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Drone Video & Aerial Cinematography

A Director of Photography in the air, not just a drone in the sky.

Cinematic aerial photography and video for broadcast, documentary, corporate, commercial and branded productions throughout Denver, Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.

As an FAA Part 107-certified drone operator and experienced Director of Photography, I approach aerial cinematography the same way I approach every other camera: the shot needs a reason to be there. Whether it’s revealing the scale of a landscape, following action, establishing a location or adding movement and perspective to a story, I create aerial images designed to cut naturally with the rest of your production.

AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY • DOCUMENTARY • BROADCAST • CORPORATE • COMMERCIAL • LANDSCAPE • FPV

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Drone Video - Chad Zellmer

Drone Video - Chad Zellmer

More Than a Drone Shot

 

Great aerial cinematography isn’t about getting the drone as high as possible.

It’s about choosing the right height, movement, lens, direction and timing to support the story.

With more than 25 years behind the camera, I bring a cinematographer’s eye to aerial work — composition, light, movement, continuity and storytelling — so the drone footage feels like part of the production rather than something added afterward.

From wide establishing shots and dramatic reveals to low tracking moves and intimate environmental details, every flight starts with one question:

What does this shot add to the story?

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Drone Cinematography for Broadcast, Documentary & Brands

 

Aerial production can be scaled around the needs of the project, whether you need a few carefully planned establishing shots or drone coverage integrated throughout a larger production.

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Broadcast & Documentary

 

Establishing shots, landscapes, locations, breaking-news visuals, documentary sequences and environmental storytelling for television and digital productions.

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Corporate & Branded Content

 

Facilities, infrastructure, energy projects, campuses, events, community stories and branded productions where aerial perspective helps communicate scale and place.

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Travel & Tourism

 

Mountains, destinations, resorts, outdoor recreation and remote locations captured with a cinematic approach built around landscape, movement and atmosphere.

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Sports & Action

 

Dynamic tracking, reveals and aerial perspectives that add speed, geography and energy to action-driven productions.

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FPV & Specialty Aerial

 

Lower, faster and more immersive aerial movement when the production calls for a perspective traditional drone cinematography can’t provide.

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Colorado Is a Different Place to Fly

 

Producing aerial footage in Colorado requires more than knowing how to operate a drone.

Mountain weather can change quickly. Wind, elevation, terrain, access, airspace and rapidly changing conditions all affect how and when a flight can happen.

Based in Denver and experienced throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, I plan aerial work around both the creative needs of the production and the realities of the location.

That preparation means more time creating images and less time solving avoidable problems on location.

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Safety & FAA Compliance Come First

 

Creative shots only matter if they can be captured safely and legally.

I operate under FAA Part 107 and evaluate every location for airspace, weather, terrain, people, obstacles and operational restrictions before flying.

Depending on the assignment, flight planning may include:

• Airspace review
• FAA authorization planning when required
• LAANC coordination where applicable
• Location and obstacle assessment
• Weather and wind evaluation
• Takeoff and landing-zone planning
• Visual observer coordination
• Remote ID compliance
• Production and public safety considerations

Some locations or flight profiles require additional planning or authorization, so involving me early in preproduction can help determine what is realistically achievable before shoot day.

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Aerials That Match the Rest of Your Production

 

One of the biggest advantages of hiring a DP who also flies is continuity.

I understand what the A-camera is doing.

I understand frame rate, movement, direction, exposure, color and coverage.

And I understand that the drone footage eventually has to live inside an edit.

That means I’m thinking about how an aerial establishes the scene, where the next shot will cut, which direction the subject is moving and how the aerial sequence supports the larger visual language of the project.

The drone isn’t a separate production. It’s another camera telling the same story.

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Small Crew. Big Perspective.

 

For productions where efficiency matters, aerial cinematography can often be integrated into the same field workflow as my Director of Photography, ENG or production services.

That means fewer vendors, fewer handoffs and a crew that already understands the visual goals of the project.

For larger or more complex aerial assignments, additional crew and visual observers can be added as needed.

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See the Work

 

From Colorado landscapes and commercial projects to documentary and broadcast productions, view examples of aerial cinematography from recent projects.

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Need a Drone Operator in Denver or Colorado?

 

Tell me what you’re shooting, where you’re shooting it and what you want the aerials to accomplish.

I can help determine the right approach, assess the location and build aerial coverage around the needs of the production.

Denver-based. Available throughout Colorado, the Rocky Mountain region and beyond.

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