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The innovative work carried out by the research and development team is derived from our extensive on-set experience in demanding commercial applications, working on projects of all sizes, including some of the world's biggest feature films.
Custom aircraft and payload mounting equipment as well as unique aircraft components are designed, manufactured, tested and integrated by our highly skilled team of designers, developers, engineers, machining specialists and pilots.
This experience includes detailed knowledge of aerial unit operations and workflow, data management and post processing. This practical, real-world experience keeps us on the leading edge of technological advancement and offers new creative possibilities for our clients.
years of
experience
XM2 combines experienced crew with the latest developments in
XM2 offers a complete suite of aerial and ground-based camera platforms, from drones, helicopters and jets to handheld camera rigs and all-terrain e-bikes. Choosing the right tool for each application comes with experience and this gives our crew the ability to coordinate with directors, DPs and VFX supervisors to ensure that their vision is met in an efficient and safe manner.
007 : No Time To Die
Drone
Film
Fast and Furious 9
Drone
VFX Data Capture
Film
Star Wars
The Rise of Skywalker
Film
NASA Project Support
Lander Vision System
Mars Mission
Hyundai
Commercial
film
Year
2019
Location
Italy
Cliente
MGM
No Time To Die was one of the most highly anticipated films of 2021. This installment of the iconic James Bond franchise was shot around the globe with locations including Scotland, England and Italy.
Operating in coordination with helicopters required a high level of planning and communication.
XM2 was tasked with flying an ARRI 235 film camera to capture the beauty of these locations as well as the action of the intense car chases and stunt sequences.
Our team had the privilege of working on Main Unit with Director Cary Fukunaga and DP Linus Sandgren as well as with Second Unit Director and DP Alexander Witt.
Year:
2019
Location:
Europe
Cliente:
WB
Film franchises don’t get much bigger than Fast and Furious and Fast 9: The Fast Saga did not take its foot off the gas. Directed by Justin Lin, Fast 9 is the latest installment in this high octane series, and XM2 is proud to have helped bring it to life. Operating on multiple continents, our teams captured intense stunt sequences across Main and Second Units as well as highly detailed content for Visual Effects.
XM2 PURSUIT HELPED BRING 'F9: THE FAST SAGA' TO LIFE
For two decades, the Fast & Furious franchise has been known for its incredible chase sequences and stunts, and the vast experience and knowledge of our pilots, camera operators, and technicians provided the expertise to deliver the creative vision.
During production, XM2 had one aerial team working on Main Unit with Director Justin Lin and DP Stephen Windon on a set built at Leavesden Studios in southeast England. At the same time, we had teams traveling to Krabi, Thailand and then Tbilisi, Georgia with Second Unit Director Spiro Razatos and DP Igor Meglic, as well as a Splinter Unit in Edinburgh, Scotland. Each team was deeply involved in the planning and safety analysis of the stunt sequences, which often involved pyrotechnics and airborne vehicles, all happening around the main car chase sequence. To keep up with the action, our teams operated out of a chase vehicle with the drone pilots often secured onto the back of a flatbed truck in full safety gear. On a set like F9, the stakes are high and there is only one chance to nail the perfect shot, and that is exactly what we did.
The extreme level of planning and coordination that goes into each action sequence in F9 is on display in the video below. This particular stunt involved the XM2 Tango aircraft operating in close proximity to cars being flung into the air.
In addition to drone filming capabilities, our team provided VFX data capture services through aerial and ground-based LIDAR and photogrammetry. This resulted in highly detailed digital 3D models for post-production work. Our engineers also developed the Manta array, a customized remote head, carrying three synchronized ARRI Alexa Mini LFs to create ultra-high-resolution aerial and ground plates.
Year:
2020
Loscation:
Jordan
Cliente:
Disney
Aerial cinematography experts XM2 provided their services on the Oscar nominated Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. XM2 captured many new aerial paintbrushes for the VFX team to achieve this vision, with multiple drone teams operating simultaneously across different units. The comprehensive aerial VFX capture was a collaboration with Industrial Light and Magic (ILM).
XM2 Sierra, the world’s largest cinematography drone
To achieve the required effects XM2 designed and manufactured the world’s largest cinematography drone, XM2 Sierra, specifically for this project. Sierra is capable of carrying an Alexa 65, Arri 435 or any of our custom-built multi-camera arrays in order to digitally recreate the worlds of the Star Wars universe.
XM2 Sierra, the world’s largest cinematography drone, was designed and built by XM2 engineers and pilots for The Rise of Skywalker. They also engineered a new custom gimbal: the XM2 Stingray. It is a bespoke VFX array that was created by their in-house engineers and machinists, in collaboration with the VFX team behind The Rise of Skywalker. This gimbal carries three Alexa Minis with dedicated power and camera synchronization and has the ability to mount cameras in multiple configurations including cameras toed in or toed out as well as below or above the drone. This platform was used to capture speed racer POVs and pursuits as well as highly detailed shots of the background scenery.
Other drone teams were completing LIDAR and photogrammetry scans in order to quickly and efficiently produce survey-grade 3D models. Aerial LIDAR capture a point cloud while photogrammetry captures images of features from all angles. The combination of these techniques creates a fully colorized and textured 3D model. This data featured heavily in The Rise of Skywalker and will be used in other projects in future.
Year:
2020
Location:
Death Valley
Cliente:
NASA
NASA has launched dozens of missions to explore the Red Planet over the years, but the upcoming Mars 2020 Rover will be unlike any planetary explorer that has gone before it. The new rover, which is scheduled to take off between July and August 2020 and land on Feb. 18, 2021, will feature groundbreaking Terrain-Relative Navigation (TRN) that allows the landing craft to make real-time adjustments as it descends to the Martian surface. Recently, XM2 Pursuit supported NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to test key components of this system.
