Many of you have probably seen this short video made using a FPV (first-person view) drone flying like a bee inside a bowling alley in historic Minneapolis. Take a look at the jaw-dropping video named “Right Up Our Alley” and marvel at what is possible when technology lands in the hands of a creative film-maker. The video uses one continuous uninterrupted 87-second take and does not use any digital effects - it’s not CGI.
A drone operator shot a short video in a Minneapolis bowling alley to rally support for the business. It was viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media and won high praise from Hollywood directors. https://t.co/1hzsXQa7ev pic.twitter.com/1SHY1HDy1d— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 11, 2021
A drone operator shot a short video in a Minneapolis bowling alley to rally support for the business. It was viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media and won high praise from Hollywood directors. https://t.co/1hzsXQa7ev pic.twitter.com/1SHY1HDy1d
Here is the YouTube version of the video -
The video is the work of 25-year-old cinematographer Jay Christensen, produced by Minneapolis-based Rally Studios and directed by Anthony Jaska, according to the Star Tribune.
For the filmmakers of a viral video showing a tiny drone swooping through a Minneapolis bowling alley, all the attention comes as a surprise. https://t.co/MGN8QTuST2— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) March 12, 2021
For the filmmakers of a viral video showing a tiny drone swooping through a Minneapolis bowling alley, all the attention comes as a surprise. https://t.co/MGN8QTuST2
The video was shot at Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater in historic Minneapolis. It also has a restaurant, a small theater and a bar that makes “rail cocktails.” It opened in 1936 in a former garage that had serviced Model T Fords.
The video was made as part of a project to document well-known businesses around Minnesota that are threatened by the pandemic, said Brian Heimann, a producer at Rally Studios, the Minneapolis production company that produced it.
From www.startribune.com/… —
Christensen, who lives near Bryant-Lake Bowl, was struck by the destruction and rebuilding taking place on Lake Street following the rioting last spring after George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police. "It made me think, what's the future of Lake Street going to look like?" he asked. "Bryant-Lake Bowl is a staple in the community, and not having it be that way didn't sit well with me." He approached the bowling alley's owner, Erica Gilbert, and explained his idea to show the uniqueness of her venue. She agreed to let them film after hours, which helped maintain COVID safety. Audio was dubbed later, including music by Jay Keller.
Christensen, who lives near Bryant-Lake Bowl, was struck by the destruction and rebuilding taking place on Lake Street following the rioting last spring after George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police.
"It made me think, what's the future of Lake Street going to look like?" he asked. "Bryant-Lake Bowl is a staple in the community, and not having it be that way didn't sit well with me."
He approached the bowling alley's owner, Erica Gilbert, and explained his idea to show the uniqueness of her venue. She agreed to let them film after hours, which helped maintain COVID safety. Audio was dubbed later, including music by Jay Keller.
Creativity
There is lot more to the video than the acrobatic flying and filming. The choreography is immaculate. The scene behind the pins and the glide through the workshop is brilliant. The bowling alley ambiance comes through with the music and the people in the video. None of the “actors” flinched when the drone zipped over their heads or between their legs. There are clever bits of dialogue sprinkled throughout the video. And there is a larger message of community, family and unity for these tough times.
Did you catch the conversation around the 0:53 mark?
The scene from the 1998 film “The Big Lebowski” — watch at the 1:00 mark -
Praise for the video
James Gunn, the creative force behind Disney’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie franchise wrote — “It’s incredible. Oh my God this drone shot is stupendous.” He added — “ I want them to come with us to London later this year when we shoot Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”
Todd Vaziri, a visual-effects artist who has worked on the “Star Trek”, “Star Wars” and “Transformers” movies - “This kind of wonderful photographic innovation adds to the language and vocabulary of cinema.”
Lee Unkrich, director of the award-winning 2017 movie Coco - “This is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. Jaw on the floor..”
More on the making of the video
From www.kare11.com/… —
It all looks effortless in the final video thanks to the work of drone operator Jay Christensen, who says it took about five practice runs, before the team started filming with the actors and movements. "We probably did 10 takes with the camera running," Christensen said. "The first few, the timing was way off and we would get to a certain part and the bowler wouldn't be there, or maybe the drone was a little out of position, so it was cool to see, halfway through the process, how we had to kind of re-structure everything."
It all looks effortless in the final video thanks to the work of drone operator Jay Christensen, who says it took about five practice runs, before the team started filming with the actors and movements.
"We probably did 10 takes with the camera running," Christensen said. "The first few, the timing was way off and we would get to a certain part and the bowler wouldn't be there, or maybe the drone was a little out of position, so it was cool to see, halfway through the process, how we had to kind of re-structure everything."
This one-shot drone video is right up our (bowling) alley 🎳 pic.twitter.com/GPYaALcZFq— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 13, 2021
This one-shot drone video is right up our (bowling) alley 🎳 pic.twitter.com/GPYaALcZFq
Variations and other similar FPV videos
This one is a clever “Star Wars” themed rendition of the video -
Great shot, kid. @JayByrdFilms pic.twitter.com/42J2f4MTj3— ActionMovieDad (@ActionMovieKid) March 11, 2021
Great shot, kid. @JayByrdFilms pic.twitter.com/42J2f4MTj3
This is an incredible movie scene shot using an FPV -
Or hire the guys who shot this for our indie film “Alien Country!” FPV drones is a game changer, but it still comes with some technical challenges! pic.twitter.com/SGgGp3WZFw— Boston McConnaughey (@BattleBoston) March 12, 2021
Or hire the guys who shot this for our indie film “Alien Country!” FPV drones is a game changer, but it still comes with some technical challenges! pic.twitter.com/SGgGp3WZFw
FPVs
FPV systems are quite the rage among hobbyists and professional photographers these days. They are mostly used in aerial and sports photography. There are quite a few models in the market and they can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. It does take a good bit of skill, practice and training to rise to the level of taking such shots while keeping the drone in one piece.
According to Digital Trends, the drone that Christensen used is a Cinewhoop Quadcopter, a small, zippy drone that’s used to capture cinematic footage.
The one below from the world’s biggest consumer drone maker DJI seems quite popular. The full system (drone with camera, controller and VR headset) costs about $1,299.
Let’s escape from the political stressful news for a few moments and enjoy this video this Saturday evening. Who is ready to head out to the nearest bowling alley?
Do any of you have experience with FPVs and drone-based photography? Do you have any suggestions for our community?
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