Measure Media Launched to Meet the Drone Needs of the Entertainment Industry Nationwide

 

Measure, a U.S. provider of drone services for enterprise customers, has announced a new division to service the arts and entertainment industry, Measure Media (M2).  M2 operates the first nationwide network of full-time drone pilots specializing in meeting the airborne storytelling needs of both small screen and big screen projects.

Eric Austin, an Emmy award winning cinematographer, who has provided drone-based aerial photography to television, film, and consumer brands for almost a decade is involved with the service. Measure acquired Austin’s Helivideo Productions, as a key building block of the M2 business.

M2 has been operating in stealth mode for its first two months and already counts ESPN, ABC, CBS, Coach, Rihanna, and The Olympic Channel among its customers. 

M2 focuses exclusively on supplying professional unmanned aerial filming services for both broadcast and recorded sports, live concerts, television, film and commercials. The company also furnishes high-quality aerial visuals for brand marketing, 3D mapping, and virtual reality needs.

These services offer arts and entertainment customers a coast-to-coast, Hollywood-caliber alternative to small drone operators who serve only their own local markets. M2’s nationwide coverage enables customers to work with a single provider – backed by the #1 enterprise drone services company in the U.S. – in any geography where they need aerial footage.  Measure also ensures proficiency in navigating the complex regulatory landscape and provides the protection of the market’s strongest liability insurance coverage.

“Drones have become as indispensable in today’s media environment as tripods and microphones, whether for creating visual special effects in big-budget films, producing cutting-edge brand campaigns or delivering other high-impact visuals that were impossible before the use of remote-controlled aircraft,” said Jon Ollwerther, VP for M2. “M2 was formed by creatives for creatives to bring each customer’s vision to the screen.”

M2 leadership includes Ollwerther, former COO of drone services provider Aerobo, which supplies aerial drone photography for media, sports and industrial clients; and Austin. The leadership team is rounded out by Greg Ramey, former senior operations director for BLADE, and Nirel Levi, former consultant at Deloitte & Touche.

“Measure’s core business for the past three years has been in drone-based inspection services for the energy, telecom and construction industries. With M2, we are expanding from data gathering to fill a void in the arts and entertainment sector,” said Measure Chairman and Co-Founder Robert Wolf. “Our size, geographic distribution, premium pilot network and experienced team make M2 the gold standard in aerial cinematography right out of the gate.”

More information on M2 is available at www.measure.com/m2

DroneLife Take

We will repeat what we said back in September. This launch is consistent with a tried and true business model that Measure seems to have largely to themselves.

This is what we said last month.

Keep your eyes on these guys. Drones are essentially an IT business solution / benefit. And medium to large businesses whose mission and focus is elsewhere outsource their IT. Measure is taking an established business model and applying it to an emerging technology and they are doing it in a big way. It is somewhat surprising that they are the only big players in pursuing this strategy. They are hardware and software agnostic and use their knowledge and skill to marry best solution based on enterprise need. Doubtless there are companies that may use a firm like Measure to test the waters before bringing the technology in house. Other firms may have strict issues regarding data security etc such that they do not want any data outside their corral. But outsourcing and data security are not mutually exclusive. The approach Measure is taking allows businesses to explore, test, and get a feel for the technology.

This may not be terribly innovative from a technology perspective, but it is beautifully simple. As a tactically focused company, we expect Measure will be beneficial to the growth of the UAV industry by expanding and extending the benefits of drone technology into small and medium sized businesses with this low risk approach.