Mutable Observation Used by Television Drone Pilots: Efficiency of Aerial Filming Regarding the Quality of Completed Shots

Abstract

Drones, as mobile media of the present day, increase the operational and narrative capabilities of television and accelerate the logistics of shooting. Unmanned aerial vehicles with a camera properly steered by a pilot are able, to some extent, to replace a jimmy jib/crane and a dolly; basic technical devices, used in the studios, enabling the creation of narrative systems of pictures in film and television. Television is more and more often using drone footage to report events, broadcast live, as well as create coverage and television documentaries. In many productions, the pilot of the drone simultaneously acts as the drone camera operator, which can improve the effectiveness of shooting, but also carries some risks related to flight safety. The article describes and presents in the form of processed footage the real conditional ties of a Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) flight faced by pilots filming with a drone. VLOS is a type of air operation, which requires maintaining eye contact with the drone. In many countries, a drone visibility flight is legally sanctioned as VLOS Operation. An experiment was conducted to investigate the interactions between a human and a machine in airspace steered using a controller with a touchscreen. The drone pilot was considered an integral part of the drone’s flight system control Experimental data was collected with the use of a mobile eye-tracker, video cameras, surveys, and pilot declarations. During the experiment, eight television drone pilot operators recaptured a model shot under the regime of VLOS flight at low altitudes. They all show that both advanced and beginner pilots did not look at the UAV for over half the time of shot execution. The experiment allowed establishing two coefficients related to the effectiveness of a VLOS flight aiming at filming from the drone. The results point to clear differences in screen perception styles used by drone television pilots. The coefficients were described in the form of mathematical formulas and their limit values were determined. The research also determines the limits of pilots’ perception, within which they can film with a drone. The outcomes may help to optimize the process of aerial filming with the use of a drone, carried out for television, film, and other media, as well as in a simulation of such a flight for research and training. From the perspective of media science and social communication, the presented study included a technological component that can be accessed through information science, using statistical models and variable distributions. Media scholars can study the impact of the media without having to look into the metaphorical black box. Computer science opens up this possibility.

Risks of Drone Use in Light of Literature Studies

“…For this reason, they have been collected in an additional category under the heading “Other”. This includes publications on the following issues: Adapting drones for unrestricted and safe indoor use [ 287 ]; The safety of racing drones [ 288 ]; The use of ultrasonic sensors in autonomous devices [ 289 ]; The dangers associated with filming VLOS flights, which arise from the need for the pilot to manage variable supervision at two levels, i.e., filming and flying [ 290 ]; Legal and organisational norms and regulations for the operation and use of drones in various areas [ 291 , 293 ]; Aspects related to the operation and use of drones [ 292 ]. …”

“…The dangers associated with filming VLOS flights, which arise from the need for the pilot to manage variable supervision at two levels, i.e., filming and flying [ 290 ];…”

Review of Photogrammetric and Lidar Applications of UAV

“…The advantage of using UAV technology to make photographs [178][179][180], video recordings [181,182], or cinematography [183,184] consists in the possibility of exploring and capturing territories and areas with high flexibility and range while producing long continuous shots at a reasonable cost. Imaging ranges are from a few centimeters to more than 100 m. Flener et al in [178] used a Maxi-Joker 3DD minicopter with a 12.3 megapixel Nikon D5000 camera to create continuous, high-resolution digital terrain models (DTM) of river channels and their floodplains.…”

Optimal Periodic Control of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Fourier Integral Pseudospectral and Edge-Detection Methods

“…Part of the success of these vehicles is commonly due to their (i) low prices, (ii) low cost utility, (iii) low maintenance, (iv) faster deployment, (v) easier, efficient, and practical operation compared with conventional manned aircraft and road delivery vehicles, (vi) large capacity to take closer footage without compromising the quality of both photos and video, (vii) reduction of pilot fatality and injury rates mid-flights, (viii) ability to land or take off without having to use runways, etc. [7][8][9][10][11].…”