XM2 Pursuit’s Airbus AStar helicopter
XM2 Pursuit’s Airbus AStar helicopter deployed to Death Valley National Park and was equipped with an engineering model of the Lander Vision System (LVS), part of the TRN. During the test flight, the Pursuit team flew while the LVS collected and analyzed images of the ground below.
Over the course of two weeks, XM2 Pursuit conducted numerous simulation flights that included altitudes of over 17,000 feet. Because of the unusual challenges of operating a helicopter at such heights, pilot John Tamburro had to complete a rigorous training regimen. Prior to the project, Tamburro underwent altitude chamber training and studied potential physiological issues like hypoxia and decompression sickness. He also studied the atmospheric forces that could impact this unique project. All of this knowledge was key to keeping the crew and NASA’s state-of-the-art equipment safe during the mission.
LVS is a central part of the broader Terrain-Relative Navigation system, which makes it possible for NASA to land in previously inaccessible areas like the Jezero Crater. Before Mars 2020 enters the planet’s atmosphere, orbiters will create a map of the landing site and share these images with the spacecraft. As it descends on a parachute, the spacecraft will take pictures of the surface using cameras like those tested in conjunction with XM2 Pursuit. It can then quickly compare the orbiter images with those it has captured and divert itself towards a safer landing zone if necessary. “Mars 2020 will be the first spacecraft in the history of planetary exploration with the ability to accurately retarget its point of touchdown during the landing sequence,” according to JPL. We’re looking forward to the launch and wish all those involved the best of luck with this incredible mission.
Year:
2020
Location:
Airport
Cliente:
Hyundai
When Hyundai planned to make a commercial to announce their all-new Venue SUV, they had a major production in mind. A flying, custom-painted C-130 Hercules, high-speed air-to-air filming, and precise, low-altitude passes were just a few of the moving parts that XM2 PURSUIT needed to coordinate when filming this project in May. Luckily, ouplatform and helicopter camera ships were the perfect fit to capture the various angles that the director had in mind.
XM2 DRONE TANGO IS READY FOR ACTION
The commercial centers on a Hyundai Venue that is traveling inside of a C-130 to join the rest of the automaker’s lineup. The inside of the C-130 was made to resemble a flying night club, complete with specialty lighting and smoke machines. Once the C-130’s paint job was complete, it was up to the aerial crews to bring the director’s vision to life. Because of the speed of a fixed-wing aircraft like the C-130, JETCAM was used to capture footage of the plane as it soared over the mountains along Hwy. 395.
During the shoot, the massive transport plane topped 200 miles per hour - too fast for a helicopter, but well within the capabilities of the JETCAM platform. Outfitted with a Shotover K1 system, the A-Star camera helicopter captured the next phase of the project. At Inyokern Airport, the Hercules flew numerous traffic patterns while it was trailed on the ground by stunt drivers in the Hyundai vehicles. As the plane flew low-altitude passes, the aerial production crew captured the scene from every angle. The final product is stunning and we are proud to have been part of this amazing project.
Year:
2020
Location:
Airport
Cliente:
Hyundai
When Hyundai planned to make a commercial to announce their all-new Venue SUV, they had a major production in mind. A flying, custom-painted C-130 Hercules, high-speed air-to-air filming, and precise, low-altitude passes were just a few of the moving parts that XM2 PURSUIT needed to coordinate when filming this project in May. Luckily, ouplatform and helicopter camera ships were the perfect fit to capture the various angles that the director had in mind.
XM2 DRONE TANGO IS READY FOR ACTION
The commercial centers on a Hyundai Venue that is traveling inside of a C-130 to join the rest of the automaker’s lineup. The inside of the C-130 was made to resemble a flying night club, complete with specialty lighting and smoke machines. Once the C-130’s paint job was complete, it was up to the aerial crews to bring the director’s vision to life. Because of the speed of a fixed-wing aircraft like the C-130, JETCAM was used to capture footage of the plane as it soared over the mountains along Hwy. 395.
During the shoot, the massive transport plane topped 200 miles per hour - too fast for a helicopter, but well within the capabilities of the JETCAM platform. Outfitted with a Shotover K1 system, the A-Star camera helicopter captured the next phase of the project. At Inyokern Airport, the Hercules flew numerous traffic patterns while it was trailed on the ground by stunt drivers in the Hyundai vehicles. As the plane flew low-altitude passes, the aerial production crew captured the scene from every angle. The final product is stunning and we are proud to have been part of this amazing project.
XM2 Tango II was created
with a strong knowledge of
film and industrial
applications.
XM2 crew vehicles
have the capability to
support suspension arms
and remote heads in order
to capture vehicle-based
tracking footage.
Owning and operating single
and dual suspension arms
allows for capture with
single cameras across
a variety of vehicles and
terrains as well as
multi-camera arrays for high
intensity, VFX work.
XM2's powerful, high
performance AS350B3e/H125
ASTARs are designed to
carry out the most
demanding missions in the
most extreme weather and
geographical conditions.
XM2 Tango II was created
with a strong knowledge of
film and industrial
applications.
XM2 crew vehicles
have the capability to
support suspension arms
and remote heads in order
to capture vehicle-based
tracking footage.
Owning and operating single
and dual suspension arms
allows for capture with
single cameras across
a variety of vehicles and
terrains as well as
multi-camera arrays for high
intensity, VFX work.
XM2's powerful, high
performance AS350B3e/H125
ASTARs are designed to
carry out the most
demanding missions in the
most extreme weather and
geographical conditions.
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