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The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic after the virus spread to more than 100 countries on six continents. No illness in this generation has ever had such a catastrophic effect on the routine of our daily lives.

What’s more, in the spring of 2020, Harvard researchers released a report that social distancing may be set to continue until 2022 in some countries. The UAE took the pandemic very seriously, with social distancing set at two metres – double the standard recommended by the WHO. And with a mortality rate that’s many times lower than the UK and Spain, it’s clear that such preventative measures worked.

But what does social distancing, and the pandemic in general, mean for businesses? Well, many businesses have had to adopt new procedures and strategies to continue operating during COVID-19. Almost every sector has been hit. This includes film production.

Why Film Production Has Been Affected By COVID-19

You don’t have to be a scientific genius to see that film production is one sector that will struggle during the outbreak of a pandemic. Different people get together and work in close proximity to create sales marketing or a piece of art that captures the interest of the public.

One film or TV set will have actors, a director, an assistant director, production manager, camera person, art director, gaffer, screenwriter… the list goes on – and the bigger the production, the more people they’ll likely be on set.

With such a wide pool of people, is it any surprise that film and TV productions have been halted or shelved indefinitely? After all, you’re not going to find the most experienced, learned, or talented people living in the same house, are you?

But what about marketing videos? Well, as with film production, marketing videos tend to require the expertise of a wealth of different people. Sure, drone filming companies in Dubai can capture sublime video, but then you need story boarders, studio access, editors, maybe animators… again, the list goes on.
But wait. Hang on a second. Using drones to capture film doesn’t require a crew, chartering a small aircraft or helicopter or an astronomical financial outlay. It requires a drone operator and video editors who can work remotely. Does that mean that I can use a drone filming company in UAE to film essential video – yes. Provided they are offering their service in lockdown!

How Drones Are Being Used in Quarantine

You could argue that there’s never been a better time for drones to emerge from the clouds and make all our lives easier. Need a delivery? Many companies are working with skeleton staff. Cue the ability for drones to deliver packages to people across the UAE – or the world.

According to reports in the New York Times, New Yorkers have been introduced to the ‘Anti-COVID Volunteer Drone Task Force.’ Their purpose? To scan the streets below and encourage people to maintain their social distance whilst promoting positive messages of ‘please help stop the spread of this virus’ and ‘reduce the death toll and help save lives.’

In China, drones have been used to reinforce restrictions – albeit in a fun way. Hovering above, drones have been known to say, ‘this drone is speaking to you, sir’ and ‘you shouldn’t walk about without wearing a mask.’ Not a bad way to enforce restrictions, but better still, China has been using drones to scan for fevers of people below!

Then there’s Rwanda where drones are being used to deliver medical supplies to hospitals. At a time when any shortage of medical supplies could be catastrophic, drones have come to the rescue of people suffering myriad of illnesses.

But what about film production? Well, the world may just be steadily picking up momentum after being ground to a halt for the last three months, but drone filming has remained a fixture even during COVID-19. Why? Well, let’s look at why drone film production is booming.

Drone Film Production in Dubai

Arguably, the key to understanding the benefit of drone filming during a pandemic can be encapsulated by a single word: remote. Anyone can film picturesque land or cityscapes in HD 4K with their drone – at up to 10 miles away, far from the epicentre of the outbreak and, more importantly, without a camera crew.

The best drones are, it would seem, custom-built for film production during a pandemic. All operators need to do is to set a flight path to get to and survey a location and fly their drone there. Droning in Dubai in 2021 is as popular as ever and the trend is probably only going to continue upwards.

There’s no need for hiring an expensive helicopter or small aircraft and camera crew just to capture the exquisite sand dunes of Dubai’s deserts or marvel at the neon marvel of cityscapes. Just commission one of the drone filming companies in Dubai, like Sky Vision, and you can be assured of awe-inspiring results.

Then there’s cost. With the global economy falling by 20% during the pandemic, many businesses would be forgiven for tightening their belts. But what if you need videos that don’t just pique attention but demand it? Are you going to hire a helicopter for the film production? Unlikely. Highly unlikely.

