Behind the Scenes: Drone Dudes’ Awesome Cinema-Grade Octocopter

The Drone Dudes stopped by the Maker Media Lab recently to show off their custom octocopter setup, and we took the opportunity to get it — and them — on camera.

The crew is a group of commercial, aerial cinematographers specializing in using high-end, custom octocopters for close proximity filming. Their current platform is based off of the CineStar 8 camera platform from FreeFly Systems — but they’ve heavily modified the aircraft to pack down easily when traveling to a shoot, and be quick to deploy when they get on location. The platform supports a payload of up to 27 pounds, which they use to carry their gimbal-stabilized, carbon fiber-bodied Red Epic Dragon, a 6k, cinema-grade camera that tips the scales at a mere 4 lbs.

The aircraft’s props make an especially arresting sound, even at idle.