How We Work

Proper preparation is the key to a successful aerial operation. We listen and communicate with producers, directors and DPs in pre-production, and we research locations, weather conditions, FAA regulations and technical needs prior to the shoot.
We are very experienced cinematographers.
We will attend pre-production meetings, advise you about the operation, and obtain necessary FAA Flight Authorizations. We can work directly with your director and DP, or as an independent aerial unit. As veteran cinematographers, we are great collaborators to help producers create their stories.

The FilmFlight Team

Drone operations require a top notch team. Our team has a long history in filmmaking, aeronautical knowledge, and miniature aircraft. We follow all FAA Part 107 regulations, we train extensively together as a team and conduct rehearsal flights before every mission.

Roger Grange

chief pilot, director of operations
Roger has been interested in aviation and photography all his life. With many years of experience flying miniature aircraft, drone cinematography joins these 2 interests to provide customers with reliable drone services and excellent aerial storytelling.

JC Schlageter

gimbal operator
JC and Roger have worked together on conventional film shoots for decades. JC also has a long interest in model and full scale aviation, and is a top notch technician and creative gimbal operator. He'll soon have his part 107 remote pilot certificate.

David Sperling

licensed pilot, gimbal operator
Roger worked for several years as Dave's assistant camera, and they have continued to work together on multi-camera film shoots for many years. Dave is a great supportive team member and has pilot experience as well. He is a very creative camera operator on the drone team.

Jonathan Bell

licensed pilot, gimbal operator
Jonathan has worked on multi-camera film shoots with both Roger and JC for many years. He has also flown model planes for decades and his own cinema drone for several years. He is a fantastic visual observer and solid operator, and will soon have his remote pilot certification.

DJI Inspire 2

the main aircraft

Chris Varga

visual observer, licensed private pilot
Chris is a licensed private pilot in the New York City region and therefore has great aeronautical knowledge. He also has worked for decades as a dolly grip, electric and gaffer, and provides our team with engineering and aviation knowlege. He is safety oriented and a great communicator

WORKING WITH THE FILMFLIGHT TEAM

We generally work as a 3 person crew to execute complex shots, work safely and efficiently, and comply with FAA regulations. This system keeps us safe, and makes your shoot go smoothly. For very simple shots, especially in rural areas and away from airports, we can sometimes work with a 1 or 2 person crew if the budget requires it.

We research National Airspace restrictions for each flight and obtain airspace authorization when required.
Airspace authorizations can take time. We'll need to know precise locations where your drone operation will take place in order to get clearance for flights.

Our services and equipment in the drone space:

Conventional filming on the same day as an aerial shoot, depending on workload.
Part 107 remote pilot certificate with small UAS rating. (UAS = Unmanned Aircraft System).
FAA approved for night time operations!
A full drone squadron: 2 Inspire 2 aircraft, 2 Zenmuse X5s 5K cameras with a full set of lenses, many batteries, controllers, recording media.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro small drone with 4K camera.
Various monitoring options, support equipment
Aviation Liability and Hull Insurance
Airspace and regulatory research with regard to drone operations.
FAA Airspace Authorizations: some of which are instant, but others may take several weeks. We have never failed to get an authorization for a flight.
Safety protocols and pre-flight safety meetings.
Post shoot digital data wrangling and data verification.
Aerial still photography, industrial and construction aerial inspections.

grangecam@gmail.com