hours than any cable TV network it is hard to ignore the value of video.

An engaging video is a versatile visual asset that can be used in so many ways to improve your brand. That is why in this blog we look at the five reasons why video is going to be a worthwhile asset to add to your company’s marketing strategy.

What video can do for you

1. Use video to improve your sales

Did you know that enjoyment of video ads increase purchase intent by 97 percent and brand association by 139 percent? Another study showed that marketers who used video grew their revenue 49% faster than non-video users.

A video is a great medium to deliver a clear concise message. Instead of asking your customers or stakeholders to read about you, you can show them why you are the top dog. Nowadays, your customers will probably wonder why you don’t have a video!

It has been estimated that at least 55% of people watch videos online every day. So if you don’t have a video online you are missing out on a sizable segment of the market.

According to a report published by Forrester, including video in an email leads to a whopping 200-300 percent increase in click-through rate.

2. Use video to improve your SEO

If you want to improve your website’s ranking then quality original content is key. A good regular blog, a frequently updated website, and a fresh snappy copy will all help to achieve this.

But ever since Google bought YouTube, a high-quality video has become critical for SEO rankings and converting prospects into customers. Websites with video tend to keep users engaged for longer. According to Unbounce by including a video on your homepage you can increase conversion rates by 20 percent or more.

Using visual assets can help improve your SEO

 

In fact, video boosts organic traffic by about 157% from search engines, prompts a 105% increase in time spent on a site, and leads to about 2X the number of conversions compared to a site with no video.

This benefit isn’t limited to your website. As we’ve mentioned this video is an asset! You can also share it via your various social media platforms. It will increase the impact and reach of your video and user engagement, all of which ultimately boost your SEO!

By creating your own YouTube channel and posting your video to your Google+ page you can increase your search engine bump by adding targeted keywords in your video title, tags, and descriptions. An added bonus is you won’t run the risk of being penalised by Google for duplicated content.

3. Extend your reach with a video!

Advertisers on prime-time broadcast TV could have reached 56% more 18-49-year olds by also advertising on YouTube.

Sharing is caring and you are more likely to get a user to share your content if it is a good video! Having a well-shared video or even a viral video is good for your brand.

Use social media to extend your brand reach

 

Research has shown that brand recall and brand association rose 7% among viewers who had been recommended a video versus viewers who found it by browsing.

A video is more likely to get you shares on social media! Social video generates more than 1,200% more shares than text and images alone.

4. Stand out in the crowd

 Cisco project that by 2020 every second, nearly a million minutes of video content will cross the network. Not only is it a powerful medium but you can use it as a tool to differentiate yourself from your competition. Your visual assets are important, they are your chance to showcase your unique company personality, culture, and brand ethos in a relatable way.

Your visual assets are important, they are your chance to showcase your unique company personality, culture, and brand ethos in a relatable way.

A memorable well-crafted video will give you stronger brand recognition than any text can.

According to NIELSEN Wire, 36 percent of online consumers trust video ads. But on the flip side, 61% of users say they have been put off buying a product after watching a bad explainer video.

Stand out from the crowd

This is why you need to get a great production team that understands your needs and delivers a final product that meets your brief.

Did you know that 85% of Facebook video is watched without sound? Your video will need to have excellent visuals and not depend too strongly on a soundtrack.

You should consider the use of some engaging subtitles so your content will be understood without sound too!

Videos need to be punchy and engaging from the moment they start.

5. Improve Communication

According to Animoto, 4 times as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than reading about it.

Videos keep your audience interested, even during boring subject matter! This is why video is such a great tool. It makes complex content more relatable.

why video : it can improve communcation

And while well-written content is effective for many audiences, visual marketing is an even more powerful tool to increase interactions and actions.

After all, it takes less effort to watch a video than to read a text. In summation "We're entering this new golden age of video"  - Mark Zuckerberg on social media sharing and video.

 

We hope that this blog has been enlightening and will help inspire your next project. If you enjoyed this blog don’t forget to follow us on: TwitterFacebook, and Instagram for your daily dose of media & drone chat!

Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions, e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 622 0220

 

 

 

 

 

 

We hope you enjoyed the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as much as we did! Now that it’s all over and we’ve caught our breath, we’d like to share with you what we got up to this year. As always, our production team was very busy during the festival period covering some of the most exciting shows of the Fringe!

Fringe Festival Favourite Fascinating Aida

LA Media was very proud to be asked by the lovely ladies of the totally sold-out hit musical show Fascinating Aida (FA) to make their new DVD. This multi-camera filming event took place in the stunning splendour of the Palais du Variété Spiegeltent, in the Assembly Gardens.

Not only did we capture their hilarious satirical cabaret but we also had great fun filming an interview with them, consisting of questions posed by their fans after a shout-out for questions on Facebook - some random and fabulous questions resulting in some wonderful FA insights and memories. Keep watching the FA Facebook page for their DVD release date, due some time in November. This is one DVD you won't want to miss;  featuring the Edinburgh show, some new songs an apology to Scotland, and awesome extras!

We were also proud to be asked to film the Fringe Festival hit “Brexit at Tiffany’s”, which we filmed for the comedy channel FOXTEL in Australia. Hosted by world-renowned funny-man Stephen K Amos it was an absolutely fantastic event, which we were proud to be a part of.

 

To see awesome behind-the-scenes stills of production be sure to follow/like us on Twitter and Facebook.

Visit our website lamedia.co.uk and if you have any questions, e-mail us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0131 622 0220