We are excited to introduce a new weekly series called True Stories. Please read on to learn some details about the projects, and head to our Instagram to watch the story unfold starting Tuesday. If any of them resonate with you, follow us on Instagram and don’t keep us a secret out there!
In the Summer of 2016, True Productions was going through a state of transition. We were looking for new avenues to pursue and help us learn new skills. All summer long, we kept getting calls for drone video, and we would always have to hire a drone pilot, even if it was just for a quick insert shot. By the end of August, it was clear, we should learn how to fly.
Learning
After getting the drone insured and registered with the FCC, Anthony took our brand new DJI Inspire 1 Pro out for a spin. There was a park located by our office in Pilsen, and we slowly took it up, did a slow 360-degree spin and landed. It was amazing! In a matter of 15 minutes, Anthony had mastered the drone. Or…. so, we thought. That weekend, Anthony took it home to show his family our new company skill. On Monday, he showed up at the office with our new drone smashed into pieces. A mishap of the “Return To Home” button caused a collision with a series of branches, and our brand-new gadget was destroyed! There are two big takeaways from this story.
- Always get insurance
- Invest in something that will make you proud
Anthony learned from that mistake, and kept bringing the drone with him on every trip he took. On our Instagram, you will see some rather mundane and clunky footage of a trip to Indiana. Watching the footage, it’s full of mistakes including awkward horizons and not holding on shots long enough, but he was learning. We would never have gotten some of the footage we have today if he wasn’t willing to bring it with him on every trip he went on.
Doing
One can’t expect to pick up a new craft and produce stunning results right away. It’s easy to lose sight of these things because of how much content is created and readily available. behind every image is someone working to better their craft. We are all constantly learning. On our Instagram, you will be able to find an excerpt of our reel. Our full drone reel is located on our website, so please check it out if you are curious of all of the projects we have worked on for companies such as The Home Depot and Jameson Realty. What you won’t see on our reel, however, are all of the mistakes. All the shots that we missed in the flight pattern or were unable to even film because of bad weather. Drones can’t fly in the rain, snow, or even in heavy wind. For every beautiful drone shot, there are countless ones that fail. It is the pursuit of that perfect image that has Anthony always working to be better.
Growing
Recently, Anthony and Jamie went on a trip to Bulgaria. Anthony of course brought the drone with him, hoping to get a few shots while he was there. What he returned with was truly next level. Footage that was so good that we thought the same thing, “we have to do something with this!” On our Instagram we made a travel video of Bulgaria made entirely with drone footage shot from that trip. The quality of footage is so drastically different than what Anthony got in that Indiana footage from 2 ½ years ago. It’s fun to watch them back-to-back and see how he has grown in his craft. Time and effort are necessary to grow at anything worth doing.
Thank you for taking the time to read another of our TRUE Stories. Please continue to follow along on Instagram, and reach out if this story spoke to you.
