An aerial shot either tells the audience something the ground cannot, or it is a postcard the editor eventually cuts.
New Orleans has a look that genuinely cannot be doubled anywhere else, and aerials are how you establish it in one move — the Quarter's roofline, the river's bend, the transition out to bayou. Productions come here for exactly this, which makes the aerial unit central rather than decorative.
We work with directors and DPs the way any other camera department does — in prep, on the shot list, and on set as part of the plan rather than a novelty parked to one side. That means matching the look of your A camera, hitting the same marks take after take, and knowing which moves read on screen and which just show off the aircraft.
Louis Armstrong International sets Class C west of the city, leaving much of the urban core workable with authorization. The river traffic and the helicopter activity supporting offshore operations are the local factors that catch visiting crews out.
Louisiana's incentive program built a real crew base here, and Second Line Stages anchors it. Productions come for a look that cannot be faked anywhere else, which puts a premium on aerial work that actually uses the geography.
We shoot the French Quarter, the river, the bayou, and the Garden District — and we travel. CineDrones works nationwide, so if your production is basing in New Orleans and shooting somewhere else entirely, that is a normal week for us.
Cinema payloads carrying the sensor your show is already shooting, so the aerial cuts against the ground unit without a fight.
Our aerial units have worked on Ozark, Jack Ryan, Bosch, Mayans M.C., SEAL Team, NCIS: New Orleans, Fear the Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Modern Family, 9-1-1, Goliath, The Resident, Raising Dion, Castle Rock, Doctor Sleep and Chef's Table, for Netflix, Amazon, Apple, HBO, Hulu, Showtime, Sony, CBS, AMC, MTV and Bravo. See the work →
That is most of the job. We shoot to match your capture format and color pipeline so the aerial cuts in without a grade fight. If your show is on a specific body, tell us in prep and we will build around it.
Fly low, fly close, fly inside, and cost a fraction. A helicopter still wins on altitude, endurance and long lens work over open ground. Any vendor who tells you drones replaced helicopters entirely is selling you something.
Yes, and it matters. An aerial unit parked to one side as a novelty produces novelty shots. One that sits inside the camera department produces coverage the editor can actually cut with.
AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY — OTHER MARKETS: Albuquerque Atlanta Austin Chicago Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami 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. 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!