Story highlights
Seven production companies have petitioned the FAA to use drones for aerial video
The Motion Picture Association of America filed on behalf of them
Currently, there's only one exemption to U.S. commercial-drone ban
Companies want to use drones to shoot footage for movies, TV
It’s almost entirely illegal to use drones for money-making purposes in the United States. But a little Hollywood magic could change that.
The U.S. government is considering a request from movie and TV producers to let them use unmanned aircraft to shoot aerial video.
Currently, there’s only one exemption to the Federal Aviation Administration’s nationwide ban on commercial drones, called unmanned aircraft systems or UAS. That’s a spot off Alaska’s coast where drones are used by an oil company.
But a second exemption could make it easier and less expensive to create memorable movie moments like the opening sequences from Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and Academy Award winner “American Beauty.”
“Unmanned aircraft systems offer the motion picture and television industry an innovative and safer option for filming,” Neil Fried, senior vice president for the Motion Picture Association of America, said in a written statement. “This new tool for storytellers will allow for creative and exciting aerial shots, and is the latest in a myriad of new technologies being used by our industry to further enhance the viewer experience.