MILWAUKEE — It’s a growing trend that’s becoming the preferred way to bring aerial videos to life.
While shooting videos via drone has become more popular in recent years, the use of FPV (first-person view) is taking social media by storm.
You don’t need to look any further than the viral bowling alley video, or the tour of the Dallas Cowboys training facility on HBO’s Hard Knocks.
And at this year’s Ryder Cup, a local company was asked to help deliver engaging videos for fans.
“I worked up a good rapport with the people of Kohler,” said Cody Retlich, CEO of Midwest Aerial Productions. “I ended up being able to fly a bunch of promos for them, as well as the FPV stuff in the clubhouse and on the course.”
That European room 😍#TeamEurope #RyderCup
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 24, 2021
pic.twitter.com/TjLuuk9Fk8
The shot drew a lot of praise on social media, but it took hours of planning and practice to pull off.
“We actually walked around and planned out that flight for about two to three hours before we even got a drone in the air,” Retlich said. “Then we really have to find a central location where we’re not going to be seen in the video, and that we have a good enough signal to be able to fly that distance and not lose signal to the drone.”
He says their time with the trophy was also limited, meaning they had to make every take count.
“We did one practice run,” Retlich said. “After that, it took us three takes. We bumped the trellis on the first one, had some people come in it on another one, and then our pilot just nailed it on the last one.”
The first group approach the signature 12th hole 😍#RyderCup pic.twitter.com/5FJhRLArl8
— Ryder Cup (@rydercup) September 24, 2021
“The biggest thing is just making sure stuff is clean and people aren’t walking through the shot,” Retlich said. “We had four different people staged in different spots of the shot blocking people so that didn’t happen. Looking back at it, there’s probably a few things we might change, but we were burning daylight and had to get it done.”