Hiring a small aircraft is expensive. Awfully expensive, even in times of economic boom or when a business has notable retained profit and therefore a healthy budget to film a corporate video. Hiring a drone filming company in UAE will save you money – and help you to create stellar marketing material.

The same goes for film and TV production. Those inspiring overhead shots of a landscape; one’s where viewer can immerse themselves in the story can be achieved with a drone. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that of all the Hollywood movies you watch with such shots, most, if not all, are achieved with drones and all films and TV shows have a budget, right?

Lastly, one of most impactful and therefore sought-after ways of filming is the 360-degree panoramic shot, especially in movies, TV, and adverts. Why? It’s how you show the audience scope.

In times passed getting this type of shot was difficult for drones and required cameras with expensive rotating rigs. Not any longer. Most good drones today are equipped with a gimbal that allows users to take 360-degree, panoramic shots, and videos with ease. This vastly improves production value of any movie, TV show or even video advertisement, adding much needed perspective and context. Best of all, these shots can be captured by anyone with a good working knowledge of drone videography, adding something that cannot be underestimated to all videos – value.

In the end, who knows how long restrictions will last? It could be another month or two, or it could be 18 months – 2 years as the WHO has said. What we do know is that humans are adaptable. We can create technology to solve problems. Drone videography is an example of this… as are all the other ways that drones have been used during quarantine to help people.

Let’s kickstart the global economy and not let the virus hold back our ambitions. Regardless of the nature of why you may need to hire a drone filming company in Dubai, don’t delay! Let’s resume film and TV production. Let’s create inspiring commercial videos. Let’s get back to normal.

There’s a big difference between a commercial drone operator like Sky Vision and someone with a DJI Mavic Mini who’s just tooling around in the garden. It’s like watching a match between Roger Federer and a member of your local tennis club. There’s a Grand Canyon sized gulf in expertise.

Today, there are more drone pilots operating across the UAE than ever before. What was once seen as a hobby has now become a viable career path, and it’s not hard to see why. Demand is increasing all the time, and with entry level salaries starting at 125,000 Dirhams per year and senior pilots able to take home 220,000 Dirhams plus a bonus every year, it’s not hard to see why.

Are you a drone pilot with twenty hours of flying experience under your belt and want to see your career take off? If so, keep reading to learn our essential advice. First up is the most important factor.

Professional Drone Operators in Dubai Get their Drone’s Serviced

You need to make sure that your drone is always in tip-top condition; you need to service it regularly. Think about it this way, what if you have a hardware problem and you don’t even know it? You could lose control of the drone mid-flight and crash to the ground!

There are some amazing buildings in Dubai and the rest of the UAE. There have been multiple occasions when unprofessional drone operators have crashed into even the most famous of buildings. There is no quicker way to lose your licence than to have a mechanical failure cause an incident.

There’s a plethora of ways that you can get your drone serviced, but the best way to do it is to take it to a professional drone servicing company, equipped to perform comprehensive servicing. This ensures that you get the right certification.

Why would you choose a dubious drone servicing company? You could end up coming back in a week or month with the same problem? Don’t cut corners when it comes to drone safety in Dubai.

How to Be Professional Drone Operators in the UAE

Buy a Spare Drone

Now, here us out. You’ve got one drone, why would you buy another? Well, if you can it’s important for professional drone pilots to have a back-up in the same way that it’s important for remote workers to have a spare laptop.

What would happen if you had a booking, let’s say your dream job, and you arrive only to find that your ever reliable DJI just isn’t working? Well, for starters, you can kiss goodbye to being paid. Also, if you’re forced to cancel a job on short notice it doesn’t look good. Would anyone hire a drone pilot in UAE and Dubai with a reputation for cancelling jobs?

The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom or Parrot Anafi are often considered good back-up drones if you don’t want to break the bank. If money’s no object, you could have a DJI Inspire 2 or, if you really want to splash out, you could choose to buy two of the DJI Matrice 210 drones.

Learn Video Editing Software

Now here us out, you don’t need to turn yourself into a video editing whizz overnight, but if you’re one of those drone operators in UAE that wants to create stellar videos for clients, understanding how to use video editing software is a must.

