Drone Cowboys Battle Complex Shooting Conditions and Capture San Francisco with Blackmagic Design Cameras and DaVinci Resolve

Founder and cinematographer Nick Swartzendruber discusses the challenges of a recent UAV shoot in San Francisco

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a… Drone Cowboy. Nick Swartzendruber, cinematographer and founder of Drone Cowboys, and his team have taken to the skies to capture aerial cinematography using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV.) With the goal of “telling a story rather than shooting scenery,” Drone Cowboys shoots for the likes of Red Bull, Apple, Bloomberg, Outdoor Channel and more.

“We’re always aiming to get the most dynamic shots possible,” Swartzendruber explains. “And to do that, you need two things: cameras you can count on and honed UAV operating skills.”

For those, Drone Cowboys’ formula consists of a two man team operating as UAV pilot and camera operator, occasional collaboration with local film teams and Blackmagic Design. For filming, Drone Cowboys use the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K, Pocket Cinema Camera and Blackmagic Cinema Camera 2.5 on their UAV. The small digital film cameras provide the wide dynamic range and precision needed while also fitting within Drone Cowboy’s aerial camera rigs. Drone Cowboys also turn to DaVinci Resolve, Blackmagic’s professional editing and color correction software, for color grading in their post production.

“Everything I’ve done in founding Drone Cowboys has been from the ground up, including building my own UAV setup. Selecting the right cameras was a big part of that. When I first came across Blackmagic’s cameras, I was impressed by their dynamic range and how they’ve proved themselves in the production filmmaking world,” Swartzendruber said. “Adding in DaVinci Resolve was a bonus because it gives me much more latitude than the software I was previously using and it works so well with the RAW footage I’m able to capture with the Blackmagic cameras. DaVinci Resolve is insanely powerful, and being someone that’s passionate about provoking emotion with color, it’s perfect.”

Swartzendruber continued, “DaVinci Resolve is the reason our footage has progressed to the next level of cinematography. When doing aerial work with UAV, there’s usually movement that can be time consuming to take care of post. DaVinci Resolve’s motion tracking tools make it a quick, easy fix.”

Putting their equipment to work, Drone Cowboys recently did a project for Red Bull that had some unique challenges. Set in San Francisco, the Drone Cowboys had to capture shots of the city over the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as profile some cyclists as they were about to drop down one of the city’s infamous hilly streets.

While the iconic bridge’s beauty lends itself well to film, the windy weather conditions made shooting it less than ideal.

“Going in we knew the bridge gets very windy so we were prepared, but it was still the most stressful shot I’ve ever done,” said Swartzendruber. “When you’re shooting aerial cinematography, you have lot on the line with the UAV and cameras. You need to make sure you get every detail right or it can be a very expensive and potentially dangerous mistake.”

Luckily for the Drone Cowboys, they were able to ride through the windy weather and capture the dynamic shot of the bridge they were looking for. The challenges weren’t over yet though.

“In San Francisco, there is a cobweb above the streets of power lines and cable car wires,” Swartzendruber continued. “To achieve the shot we needed, we had to focus on cyclists on the street, and then float through the web of wires to show the city scape. We couldn’t fly directly over the cyclists for safety reasons, and there was only one tiny area we could come out of the web that was large enough and would still get us the shot of the city we needed. We needed a whole team to pull it off but luckily through lots of planning and precise flying, we got an amazing shot.”

When operating UAVs, safety is always a top concern for Swartzendruber, who in addition to Drone Cowboys is also a lead instructor at Drone University USA, a UAV education and training organization, where he teaches safety and aerial cinematography.

“When operating and filming with UAV, everything goes very quickly so people need to be well educated ahead of time on how to be safe while shooting on the fly. They also need to plan shots carefully and remained focused,” Swartzendruber explained.

“Our San Francisco shoot was stressful but we were in control, which is key. By using the Blackmagic Design cameras, we didn’t need to worry about the quality of footage we were getting, which allowed us to focus solely on flying the UAV safely – which is exactly where we needed our attention to be.”

About Nick Swartzendruber

Nick Swartzendruber has always had a passion for storytelling and cinematography. After graduating Sacramento State University, Nick pursued his passion in the action sports industry and started in sports marketing at Red Bull North America. It was there where he learned that his true calling was behind the camera, framing captivating shots that tell a beautiful story. He set out to build and pilot remotely operated aerial camera rigs, capturing footage in a way thought impossible just a few years prior. Nick’s knack of cinematography and his skills behind the camera eventually led to founding his own aerial cinematography company, Drone Cowboys. Nick also is a lead instructor at Drone University USA, where he teaches safety in the SUAS industry, as well as aerial cinematography.

Drone Cowboys is a small group of cinematographers and filmmakers that use remotely operated aircrafts to capture extraordinary, dynamic shots. Drone Cowboys has contracted with a variety of high-profile clients, such as Red Bull, Apple, Bloomberg and Outdoor Channel. Currently, Drone Cowboys is working on a recurring basis with California Outdoor Properties and Bloomberg, capturing beautiful landscapes and influential people across the country.