You are not hiring a drone. You are hiring the person flying it, the person pulling focus off it, and the paperwork that lets it leave the ground.
Every producer in Los Angeles already has a drone operator's number. The reason they change is almost never the reel — it is a unit that showed up without the FilmLA paperwork, or that could not get authorization inside the LAX shelf and said so on the morning of the shoot. We arrive with the authorization already filed and the insurance certificate already in the production office.
A CineDrones operator arrives as a unit, not a hobbyist with a case. FAA Part 107 certificated pilot, dedicated camera operator on the gimbal where the shot calls for it, visual observer, and the authorizations filed before the call sheet locks. We have worked on sets since 2013, which mostly means we know when not to fly — when the AD is behind, when the light is about to go, when the shot is better served by staying out of the way.
Film permits for the City and County of Los Angeles run through FilmLA, and a drone unit adds requirements a ground-only permit does not carry. Nearly everything worth shooting also sits inside the Thirty Mile Zone, which changes how your day is budgeted before a single rotor turns.
Los Angeles has the deepest crew pool anywhere, which cuts both ways: you can staff a second unit same-day, and every vendor you are competing with can too. Traffic is the real scheduling variable — a company move across the basin at the wrong hour costs more of the day than the setup does.
We shoot the Hollywood sign, downtown, the coastline from Malibu to Palos Verdes, and the studio lots — and we travel. CineDrones works nationwide, so if your production is basing in Los Angeles and shooting somewhere else entirely, that is a normal week for us.
DRONE OPERATOR — OTHER MARKETS: Albuquerque Atlanta Austin Chicago Las Vegas Miami New Orleans New York Salt Lake City
Get ready to elevate your production to new heights with CineDrones! Operating in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Albuquerque, Austin, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Salt Lake City, and New Orleans, we bring the power of cutting-edge drone technology to every project. Whether you're capturing breathtaking aerial footage, thrilling FPV shots, or immersive drone-based virtual reality, our expert teams of FAA-certified pilots, aerial camera pros, and drone techs have you covered. From inspections to mapping, even drone deliveries—CineDrones does it all. Fully compliant with Part 107 regulations and protected by a $5M aviation liability policy, we guarantee precision, safety, and creativity. Plus, with Local 600 union and non-union crews available, we’re ready to deliver jaw-dropping results wherever you need them!