Advertising at an altitude of 828 meters
One of the largest airlines in the world, Emirates Airlines, has published a stunningly beautiful commercial filmed from a drone, lasting only 33 seconds, through which it announced that from August 8, flying to the UK from the UAE will become easier.
For reference
- Emirates Airlines is one of the world’s largest airlines based in Dubai. Established in 1985 by the top management of the emirate of Dubai for the development of tourism and infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates. It is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group.
- “Burj Khalifa” is an ultra-high skyscraper with a height of 828 meters in Dubai, the tallest and most multi-story building, the tallest building, the only 828-meter and 163-story skyscraper in the world. The stepped shape of the building resembles a stalagmite. The grand opening ceremony took place on January 4, 2010.
- LONDON, 5 August 2021 — The UK Government announced on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates will be moved from the red list to amber as the country’s epidemic situation has improved. Bahrain, India and Qatar have also been moved to the amber list, according to a statement released by the UK government. Thanks to this indulgence, many people have the opportunity to see relatives and friends again, as well as to resume various kinds of visits to the United Kingdom.
Details
A video from Emirates shows a flight attendant standing on top of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa tower, swiping through the signs in the format of Bob Dylan’s cult hit “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, which reflect the key message of the commercial: “The inclusion of the UAE in the UK amber list made us feel like top of the world.” The first seconds of the video do not allow the viewer to understand how adrenaline-filled the video is, and only when the drone flies away from the stewardess does it become clear that the action takes place on top of the highest tower in the world, from where a vast, if not beautiful, panorama opens up.
Video #1
Ads.
Real video or fake chroma key?
To answer this question, the Emirates provided some time for Internet users to discuss this topic. After that, a behind-the-scenes video and a corresponding article were uploaded to the network, in which all exhaustive explanations were given.
In particular, the article explains that:
The ad was filmed without the use of green screen or special effects and was the result of careful planning, training, testing and a strict security protocol. On top of the building, at a height of 828 meters, the protagonist was given only 1.2 meters to perform the trick. A casting call was made for the Emirates crew, and although there were several willing and capable candidates among them, a professional skydiving instructor was brought in to ensure the highest level of safety. She turned out to be a professional skydiver, and part-time yoga teacher – Nicole Smith-Ludvik (Nicole Smith-Ludvik).
During filming and pre-production, safety remained a top priority. In order for the main character to stand on top, a special platform with a pole was made. The fixation of the girl was carried out at three points using hidden belts under the Emirates uniform – this is the pole itself and two other points located on top of the skyscraper.
Filming began at dawn to capture the so-called golden hour light. The team, including the main star of advertising, began climbing to the top before sunrise. The ascent took 1 hour 15 minutes from the 160th level of the Burj Khalifa from Emaar. They had to overcome several tiers and stairs inside the pipe to get to the very top.
At the summit, the team spent approximately 5 hours, with the stuntwoman, wearing safety harness under her Emirates uniform, strapped onto a custom-made platform that was fixed directly to the summit. For filming, one drone was used, which shot frames in continuous mode, in order to shoot a given sequence.
At 828 meters above the ground, it is one of the tallest commercials ever filmed. The concept and direction were developed by the Emirates brand’s in-house team with the help of Dubai-based Prime Productions AMG.
Video #2
Backstage footage.
What’s a drone?
As you already understood, the article does not specify which drone was used for filming. However, if you pay attention to the angles that the drone’s camera mount occupied, then most likely it was a drone from DJI Innovations – Inspire 2.