We hope so.
April 22, 2016 by Steve Hill in Analysis, Video with 1 comments
Drone footage is nothing new in the world of disc golf. Course fly-overs have become the norm in tournament coverage, and Viridisk even caught an ace with drone coverage last year.
But the combination of video from the teepad spliced with aerial disc flight recorded via drone and edited with a landing down the fairway?
It’s real, and it’s spectacular.
McDrone Aerial Footage YouTube Video
Filmed during the final nine of February’s Wintertime Open in Pasadena, California, the new technique is termed “throw-fly-catch,” with the middle element being recorded by Dre Sarinana of On Dre’s Productions.
A La Mirada Regional Park local, Sarinana got his start doing hole previews for the West Coast Disc Golf Championships two years ago. After getting familiar with the tools by flying racing drones, he upgraded to a production drone for photography and teamed up with Central Coast Disc Golf for the footage seen above.
Sarinana said having some familiarity with the local courses, as well as the routes players will take in approaching each hole, is key to capturing the aerial footage.
“I’m a disc golfer, so I’m pretty savvy with the angles and stuff for disc golf,” he said.
To film rounds with a drone, though, both Sarinana and CCDG owner Ian Anderson said that there are logistical challenges that make it better suited for post-production videos as opposed to live streaming. While the rotor sounds aren’t too loud, Sarinana needs to have it positioned in a manner that might hover over other cards on the course, which is why the Wintertime Open coverage was filmed during the final nine.
While Sarinana is just starting to build his production company, he sees media coverage of the sport as ripe for the taking.
“There’s so much opportunity in disc golf,” he said. “I see disc golf right now as like skateboarding in ’95 or ’97. Barely any shoe companies, just kind of blossoming and growing. I feel like it’s gonna grow real big real fast.”