You can always present clients with raw footage, but wouldn’t it be much better to shoot and edit a video yourself and then present it to your client?

Thankfully, there’s a handful of software programs that are intuitive and easy to master with a little practice. If you’re stuck, you can always visit skillshare.com where you’ll find classes that teach your everything you need to know about video editing.

Better still, there are drone apps, like DJI GO that have basic editing software that you can use on the go. Want a tip from us? Don’t just shoot aerial footage, capture ground images too! This will give all your videos an interesting dynamic.

Carry Spare Parts

All drone pilots have accidents, whether you’ve less than ten hours flying experience under your belt or have spent hundreds of hours flying your drone in the sky. Accidents can cause damage to the propeller, gimbal, camera or just about any part of your drone, so it makes sense to carry spare parts, right?

Remember too, you won’t be able to soar in the skies for more than five or ten minutes without sufficiently charged and spare batteries. Even top of the range drones have limited flight times and entry level drone batteries only last between 20-30 minutes. What if you’re intending to fly in the sky for hours at a time? Well, you need to bring spare batteries for your planned flight time.

Also, don’t forget to carry any tools that you may need to do any repairs. On any given flight, you could have a collision and you don’t want to cancel the flight and go home just because you don’t have the tools needed to make a few adjustments and get back in the sky!

Practice, Practice, Practice

Now, if you’re thinking of flying a drone professionally, the odds are that you’re quite good compared to most drone operators in Dubai. But there’s a difference between being proficient and being an expert. And, if you want to get the good flying gigs, you must be an expert.

Like anything else, the only way to become an expert drone pilot is to practice, practice, practice. This means getting out there any flying as often as possible. Challenge yourself, always seek to hone your techniques, be bold.

If you’re intent on becoming the best drone pilot that you can be, you can use a drone simulator like DJI GO to hone your skills in intelligent flight mode. Remember, even Tiger Woods, arguably, the best golfer who’s ever lived, has worked with a coach throughout his entire career to be the best that he can be!

Advice to Follow to Become Great Drone Operators in UAE

The bottom line is that there are a handful things that not just novice drone operators can do to elevate their expertise. If you take the attitude that you’re always looking to hone your craft, you’ll have the right attitude, and will hopefully evolve into one of the best drone pilots around.

Interesting in learning more about why Sky Vision is the go-to drone business in Dubai and across the UAE? Contact us today!

In July 2020, Dubai issued a new law under the directive of Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum which it says will reduce risk and help further cement the UAE’s position as a world-leader in drone activity and innovation. Innovation and Vision in the UAE  is also being highlighted for 2021.

Already a hub of drone manufacturing, smart transportation and innovation, the drone industry in the UAE is set to continue to soar as the decade unfolds. The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) will continue to oversee the new initiative which will monitor and control all drone activity in their designated airspace, implementing evolving safety measures.

Better measures will be put in place to manage the loss of drones and the DCAA, in coordination with the Dubai Police, will allow government agencies to use continue to use drones for enhanced security, surveillance, rescue and firefighting, in addition to other applications that are in the public interest.

What does this mean? Drone companies in the UAE are viewed as vital to the technological infrastructure of the city-state, and indeed the whole of the UAE.

Continue reading below to learn how drones are changing the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us in the UAE.

The Rise and Rise of eCommerce in the UAE

Anyone using the Internet can see that ecommerce has blossomed over the last decade. Amazon has proven that there is a massive global appetite for shipping online. It’s believed that the company will be worth more than a $1 trillion in just five short years and, at the end of August 2020, founder Jeff Bezos was the first person in history to have a net worth of over $200 billion.

Somewhat fuelling our unquenchable desire for online shopping is the current Covid-19 crisis. In the midst of global lockdowns and social distancing, people have become more reliant than ever on the Internet to buy essentials.

It seems that the days of bricks and mortar shopping are over. Companies have changed their business model completely, with many now operating exclusively online. What does this mean? Couriers and retail outlets have been placed under additional strain to deliver products to customers. Fortunately, there is a solution.

