Drone Videography in Melbourne

Licensing and compliance are not boxes to tick. They are the foundation of safe, professional operations. I hold a current Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) through CASA, operating in the sub-2kg category, and carry $20 million public liability insurance as standard. For more complex or larger-scale productions, I bring in higher-payload aircraft systems to match the demands of the project. Dedicated aviation public liability insurance covers every operation from lift-off to landing, so you can focus on the outcome rather than the paperwork.

Melbourne is home base, and I service the full city, from the CBD and inner suburbs to the outer fringe. Whether your project is in the east, west, north, or south, getting to you is not a consideration that impacts the quality or scope of what we create together.

Projects have taken me well beyond Melbourne's borders, across regional Victoria and interstate. Distance is rarely a barrier when the work warrants it. For locations outside the city, a travel fee is factored into the quote, and the best place to start is a conversation about what you are trying to achieve and where.

These three categories make up a significant part of what I do, and there is a good reason for that. Over nearly a decade of aerial work, I have developed an understanding of what each discipline actually requires. The framing that makes a property compelling, the systematic documentation that construction clients rely on, and the energy-driven approach that brings an event to life in the edit. Every project type asks something different of the operator, and that breadth of experience is something I bring to the lens every time.

Post-production is where the real work happens, and it takes the time it takes. Most projects land in the hands of clients within one to four weeks from the completion of the shoot, depending on complexity and where things sit in the production queue at the time. Projects involving detailed sound design or motion graphics naturally take longer to bring to a standard worth delivering. That said, deadlines matter in business, and if your project has one, that conversation happens at the quoting stage and becomes part of the agreement.

Weekend shoots are available and often make the most practical sense. Events, construction sites that are quieter on Saturdays, clients who need to be on location without sacrificing business hours. All it takes is some advance planning. Reach out and we will find a time that works.

Night operations produce some of the most striking footage available from a drone, and yes, I do take on these projects. They require a bit more groundwork, specifically CASA approvals and airspace coordination that need to be locked in ahead of the shoot. That is all handled on my end before we get to location. If you have a project in mind that calls for after-dark aerial coverage, reach out early so there is enough lead time to manage the compliance side.

Photography was where it all started. I have been shooting digitally since 2007, working across a wide range of disciplines as a freelance photographer before the drone element became part of the offering. That grounding in traditional photography, the understanding of light, composition and timing, is what shapes how I approach the aerial perspective. It is not just about being in the air. It is about knowing how to read a scene and capture it with intent.

Weather is the one variable no one can fully control, and drone operations are more sensitive to it than most forms of production. When conditions on the day do not line up, the approach depends on what we are working with. If there is a workable gap in the forecast, we use it. If the window is not there, rescheduling is the next option. In cases where the shoot needs to be cancelled outright, the deposit situation is outlined clearly in the booking agreement beforehand, so there are no surprises.

My standard setup captures 4K 10-bit footage, which covers the vast majority of commercial and content needs at broadcast-ready quality. For productions that call for something beyond that, whether for large-format display, high-end commercial work or broadcast-grade resolution requirements, I source and operate larger Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems capable of delivering accordingly. The right tool for the job is always part of the conversation at the brief stage.

The preferred method is bank transfer via EFT, though credit card payments through Stripe and cash are both accepted. Every booking and invoice runs through my CRM system, which keeps the administrative side of things clean and traceable for both parties.