CineDrones
CineDrones is an FAA Part 107-certified aerial cinematography services company providing end-to-end drone filming for Hollywood film, television, commercials, live sports, and real estate clients, including stunt, FPV, VR/360, aerial lighting, and on-camera prop drone services across ten US regional offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersGardena, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CineDrones does
CineDrones is an FAA Part 107-certified aerial cinematography services company founded in 2012 in Orlando, Florida by CEO Mike Fortin and relocated to Los Angeles in 2015 to serve the Hollywood production ecosystem. The company provides end-to-end drone cinematography — from pre-production permit acquisition and FAA waivers through on-set filming and post-production delivery — for feature films, episodic television, commercials, music videos, live sporting events, and real estate marketing. Core service lines include Full Service Drone Cinematography, Stunt Drones, VR/360 capture, Delivery Drones, Aerial Lighting, On-Camera Prop Drones, and FPV Drones for high-speed action sequences, supported by a proprietary equipment fleet (ALTA 8 heavy lift, DJI Inspire 2 X7, Handheld Movi Pro, TeroCar, BlackArm, Cinevan production vehicle) and a Local 600 union-capable crew.
The business runs on a project-based professional services model with custom quote-based pricing per shoot day, equipment package, and crew configuration. Both union (Local 600 International Cinematographers Guild) and non-union crews are offered to accommodate studio agreements. The company holds $10M in general liability aviation insurance and a $5M aviation liability policy, satisfying enterprise studio requirements. GTM is enterprise field sales driven by inbound inquiries (website form, 310-905-9195) plus outbound networking through a Business Relationship Manager function. The regional office footprint spans ten US metros (Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Chicago, Miami, Austin, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City) plus Canada (British Columbia) and Colorado, positioning the company on-site with every major North American production hub.
Revenue is generated almost entirely from per-project fees billed to studios, streaming platforms, broadcast networks, advertising brands, sports leagues, and real estate clients. Named enterprise customers span Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, HBO, Hulu, Showtime, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., CBS, MTV, History Channel, AMC, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, ESPN, NFL, NBA, MLB, WWE, and MotoGP. The company was bootstrapped from $1,000 in founder capital with no institutional funding and operates with 1-10 employees, framing CineDrones as a small but well-networked specialist services firm rather than a scaled technology platform.
CineDrones firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CineDrones
- Legal name
- CineDrones
- Website
- https://cinedrones.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CineDrones is an FAA Part 107-certified aerial cinematography services company providing end-to-end drone filming for Hollywood film, television, commercials, live sports, and real estate clients, including stunt, FPV, VR/360, aerial lighting, and on-camera prop drone services across ten US regional offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CineDrones industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerial Cinematography Services
- NAICS
- Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gimbals, Stabilizers & Camera Rigs (Handheld, Wearable, Drone Gimbals) (CRACAPAE)
Keywords
Where CineDrones is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gardena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
CineDrones business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Drone Cinematography Services: Full-service drone cinematography for film, TV, commercials, and events. Revenue is generated through professional service fees charged per production or per shoot day. The company handles all aspects of drone cinematography from pre-production planning through post-production delivery, including permit acquisition, FAA compliance, and insurance coverage. Services include stunt drone footage, VR/360 footage, aerial lighting, FPV racing shots, and on-camera prop drones.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
CineDrones product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CineDrones is an FAA Part 107 certified aerial cinematography services company that delivers drone-based filming for Hollywood film, television, commercials, live events, and sports broadcasts. The company provides end-to-end production support including pre-production planning, FAA waiver and permit acquisition, on-set drone cinematography, and post-production delivery, deploying a diverse fleet of cinema drones and FPV drones operated by union and non-union crews.
