Aerial video collected by camera-carrying UAVs is becoming an important part of managing commercial construction projects and commercial development projects.
Aerial video has many uses for commercial construction:
- Keep managers and investors outside the area informed of development progress
- Provide images that show the entire development in one shot.
- Provide a level of detail that photographs from the ground cannot capture
- Arm decision makers with current images for reference
- Marketing and publicity for both the developer, the general contractor and the finished development
For these reasons, aerial video of construction progress is an essential part of any developer’s portfolio of services.
A typical video series might include:
- Video of the site during the site selection process, to provide a current level of detail not available in dated satellite imagery. This is particularly important for sites with uneven terrain.
- Video showing the site immediately before development begins. This can be a vacant lot or buildings that need to be demolished and removed.
- Video taken every month (or every week) showing the entire site, plus details of key areas.
- Video at the end of development, for marketing, or comparison for further development.
So how do you choose an aerial video provider?
Here are the important things to consider when selecting an aerial video company:
- Does the company have liability insurance?
- Does the company own or lease the UAVs they fly?
- Does the company have a formal security procedure and checklists?
- How many people are on the team (in the field at the site) performing a task?
- Are team members company employees or subcontractors?
Be sure to select a company that carries liability insurance, flies its own equipment, follows strict safety protocols, has at least two people on site for a job, and has employees handling the actual equipment. UAV safety relies heavily on experience, and you want to make sure the team you hire has enough time to work together as a cohesive unit.
One thing to note is that low-end UAVs (ie hobby-sized systems) are capable of carrying small video cameras, but the quality of aerial video from these systems is poor and, in general, it is not suitable for commercial purposes. Be sure to ask about the quality of the video and the camera to be used. 720p is adequate for most purposes, but 1080p will provide additional detail. Some systems can capture 4K video, which is useful when a high level of detail is required over a large area.