Recently we received a request to photograph a spectular scenic location set in the Glens of Antrim, from the air. The area is believed to be a suitable site for a new movie production, similar to Game of Thrones. The German based production team supplied us with only a grid reference number and a short information brief, which stated that photographs were required from below 200ft AGL. The grid reference referred to an area in the heart of Cairncastle, Co Antrim, where series 1 of GOT was filmed, an area locally known as Knock Dhu. The Directors responsibility was to minimise and reduce costs for location scouting and associated expensive travel costs. By utilising our aerial photography experience and using an interactive aerial panorama of the scene, he could decide that if the location looked promising, a team of research scouts would be flown across from Germany. Other directors could use the aerial pano as reference no matter where they were located. Until our photography was received the only reference used by the production team was google earth.

Background information had been well researched as we found ourselves at a view point high on the Ulster Way close to Knock Dhu, Cairncastle. Immediately, road access and off road parking was easy, making for a very promising start. In fact almost perfect for a small production team to set up camp for a week or so. It was our time now to capture a truly stunning, highly detailed, aerial panorama of the area from below 200ft AGL. On an almost perfect morning our professional UAV, equiped with the Canon 5DmkIII, was flown into position. A total of 27 high resolution photographs were taken following a 360* rotation of the copter gimbal including the vertical images.  In post production and using very specialised software, all 27 images were processed and the final 360 x 180 degree aerial panorama created.  The result can be viewed by clicking on this link.

Following delivery of the aerial panorama to the production team, feedback has been positively outstanding and we look forward to covering many more locations for their initial phase of movie production throughout Ireland. Certainly for one production team we have been able to help them find a more cost effective solution to location scouting in Northern Ireland.