Drone Deliveries in the UAE

Dubai is spearheading a new attitude to delivery and couriering services. Amazon Prime Air has will potentially challenge the status quo, proving that a drone service in the UAE doesn’t have to be limited to monitoring or videography.

Given the mounting strain on couriers and that it’s unlikely that we’re going to get back to how things were prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, it seems logical for drones to become increasingly important to couriering in the months and years to come.

Amazon Prime Air may well be the future. With the promise to deliver packages in 30 minutes or less, the service will greatly appeal to consumers, not only in the UAE but, across the globe, something that’s both efficient and environmentally friendly.

The only drawback that can be envisioned is the payload weight. However, drones can already transport light packages over short distances and who’s to say that as the technology evolves in the coming years drones won’t be relied up to carry heavier and heavier payloads over greater and greater distances.

The UAE’s commitment to drone safety shows that it is planned for wholesale adoption of the technology and that they are committed to making sure that it has the right infrastructure in place. And deliveries are at the forefront of this.

Drones-as-Service in the UAE

As with any new commercial innovation, business models can be disrupted. However, drones allow for a welcomed degree of flexibility to end-users, promoting businesses to make important operational decisions.

For many drone companies, the drone-as-a-service business model is an efficient and cost-effective means of bridging the gap between commercial drone manufacturers and the business wishing to use drones to improve the commercial offering.

The benefit of using drone-as-a-service is that companies can save tremendously on the cost of adopting drone technology to streamline processes. Sectors as diverse as agriculture and construction, security or marketing can benefit greatly from using drone companies in the UAE to monitor environments safely or even capture stunning images or video for use in marketing materials.

Sky Vision offers businesses an opportunity to creating lasting impressions on their clients with immersive videos, even monitor vital agriculture and construction across all projects. After all, using drones is much safer than having someone physically inspect a location or environment, isn’t it?

Drone Training

As with any new technology, the emphasis on training and education cannot be forgotten. After all, no one can pick up a touchscreen controller for the first time, take off and a fly a drone perfectly. Pilots need to be educated.

There is great opportunity for a drone company in the UAE, and indeed around the globe, to offer a service by teaching drone pilots how to fly drones in-line with all regulations. Given the Dubai government’s increased emphasis on cultivating a drone-friendly landscape, and that there have been drone airport incursions at Dubai International Airport, and airports across the globe, commercial training services have never been more pressing or necessary.

Why is this important? Well, it’s further evidence that the drone sector will create job opportunities for people, not just in the UAE but, across the world.

Drones and the UAE Commercial Landscape

A drone company in the UAE, or indeed anywhere in the world, has the potential to completely change the commercial landscape. With technology and applications evolving all the time and our reliance on the technology likely to increase, the commercial future of drones looks bright.

Interested in learning more about drones-as-a-service or what Sky Vision can offer you, get in touch with us today!

Sky Vision: Why You Should Choose Our Drone Company in Oman to Promote Your Business

Choosing the right medium to market who you are and what you’re all about can be challenging – after all, in today’s interconnected, digital world, choice is abundant.

So, let us ask you a question: what was the last thing you saw or heard that really made you sit up and take notice? Was it an article about what’s happening in the world? Was it a social media post that concisely summed up everything you were feeling in that moment? Perhaps it was an image that really made you think.

Now let’s look at this from a marketing perspective. To influence people what you choose to put out there MUST strike a chord with your audience. It must attract attention and communicate everything you need it to – hopefully in just a few seconds. It must add value.

So, in world saturated with content how do you get the edge over your competitors? The answer is simple. With dynamic, creative content that answers all the questions that your potential customers may have.

There’s one digital marketing medium that does this better than any other: video marketing. Here are the reasons why you choose video marketing to promote your business in Oman and why Sky Vision is the only business to choose.

Sky Vision: A Superior Drone Service in Oman, Dubai and Across the UAE

Reputation matters significantly for any business relationship. Confidence, trust, courtesy, and hospitality are key virtues that should be promoted, not just in Oman and the UAE, but across the world. These virtues are something that Sky Vision doesn’t just aspire to promote; we embody.

