Drone Commercial Production in Los Angeles
A commercial gives you a few seconds to land a shot, so the aerial has to earn its place in the edit. Lithium Aerials is a Los Angeles drone company that flies commercials for agencies, production companies and brands, with aircraft and crew built to work inside a full commercial unit.
Aerials That Cut With the Rest of the Spot
Agencies and DPs don't want a drone shot that looks like it came from a different job. Our heavy-lift aircraft carry the A-camera package, often with the DP's own lenses, so the aerials match the ground cameras and the colorist isn't fighting two looks. See heavy-lift cinema drones. When the shot doesn't need that much aircraft, we'll say so.
The Right Aircraft for the Board
- DJI Inspire 3. Our go-to. Full-frame image, quick to set up and economical for reveals, tracking moves and top-downs.
- Heavy-lift. When the spot needs the A-camera body and cinema lenses in the air.
- FPV. For fast, close moves through a set, past talent or around product. See FPV drone filming.
We read the boards with you during prep and recommend the smallest setup that gets the shot.
How We Work on Set
We plan the aerials with the director, DP and 1st AD before the shoot day, so the moves, marks and safety plan are settled before anyone rolls. On the day, we fit into the call sheet like any other department: fast resets, clear communication on the walkie and no surprises when the clock is running.
Permits and Paperwork
Production pulls the location permits. We prepare the drone-specific FilmLA paperwork for production to file with the permit, and we take care of FAA airspace authorizations when a location needs them. Our heavy-lift aircraft fly under an FAA 44807 exemption for aircraft over 55 lb. See drone permits.
Insured and Production-Ready
- $5M aviation liability insurance
- COIs issued the same or next business day
- FAA Part 107 certified pilots
- Local 600 crew
- FAA 44807 exemption for aircraft over 55 lb
See More Work
Car spots have their own page: drones for car commercials. Features and television are on the film and TV page.
Ready to talk through a board? Call 323-505-7104 or contact us.
Commercial Drone FAQs
Can your drone carry the same camera as our A-camera? Often, yes. Our heavy-lift aircraft carry cinema camera bodies and lenses so the aerials match the ground cameras. Send us the camera and lens package and we'll confirm.
Which drone do you use most on commercials? The DJI Inspire 3. Heavy-lift comes in when the spot needs the A-camera package, and FPV handles fast, close moves through a set or around talent.
Do you pull the filming permit? No. Production pulls the location permits. We prepare the drone-specific FilmLA paperwork for production to file with the permit and handle FAA airspace authorizations.
What insurance do you carry? $5M aviation liability. COIs go out the same or next business day.
Is your crew union? Our crew is Local 600, and our pilots are FAA Part 107 certified.