Today we’d like to introduce you to Andreas Esparza.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Andreas. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Like most people, being able to fly was one of my dreams since I was a little kid. I started flying RC airplanes for fun over ten years ago. We did not have the technology we have today. The old NiCad held very little power and were clunky and heavy. Smaller RC airplanes had a hard time taking off and flying. Drones that people could fly did not exist yet, no one could even imagine them but I always thought it would be great to have a live video feed coming from a camera onboard the RC airplane and see what the plane sees. Along came the Li-Po batteries, (lithium-polymer batteries widely used today on our cellphones and other everyday electronics) able to hold a great deal of power in a very light pack.
The cameras started getting smaller and the RC planes were now more powerful and efficient. So, I started putting my handheld camera on board one of my RC planes to just see the aerial footage after landing. I still remember the first, shaky aerial video I produced. My hands were trembling in excitement because I knew I had something huge. I knew that one day, this would change the way commercials, television and film are made.
A few years after, the multirotor flight controllers known as the KK board came along from China, allowing for a completely different, never seen before RC flying platform: the multirotors. I put together an aluminum frame made of moldings from Home Depot, extending tree arms from a center plate where the flight controller was installed, connected to three electric motors at the tip of each arm and an electronic speed controller in between. I created one of the very first drones (tricopter then called) to ever fly in US airspace. It looked like nothing ever seen before, and the age of general market drones was born. Sure enough, today it has change the way video production is made.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been the most challenging project of my life. Just learning how to build and fly rc planes is a huge learning curve: the electronics, aerodynamics, engineering and design. Then putting cameras on the planes was a whole different game. Without today’s technology and high-end gimbals, I had to make my own anti-vibration devices and significantly increase my radio system range and capabilities to be able to fly these camera-equipped rc aircrafts.
The video transmitters and receivers were coming from China and it was a hit or miss type of thing. I could lose my video feed at any given time while flying. The words “crash and burn” did never had such literal meaning, because that is exactly what my aircrafts would do if any of the hundreds of things that can go wrong did go wrong. Designing and fine tuning my self-built camera planes and multirotors was a whole career of its own.
PilotCamera – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
PilotCamera offers aerial videography services for many different purposes including film, television, video games, surveillance, agriculture, 3D mapping and real estate. I am the CEO of the company and a licensed sUAS pilot. I oversee the company’s operations, client acquisitions, assets and finances.
I am well known for having a key role in the development of the multirotor videography industry since the beginning. Unlike newer pilots, I have technical knowledge of drones and their components, I can build and design custom made drones to better fit the requirements of each client. I also have many years of experience as a cinematographer, which is the perfect combination for a successful aerial video shoot.
What makes me most proud about PilotCamera is that it’s a company that I built from zero in my garage. It all started with a burning passion for flying, and I eventually was able to join this passion with my second largest passion: video production. In this sense my company is a double win, allowing me to do not only what I love the most, but the two things I love the most. My experience in production in front and behind the camera makes my communication with film directors a breeze; I know what they are looking for and I communicate with them extremely well.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Having located a lost horse facing certain dead in the mountains of Sylmar, CA. I knew that flying cameras would be a great business in Hollywood, but saving an innocent life with my drone has surpassed all professional achievements. This one went straight to my heart.
Pricing:
- Real estate – $175 – $500
- TV and Film – $500 and up
- Multimedia – $500 and up
Contact Info:
- Address: Los Angeles, CA
- Website: www.PilotCamera.com
- Phone: 310 739 8604
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pilotcameraLA/
Image Credit:
Andreas Esparza
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