But let’s get down to the nitty gritty. After all, courtesy and hospitality are important, but if you’re going to ask a business to deliver a service, you need to make sure that they can!

Sky Vision can offer aerial filming in Oman, Dubai and throughout the whole of the UAE that’s, quite simply, better than our competitors. How can we make such a bold claim, you may ask? Well, we’re confident that our commitment to creativity, passion, technical acumen, and experience puts us in a strong position to deliver a service that soars above our competitors.

Want proof of our claim? You only need to consider who we’ve worked with. From Emirates and Jumeriah to the BBC and NBC Universal, even Ferrari World, Porsche and Mercedes, the calibre of our clients speaks for itself.

Think of it this way, would such renowned global brands don’t just pick any business to partner with? They look for a business that can complement their high expectations – and the high expectations of their customers. In short, excellence. This perfectly mirrors Sky Vision’s own ethos.

We Use DJI Innovations Drones for all Our Photography and Aerial Filming in Oman

The largest – and best – drone company in the world, DJI Innovations, is worth an astonishing $8 billion dollars. To put that into perspective, Fitbit, arguably the world’s most prominent fitness tracker, is in the middle of being sold to Alphabet (Google’s parent company) for $2.1 billion.

If nothing else, this astonishing statistic demonstrates the explosion in popularity of drone aerial photography in Oman, across the UAE and throughout the world, not to mention just how vital drones are for aerial mapping, surveying and much, much more.

Then consider this statistic for a minute: 95% of companies that use video marketing have maintained or increased their investment in 2020. That’s tells you everything that you need to know about how effective video marketing is.

Should we really be surprised? No. Not really. Drones are quickly becoming a staple in skies around the world and with their endless potential, from delivering goods to helping police forces provide a better level of service to the public, it’s not unrealistic to say that if you look to the skies in the years to come, you’ll likely see drones everywhere.

Sky Vision uses only cutting-edge technology to capture sublime 4K HD videos and images. Our drone pilots have years of experience piloting DJI drones, capturing images and videos that promote brands story and provide potential and existing customers with something that they’ve never seen before.

Photography and Aerial Filming in Oman, Dubai and Across the UAE that Breaks the Mould

How often have you watched a marketing video and felt a little, well meh towards it? All the time? Occasionally? Never? Well, here’s the truth… marketing videos are often a little stale or uninspired – something that’s quite shocking when you think of the hours of conceptualising businesses have spent in a boardroom!

How often have you seen an image, maybe even aerial photography in Oman that’s left you wondering what you’re looking at or why has this shot been chosen? All the time? Occasionally? Never? Well, here’s truth number two… it takes a significant amount of prowess to tell a thousand words with a single image. Luckily, this is exactly what Sky Vision can do.

Our expert drone pilots and can storyboard, shoot, and edit drone videos that showcase exactly what you need, even if you haven’t thought about it before! We’re experts in reaching, communicating, and influencing people with film and imagery and this is exactly what businesses need – the ability to reach and inspire people!

Anything else? Yes. We can complete aerial surveys in glorious 4K HD, you can expect the crispest imagery and videos, adding depth and context that you just cannot beat. The benefits? Well, let’s take the example of a construction site. Our aerial filming in Oman – or imagery – means that site managers can view inaccessible areas and make quick and informed decisions.

We’re also one of the few drone operators in the UAE to be fully professionally licensed. Our pilot’s have the experience and expertise to take to the skies and capture precisely what you want, setting a new benchmark for what was previously thought possible with a drone.

What You Should Remember About Our Drone Company in Oman

We’re not just a Dubai-based company. Our success has seen us flourish and expand our client portfolio to Oman and across the UAE. This can only be achieved through continued success.

If you’re looking for a drone company to showcase who you are and what you’re all about there’s only one option – Sky Vision.

It’s the question that every aerial cinematographer and photographer will have to answer: do I choose helicopters or drones to shoot or video or capture images?

So, the obvious answer is, it depends. Budget, time, and expertise all play a major role in deciding whether to hire a helicopter or get in touch with one of the UAE’s aerial photography companies, like Sky Vision. But, for this blog, we don’t want to just go with the standard answers. Yes, drone companies will be cheaper. No, helicopters are limited to flying in smaller spaces. But, is all this generic information that useful?

