PRESS RELEASE Helicopter Film Services Relied on the ...

PRESS RELEASE

* For Immediate Distribution *

Helicopter Film Services Relied on the AERIGON for Aerial Cinematography on Marvel’s
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Industry-leading Pro Cinema Drone Provides Stable Platform for Capturing Live-Action Plates for VFX

Los Angeles, CA: June 30, 2015 . . . The AERIGON™, an aerial remote camera head (ARCH™) from
Intuitive Aerial, was operated by Helicopter Film Services to shoot aerial footage used throughout
Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. The remarkable stability of the AERIGON platform meant that footage
captured could be fed directly into ILM’s VFX pipeline. For the first time, filmmakers have access to an
aerial system capable of controlling the best production cameras, such as the new ARRI Alexa Mini,
regardless of weight, to shoot feature film-ready images with reliable precision.

“The AERIGON drone was able to fly at lower altitude than the helicopter, giving us lower, more dramatic
sweeping camera moves than we'd have been able to get otherwise,” said Christopher Townsend,
Overall Production VFX Supervisor on Avengers: Age of Ultron. “It was quick and efficient to get it flying,
with real-time visual feedback. The resulting footage was great, stable, and clean, which was an absolute
necessity as we were using it as background plates, into which we added CG VFX elements.”

Helicopter Film Services (HFS) captured aerial footage on set in Hendon, U.K. for ten days during the
production of the film. Its three-person crew flew the AERIGON carrying the RED Dragon.

“We had to get a stable shot the first time and the AERIGON let us do this,” said Jeremy Braben Aerial
DP and founder of HFS. “Drones can leap about, but the AERIGON is the most stable drone we’ve seen
without depending on post-stabilization. There isn’t the buzz or vibration with the AERIGON gimbal.”

The aerial crew shot background plates and live action, under instructions from Joss Whedon, director,
John Mahaffie, the 2nd unit director, Ben Davis, the DP, and the VFX supervisors, including Townsend.

“We could be working to the directions of three different people, all on the same day,” said Braben. “That
made time in the air a premium during production.”

Capturing a bird’s-eye view of destruction
HFS created aerial view plates of a town before and after its destruction. The camera was aimed to cover
off the set in tiles, so the plates would cover more space than the camera’s field of view. The VFX team
built up a 3D model of the town using these plates.

“There were shots that we could only do with the AERIGON,” Braben said. “For one shot, we flew it from
the top of a building, passed it through a portico, and brought it out the other side. You can’t really do that
with a wire cam.”

Braben depends on a small team of experienced pilots. Pete Ayriss, who flew the AERIGON on the set of
Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, is an RC championship pilot who has done a lot of 3D flying and has
been piloting camera drones for five years. A camera technician assistant rounds out the crew. The
AERIGON can carry over 20 lbs. of camera equipment, meaning that HFS can carry the camera
equipment Braben favours, such as the latest ARRI Alexa Mini.

1

“It’s when we add a zoom lens to the camera, that the AERIGON becomes the only cinema drone
capable of doing the job,” explained Braben. “The weight shift of adding one of these lenses to the
camera doesn’t affect the balance. With the AERIGON we can choose lenses that fit, are light, and that
productions like.”

Braben relies on three lenses: the Angenieux Optimo 15-40 mm zoom, the Zeiss lightweight LWZ 14.5 to
45 mm, and the Zeiss Master Anamorphic Primes. Whatever lens and camera he chooses, the AERIGON
gimbal and controller give him full FIZ (focus, iris, zoom) controls.

Combining two passions
Braben was a ground DP for years before becoming an aerial cinematographer. He also had a love of
aviation and got his private helicopter pilot’s license. Combining his two passions – flying and
cinematography – led to the creation of Helicopter Film Services in 1993. He closely watched the
development of drones, wondering whether they could fit into his business. It was seeing the shots that
could be obtained from drones that made him want to include them in his business. But he knew he had
to find the right system.

“Because we’re at the top end of film production, we work with high-end cameras and need a professional
cinema drone that provides stable images,” Braben explained. “The AERIGON is that drone.”

With decades of experience using helicopters, wire cams, tracking vehicles, and, now, drones, Braben
has thought a lot about how drones can best fit into production shoots. From this knowledge base, he is
able to provide impartial advice about which equipment to use on a production.

“Because we can do any or all of these things, we can offer an unbiased opinion about what is the right
piece of equipment for a particular shot,” he said. “On production, we assess whether a drone is a viable
option.”

While other systems have their benefits – for example, a helicopter can go longer distances, fly at higher
altitudes, carry heavier camera payloads, and hover – a professional cinema drone is flexible and can be
operated for a fraction of the cost of a helicopter. It also moves in three dimensions, overcoming the
limitations of using a crane, dolly, or wire rig, which are fixed in one dimension. HFS has done commercial
work for Jaguar, Range Rover, and Aston Martin, among others.

“Drones are definitely having an effect on lower-budget productions that require an aerial shot,” Braben
said. “You’re seeing this happening in television. There’s definitely an artistic advantage to getting some
shots with drones that, until now, have been almost impossible to get.”

Then there’s the effect the AERIGON is having on feature film productions, with HFS using it extensively
on Avengers: Age of Ultron, Into the Woods, and upcoming films such as Now You See Me: The Second
Act, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Spectre, and The Huntsman.

“Drones allow filmmakers to design really creative shots and achieve them,” Braben said. “I love having
the ability to realize shots with the AERIGON that others perceive as impossible. With the AERIGON, we
have more flexibility and a more diverse palette to work with. We get shots that everyone’s thrilled about.”

For more information about the AERIGON, or to book a demo, contact Eric Bergez, VP at Intuitive Aerial,
at [email protected] or 818-800-7898.

About Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron
Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie
of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry

2

and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black
Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the
villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon
uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris
Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk and Chris Evans as Captain America. Together with Scarlett
Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Don
Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, Stellan Skarsgård as
Erik Selvig and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader
as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront
two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and
Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany
becomes Vision.
Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of
Ultron” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in
1963. Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee and
Jon Favreau served as executive producers. Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” opened in U.S.
theaters on May 1, 2015.

About Intuitive Aerial AB,
Intuitive Aerial is an international manufacturer of aerial cinematography and remote camera systems for
professionals. The company manufacturers the AERIGON, the premium professional cinema drone for
motion picture and broadcast applications. The AERIGON has been trusted to fly cameras on feature
films such as Into the Woods and Avengers: Age of Ultron and on broadcasts such as BBC’s nature doc
series, One Planet. Intuitive Aerial provides certification assistance and flight training for its customers
worldwide.

For more information, please contact Robin Kahlbom, CEO Intuitive Aerial +46 (0)73 070 32 02
[email protected] or visit www.intuitiveaerial.com.

3