Most drone companies are one pilot and a marketing site. Productions find out which is which on the day.
Utah's appeal is terrain, and terrain is what makes the flying hard. Density altitude in the mountains cuts payload capacity and endurance, canyon winds are unpredictable, and conditions change with elevation on the same shoot day. A drone company here is judged on aircraft selection.
CineDrones has been a working aerial department since 2013, with the depth to put multiple units on a show and the insurance and permitting infrastructure a studio production office needs before it can hire you at all. We handle it end to end: airspace authorization, permits, the shoot itself, and delivery in whatever format post is expecting.
The Utah Film Commission coordinates statewide. The critical thing here is federal land: drones are prohibited from launching, landing or operating within National Park Service units, which rules out the parks most productions arrive expecting to shoot. Knowing where the boundary sits, and what is legal just outside it, is the whole job.
Salt Lake City International sets Class B over the valley, and terrain does the rest. Mountain flying brings density altitude, sudden wind and canyon effects that meaningfully change what a drone can lift and how long it can stay up. This is the market where aircraft selection matters most.
We shoot the Wasatch range, the salt flats, the canyons, and the valley — and we travel. CineDrones works nationwide, so if your production is basing in Salt Lake City and shooting somewhere else entirely, that is a normal week for us.
A full toolkit rather than one aircraft: cinema payloads, FPV, heavy lift, prop and stunt builds, and aerial lighting.
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 →
It is a procurement process, not a creative one. Risk management reviews your insurance, safety record and operating procedures before a production office is allowed to hire you. We have been through it with the majors since 2013.
Yes. Multi-unit days are normal for us, and having a second aircraft on standby is often cheaper than losing an hour to a battery swap or a downed aircraft.
A $5M aviation liability policy, with certificates issued to the production naming whoever your legal department needs named. That is usually the first question a UPM asks and the one that ends most conversations with smaller vendors.
DRONE COMPANY — OTHER MARKETS: Albuquerque Atlanta Austin Chicago Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami New Orleans New York
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!