Drone Cinematography for Broadcast & Documentary
Aerial, FPV and specialist drone cinematography for documentary, factual television, live broadcast and international productions.
Emmy-winning drone cinematographer and photojournalist Lewis Whyld combines more than a decade of professional drone operations with extensive experience working on major international broadcast productions.
From premium sports documentaries and climate films to live breaking news, conflict coverage, historic locations and technically complex shoots, Whyldthings provides cinematic aerial and FPV filming built around the story.
London-based, filming across the UK and worldwide.
Prefer email? hello@whyldthings.com
Broadcast and documentary drone cinematography by Lewis Whyld, including aerial, FPV and specialist filming for international television, live news, sports documentaries and complex-location productions.
Broadcast and documentary drone cinematography by Lewis Whyld, including aerial, FPV and specialist filming for international television, factual production, live news, sports documentaries and complex-location shoots.
Drone Cinematography Built Around the Story
For documentary and factual production, the drone shot should support the story rather than simply provide spectacle.
It may need to establish geography, reveal scale, follow a subject, explain how a location connects or take the audience somewhere that cannot be understood properly from the ground.
Whyldthings provides drone cinematography for:
Documentary series
Factual television
Premium documentaries
Sports documentaries
News & current affairs
Live broadcast
History & heritage
Climate & environmental films
Travel & international features
Specialist factual production
Immersive and 360° storytelling
FPV for Broadcast & Documentary
FPV provides a different visual language.
Rather than observing a location from above, the camera can move through it, follow a subject or connect multiple spaces within one continuous sequence.
Lewis has used specialist FPV across documentary, sports, live television, performance and factual production.
[Explore Indoor FPV Fly-Throughs →]
[Explore Action & Live Events FPV →]
Live & Time-Critical Production
Broadcast production often operates with short access windows and changing priorities.
Lewis’s background in international news means drone filming can be integrated into the wider editorial and production workflow rather than treated as a standalone aerial unit.
Experience includes:
Live television
Rapid location assessment
Fast-turnaround filming
Working to broadcast deadlines
Coordination with correspondents and production teams
Changing shots as editorial priorities develop
Limited setup windows
International deployment
Remote and difficult locations
Specialist & Complex Locations
Documentary productions frequently operate in environments where conventional drone workflows are not enough.
Lewis has filmed with drones in locations including:
Chernobyl Reactor 4
The Greenland Ice Sheet
Active volcanic environments
Underground Crossrail tunnels
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Restricted airport airspace
Conflict environments
Disaster zones
Remote Arctic locations
Sensitive historic sites
These shoots can require specialist aircraft, manual flying without GPS, extreme-weather preparation, unusual permissions or bespoke technical solutions.
[Explore Specialist Drone Filming →]
Broadcast Innovation & Bespoke Drone Systems
Lewis has developed specialist camera and drone technology throughout his broadcast career.
His custom 360° drone system for CNN enabled immersive aerial footage while keeping the aircraft itself invisible within the finished image.
The technology was recognised with the Gannett Foundation Award for Technical Innovation in the Service of Digital Journalism at the Online Journalism Awards and was also shortlisted for the Royal Television Society News Technology Award.
Lewis later developed Moonshot, a proprietary long-endurance FPV platform designed to extend the speed, endurance and access available from conventional FPV aircraft.
The purpose of that development is simple: if an existing drone cannot achieve the shot, develop a platform that can.
Broadcast & Documentary Case Studies
Kobe: The Making of a Legend
[Kobe: The Making of a Legend →]
FPV and specialist drone cinematography for CNN Originals’ three-part documentary series exploring the life and career of Kobe Bryant.
The production was nominated for Outstanding Sports Journalism at the Sports Emmy Awards.
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Drone cinematography and photojournalism as part of CNN’s coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The coverage won the News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Breaking News Coverage.
Global Warning: Arctic Melt
[Global Warning: Arctic Melt →]
Emmy-nominated aerial and immersive cinematography across Greenland for CNN, documenting glaciers, sea ice, Arctic landscapes and climate science using conventional drone filming and pioneering 360° aerial technology.
Summit Station — Greenland
Emmy-nominated drone cinematography at a remote research station approximately 10,600 feet above sea level on the Greenland Ice Sheet, operating in extreme cold, high winds and temperatures approaching -50°C.
Chernobyl Reactor 4
Specialist aerial cinematography at one of the world’s most sensitive nuclear locations, providing visual context around Reactor 4 and the New Safe Confinement.
D-Day Normandy
Aerial cinematography for CNN’s coverage of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, filming Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery to reveal the geography and scale of the historic landscape.
Hurricane Irma — St Martin
Rapid-response drone cinematography documenting the aftermath of Hurricane Irma for CNN, revealing the scale of destruction across areas difficult to understand from ground level alone.