Product overview
CineDrones offers a unified full-service drone cinematography platform centered on its core aerial filming services. The product portfolio includes seven distinct drone services: Full Service Drone Cinematography (the primary all-inclusive offering), Stunt Drones, VR/360 Drone capture, Delivery Drones, Aerial Lighting, On-Camera Drones, and FPV Drones. Supporting these services is a complementary equipment lineup featuring the ALTA 8 heavy lift system, Inspire 2 X7, Handheld Movi Pro stabilizer, TeroCar, BlackArm, and Cinevan production vehicle. The company extends its core services into vertical markets including commercial cinematography, live sporting events, and real estate aerial photography.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full Service Drone Cinematography
Quantifiable outcome
- First FAA permit holder for drone cinematography in Hollywood, establishing pioneering position in the industry since 2012
Companies that use CineDrones
Customer profileNamed customers33 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CineDrones technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
CineDrones partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CineDrones competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- DJI: DJI is the dominant manufacturer of cinema drones (Inspire line) and FPV platforms used across film production. Both a critical supplier to CineDrones and an industry shaper whose democratization of drone tech compresses CineDrones' moat.
- Helinet Aviation Services: Helinet is a long-established helicopter-based aerial cinematography and EMS operator serving Hollywood productions. It competes with CineDrones for aerial storytelling budget and is a broad incumbent CineDrones' drones increasingly displace.
- Flying Pictures: Flying Pictures specializes in helicopter and drone aerial filming for film/TV in the UK and Europe. Comparable incumbent positioning and customer type, though its primary footprint is transatlantic.
Others
- Freefly Systems: Freefly Systems makes the ALTA 8 heavy-lift drone platform that CineDrones highlights as a core piece of its toolkit. An enabling vendor rather than direct competitor, but its products shape CineDrones' service quality.
Direct peers
- Big A Drone: Big A Drone offers FPV and cinema-grade drone cinematography for film, TV and action-sports clients, comparable to CineDrones' FPV and stunt offerings. Both firms compete for the same on-set aerial capture budget.
- Aerobo: Aerobo provides drone-based aerial cinematography for film, TV, commercials and live events — overlapping directly with CineDrones' core offering. Its FAA Part 107 commercial drone focus and producer/client base make it the most directly comparable peer.
- Drone Dudes: Drone Dudes provides professional drone cinematography services for film, TV and commercials using cinema-grade cameras and FAA-licensed pilots. Direct competitor for production-company RFPs in the same category CineDrones dominates.
- Vortex Aerial: Vortex Aerial is a drone cinematography company serving motion picture, television and commercial clients with custom-built heavy-lift and FPV rigs. Same end-buyers and same FAA Part 107 compliance posture as CineDrones.
Emerging players
- Lumen Studios: Lumen Studios is a virtual production and immersive content studio adjacent to CineDrones' VR/360 offering. Comparable emerging player in immersive aerial capture for productions, although narrower in scope.
- Sky Elements Drone Shows: Sky Elements is one of the largest US drone light show operators, serving sports events, corporate activations and live entertainment. Highly relevant as CineDrones expands into drone light shows via its nationwide roll-out.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CineDrones social profiles
Digital presenceCineDrones compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
CineDrones financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CineDrones leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
CineDrones funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CineDrones M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CineDrones
What does CineDrones do?
CineDrones is an FAA Part 107 certified aerial cinematography services company that delivers drone-based filming for Hollywood film, television, commercials, live events, and sports broadcasts. The company provides end-to-end production support including pre-production planning, FAA waiver and permit acquisition, on-set drone cinematography, and post-production delivery, deploying a diverse fleet of cinema drones and FPV drones operated by union and non-union crews.
Is CineDrones a public or private company?
CineDrones is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CineDrones founded?
CineDrones was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CineDrones based?
CineDrones is headquartered in Gardena, United States, in the North America region.
How does CineDrones make money?
One revenue line is on record: drone Cinematography Services.
Who are CineDrones's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are DJI, Helinet Aviation Services and Flying Pictures. Freefly Systems is listed as an others. Direct peers are Big A Drone, Aerobo, Drone Dudes and Vortex Aerial. Emerging players are Lumen Studios and Sky Elements Drone Shows.
Does CineDrones have an API?
No public API is recorded for CineDrones.
What industry is CineDrones in?
CineDrones's product category is Aerial Cinematography Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACAPAE, Gimbals, Stabilizers & Camera Rigs (Handheld, Wearable, Drone Gimbals). Its NAICS code is 51219 and its SIC code is 7812.