What we want to do is to look at what you can and cannot capture both using a helicopter and a drone and the pros and cons of each. We’ll be both honest and objective – and hopefully when you’ve finished reading the blog, you’ll have a clear idea of which is better for you.

Drone Film Production: Low Light Accessibility and Performance

You might want to capture a video of a sublime, illuminated cityscape at dusk. At first glance you might be thinking, ‘okay, that’s obviously a helicopter.’ You sure about that assumption? Let’s examine it.

Now, of course, helicopters have been used for years to capture land and cityscapes. But here’s something you may not know; pilots need to have a separate licence to fly in the evening. This might put the brakes on finding the right aerial photo or videographer.

Then there’s the performance of helicopter and drone image and video capture in the evening. Helicopters have in the distant past held superiority over drones when taking to the skies and capturing breath-taking images. However, the days of helicopters reigning supreme are numbered – if not already over. Today, drones are equipped with cutting-edge cameras which are more than capable or matching any images or video a helicopters camera rig can.

Oh, and what about the noise? Helicopters are noisy. What about any video you’re shooting? Do you really want to spend much time and money removing unwanted and loud rotating sound from your helicopter shoot? Wouldn’t it be so much easier to choose drone video services, like Sky Vision, who can remove intrusive and distracting sound, and even a soundtrack giving you a perfect video?

Drone Video Services: When You Can Fly to and From

If you’ve got a clear idea of the land or cityscape that you want to capture, great! Can you get there with a helicopter easily?

You’d be surprised just how often how getting to a location to shoot is an afterthought. Helicopters can’t just take off and land anywhere! It’s one thing finding a stellar environment to capture on film or as an image, but if you can’t get there, you can’t capture it! This is probably why you don’t see too many helicopters taking off and landing in the desert!

Before even taking to the skies, you must get approval from the GCAA. There are awfully specific no-fly zones for drones, the most obvious of which is that drones are forbidden to fly near, around or over airport airspace. Drone incursion have caused many problems for Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Centre. If you want to fly a drone within 5 miles of an airport, you need to get clearance.

Federal and municipal authorities (DCAA) also forbid pilots from flying drones over residential areas to protect people’s privacy. So, let’s say that you want to take an aerial survey of your neighbour for the completely innocent reason of curiosity, you won’t be able to.

Knowledgeable aerial photography companies – like Sky Vision – will be able to tell you where you can fly to and from but, like anything else, it doesn’t hurt to know as much as possible before booking an excursion!

Drone Photography Prices: Repeated Shoots

Okay, let’s get real for a second. How often do you get exactly what you want first time? Hardly ever, right? That’s the nature of trial and error. Well, although we said that we wouldn’t discuss obvious points like budget in this blog, but we’d like to add a caveat to that by asking a question.

What if you’ve paid a fair expense to hire a helicopter and ‘professional’ photographer only to be left disappointed by the images or videos they capture? It can and will happen and there are many reasons why. Poor weather is one. Inaccessibility to spaces to capture the aerial video or image you want is another. The unfortunate luck of getting a pilot or photographer who isn’t quite as good as they say is a third. The list could go on and on.

As everyone knows, hiring a helicopter is expensive – much more expensive than hiring a drone. If you have a healthy budget that’s fine, but what if there’s a limit to how much you can spend? You could end up being drastically disappointed with the images, or video captured with a helicopter and then decide to find out what drone photography prices are. In effect, you’ve just wasted a fair chunk of change.

Then there’s repeated shoots. The great thing about drone photography for anyone with a healthy budget is that you can take to the skies again and again from a fraction of the cost of choosing helicopter aerial photography. You don’t have to just be satisfied with the images or video you get; you can be astounded with what can only be captured after repeated shoots.

So, there you have it. An honest account of some of the lesser known reasons to hire helicopter or drone video services. The choice really is up to you. Think about all the considerations before deciding. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the best aerial cinematography company in Dubai Sky Vision today.