Nepal Earthquake
Drone cinematography and photojournalism following the 2015 Nepal earthquake, documenting widespread structural damage and the geography of the disaster environment.
Covid-19 Pandemic Coverage
Photojournalism and drone cinematography across CNN’s pandemic reporting, including work connected with the Emmy-nominated The Body Collectors and award-recognised frontline coverage.
Jacobite “Hogwarts Express”
[Jacobite 360° Drone Filming →]
Bespoke 360° aerial cinematography of the Jacobite steam train through the Scottish Highlands for CNN using a custom immersive drone system.
Oxford University
Sunrise aerial cinematography across Oxford’s historic architecture for CNN, using a specialist lightweight drone within a dense heritage environment.
Wissington Medical Cannabis Facility
[Wissington Medical Cannabis Facility →]
Indoor FPV cinematography inside a controlled medical cannabis production facility for CNN, using specialist protected-prop aircraft around high-value crops and complex glasshouse infrastructure.
Craig David — CNN New Year’s Eve
[Craig David — CNN New Year’s Eve →]
Indoor FPV filming through the studio environment for a live music performance, combining close-proximity flying, choreographed movement and broadcast production timing.
Typhoon Haiyan — Tacloban
Pioneering drone cinematography from Tacloban following Super Typhoon Haiyan for CNN, using aerial imagery to reveal the scale of devastation during a major international breaking-news operation and helping establish drones as a practical tool for modern visual journalism.
Award-Recognised Broadcast Work
Lewis is a six-time Emmy nominee and Emmy winner.
His broadcast and documentary work has also received recognition from organisations including:
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
Online Journalism Awards
Pictures of the Year International
Royal Television Society
Foreign Press Awards
UK Picture Editors’ Guild
His work spans drone cinematography, FPV, photojournalism, immersive filmmaking and technical innovation.
More Than a Drone Operator
Lewis’s background extends beyond aerial filming.
He has worked professionally as a photojournalist, filmmaker and photographer across international news and documentary production for more than two decades.
That wider experience brings an understanding of:
Editorial storytelling
Sequences and coverage
Working with contributors
Production logistics
Working alongside directors and DOPs
Fast-moving editorial situations
When aerial imagery adds to a story
When it does not
For documentary crews, this means the drone operation is approached as part of the wider visual production rather than as an isolated technical service.
Multi-Format Documentary Production
Where required, Whyldthings can combine:
Aerial cinematography
FPV
Ground filming
Photography
360° and immersive capture
Bespoke technical development
Editing and post-production
This can be particularly useful for smaller documentary crews or productions working in remote locations.
[Explore Multi-Format Production →]
Why Lewis Whyld?
Lewis has worked professionally with drones since 2011, initially developing aerial systems for international journalism before expanding into documentary, commercial and specialist cinematography.
His work has included:
Emmy-winning international news coverage
Premium documentary series
Sports documentaries
Climate and environmental films
Live television
Historic and heritage productions
Immersive 360° filmmaking
Conflict and disaster coverage
Extreme and remote environments
That experience combines cinematography, editorial judgement, technical development and the ability to operate under genuine production pressure.
What You’ll Get
Editorial and creative consultation
Location and technical planning
Aerial and/or FPV cinematography
Specialist aircraft where required
Risk assessments / RAMS
Live-production integration
Director and producer monitoring
Multiple takes and coverage options
Rapid-turnaround workflows where required
Ground filming and photography options
In-house post-production
UK and international production capability
FAQs
Do you work directly with documentary production companies?
Yes.
Whyldthings works with producers, directors, DOPs, broadcasters and factual production companies from planning through filming and delivery.
Can you provide both conventional drone filming and FPV?
Yes.
Productions can combine conventional aerial cinematography with indoor or high-speed FPV depending on the story and location.
Can you work as part of a larger camera department?
Yes.
Lewis works alongside directors, DOPs, camera crews, producers, correspondents and location teams.
Can you work on live television?
Yes, where the production and operating environment allow it.
Lewis has extensive experience working within live and time-critical broadcast workflows.
Can you work in difficult or restricted locations?
Yes, depending on the location, permissions and operating conditions.
Previous productions have involved nuclear sites, airports, tunnels, extreme cold, heritage interiors, conflict zones and disaster environments.
Can you deploy internationally?
Yes.
Whyldthings is London-based and works throughout the UK and internationally.
Can you provide photography as well?
Yes.
Lewis is also an award-winning photojournalist and photographer.
Do you provide risk assessments and RAMS?
Yes. Production documentation can be supplied where required.
Planning a Broadcast or Documentary Production?
Send the production dates, location and a short description of the story and aerial or FPV sequences you are considering.
Whether the project requires cinematic aerials, documentary FPV, live broadcast integration, remote-location filming or a specialist technical solution, Whyldthings can advise on the most appropriate approach.