Drone Operator in Hollywood for Film, TV and Commercials

Hollywood is where a lot of LA's film, TV and commercial work happens, from studio lots and soundstages to rooftops, boulevards and the Hills. Lithium Aerials is a Los Angeles drone company that flies aerial cinematography for features, episodic television and commercials. Here's how an aerial shot in Hollywood comes together.

Hollywood Airspace

Hollywood sits under Class G, or uncontrolled, airspace. That makes it as straightforward as any other uncontrolled area FilmLA covers: no airport authorization to wait on, and the usual Part 107 rules apply. What matters more is the film permit and the property you're launching from.

Send us the address while you're still scouting, and we'll confirm the airspace and any temporary flight restrictions for your dates before you lock the location.

Permits: FilmLA, Griffith Park and the Hills

Hollywood is part of the City of Los Angeles, so film permits go through FilmLA. A drone has to be listed on the permit with its own paperwork: pilot certificates, aircraft registration, a plan of activity and insurance. We put that package together and send it to your locations team. We carry $5 million in aviation liability coverage and can usually turn around a certificate of insurance with the endorsements a permit calls for in a day or so.

Griffith Park is the one people ask about most. Casual drone flying isn't allowed in City parks, but a permitted production can fly there, and we've pulled permits to fly Griffith Park many times. The drone goes on the FilmLA permit, FilmLA coordinates with the park directly, and we handle the flight plan. Beyond the park, we fly from whatever rooftops, streets and private locations production has secured.

For the full breakdown of FilmLA, the city's drone rules and the agencies involved, see our Los Angeles drone permits guide.

What We Shoot in Hollywood

Rooftops and the skyline

A lot of Hollywood aerial work starts on a roof. A rooftop launch gets the aircraft clear of street-level obstructions and opens up reveals across the boulevards toward the hills or downtown. Production and the locations team secure the roof. We show up ready to fly it.

Boulevard and street work

Hollywood and Sunset are permitted for filming constantly, which helps, but they're also full of people and traffic. We don't fly over people unless we're using a compliant lighter drone or have a waiver, so street shots are planned around closures, traffic control and the actual footprint of the aircraft over the set.

The Hollywood Hills

Winding roads, homes cantilevered over the canyon and views over the basin make the Hills a regular location for driving shots, music videos and commercial exteriors. Locations handles the homes and neighbors, and we plan the flight around what they've cleared.

Night exteriors

Hollywood at night is a big part of why productions shoot here. The DJI Inspire 3's dual native ISO makes clean night aerials possible without hauling a heavy rig, and for scenes that need light from the air instead of a camera, see drone lighting.

Choosing the Aircraft

Most Hollywood work is flown on the DJI Inspire 3. It has a small footprint, which matters on a crowded rooftop or a tight street, and the full-frame image cuts well with most productions. When a production wants a box camera like the RED Komodo, we fly the Freefly Alta 6. When the aerials have to match the A-camera exactly and the DP wants their own lenses in the air, our heavy-lift Freefly Alta X carries the cinema package. For close, fast moves through sets and interiors, we fly FPV drones.

We shoot and hand off the footage. We don't deliver edits, so your post team gets clean camera originals.

Who We Work With

Lithium Aerials has provided aerial support on feature films, network and streaming series, and national commercials. See our work. Every shoot is flown by FAA Part 107-certified pilots, and we're IATSE Local 600.

Book a Hollywood Drone Crew

Send the location, dates and a shot list and we'll tell you what the permit will need. Contact us or call 323-505-7104.

Hollywood Drone FAQ

Can you fly a drone in Hollywood?

Yes. Hollywood sits under Class G, or uncontrolled, airspace, so it's straightforward from an FAA standpoint. Like anywhere else in the City of Los Angeles, the shoot needs a FilmLA permit that lists the drone.

Can you fly a drone at Griffith Park or the Hollywood Sign?

Yes, with a permit. Recreational drone flying isn't allowed in City of Los Angeles parks, but permitted productions can fly in Griffith Park, and we've done it many times. The drone goes on the FilmLA permit, FilmLA coordinates with the park, and we handle the flight plan.

Who issues film permits in Hollywood?

Hollywood is in the City of Los Angeles, so film permits go through FilmLA. The drone has to be listed on the permit with its own documentation, which we prepare.

Can you launch from a Hollywood rooftop?

Yes. Once production and the locations team have the roof secured and permitted, it's one of the most useful launch points in Hollywood.

Do you fly at night in Hollywood?

Yes. Night exteriors are routine for us with the right aircraft lighting and planning, and the Inspire 3's dual native ISO keeps night footage clean.