Lights… Camera… Lift-Off?

James Bond has been chased by Russian paratroopers on skis, hunters mounted on elephants and, most recently, a drone equipped with an HD camera. Your neighbor’s GoPro footage is one thing, but the shots drones are picking up on multi-million dollar movie sets are nothing short of breathtaking.

Case and point, 2012’s Skyfall wherein 007 pursues unnamed terrorist #2 across the rooftops of Istanbul. In a series famous for its stunts, a drone-mounted camera proved the perfect  tool shoot a chase scene that further pushes the envelop of what is possible to capture on screen. Seriously, if you never saw the flick, this scene is worth two minutes of your time.

Other films that have reportedly used UAVs to capture some impressive footage include the Harry Potter and Smurfs series.

Here is the twist: All of the drone footage used in those movies was obtained illegally, according to FAA standards. However, a quick Google search reveals these movies weren’t filmed entirely in the US, if at all.

Motion Picture Association of America spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield told the Wall Street Journal that drones are “extremely common on sets overseas.”

And why wouldn’t they be? Using helicopters to obtain aerial shots uses a laughable amount of money, time, and bodies compared to a 20 lb drone.

And that is just drone use on the silver screen. Drones are broadcasting footage to your television as well. Sporting events like the Sochi Olympics, rugby matches, and even college football are all starting to find a way to enhance the viewing experience via drone tech – albeit with varying degrees of legality.

For now, the the use of drones in the movie and television industries on US soil remains illegal, if difficult to enforce.

Both the MPAA and NFL have petitioned the FAA to expedite the process of licensing commercial drones. When the skies are opened to commercial drones (in 2015, supposedly), movies and television will, for better or worse, be bringing us new ways absorb video content.