Aerial MOB
Aerial MOB is a US-based drone cinematography services company that rents professional aerial filming equipment and crews to feature film, television, and commercial productions, serving all six major Hollywood studios from offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Albuquerque, and New York.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersCarlsbad, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Aerial MOB does
Aerial MOB is a US-based drone cinematography services company that rents professional aerial filming equipment and crews to feature film, television, commercial, sports, and live-event productions. Founded in 2012 by Tony Carmean and partners and operating as a subsidiary of Cinema Partners Holdings LLC, the company is headquartered in Carlsbad, California, with offices and crews in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Albuquerque, and New York — covering the key US film production markets. Aerial MOB is positioned as a leading, multi-Emmy-awarded vendor in its niche and is on the approved short list for all six major Hollywood studios (Disney, Sony, Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros, and Netflix), as well as most major production companies.
The company's core technology spans three product lines: Cinema Aerial (Freefly Alta X and Alta 8 heavy-lift drones, DJI Inspire 3 with 8K full-frame and DJI Inspire 2 with 6K RAW, plus a custom heavy-lift platform with a 3-camera array for VFX plates), Cinema FPV (a tiered family of high-speed first-person-view drones from a gimbaled heavy lifter carrying RED Komodo/Alexa Mini LF down to micro FPV units flying indoors), and Aerial Lighting (drone-mountable lighting platforms including custom-built configurations). Supporting equipment includes production vans, HD monitors, downlinks, communications systems, and charging stations. All operations are FAA Part 107 compliant under a regulatory framework Aerial MOB helped establish with the Motion Picture Association and FAA in 2013.
Aerial MOB generates revenue through professional services and equipment rental, with custom project-based pricing quoted on request rather than published. The go-to-market motion is direct enterprise sales to studios, production companies, and brand advertisers, supported by industry referrals, a Vimeo reel portfolio, and organic social channels. The customer base spans feature films (Matrix 4, Venom 2, Jungle Cruise, Hillbilly Elegy, Bumblebee), television series (The Rookie, Lucifer, The Umbrella Academy, Big Red, American Primeval), and commercials (GMC HUMMER EV, Dodge, Jeep, Volkswagen, Honda, Apple — including Super Bowl spots). The company employs 1–10 people and relies heavily on freelance pilots and partner drone companies to scale crew capacity on demand.
Aerial MOB firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aerial MOB
- Legal name
- Cinema Partners Holdings LLC
- Website
- https://aerialmob.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Aerial MOB is a US-based drone cinematography services company that rents professional aerial filming equipment and crews to feature film, television, and commercial productions, serving all six major Hollywood studios from offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Albuquerque, and New York.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Aerial MOB is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carlsbad
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Aerial MOB business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Drone Cinematography Equipment Rental Services: Professional drone cinematography equipment rental and production services for feature films, television, commercials, sports, and live events. Services include aerial cinematography, aerial lighting, and FPV drone services with professional crews.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Aerial MOB product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aerial MOB provides professional drone cinematography services and aerial equipment rentals to the film, television, and commercial production industries. Services are delivered by FAA-licensed aerial cinematographer crews operating cinema drone platforms (Freefly Alta X/8, DJI Inspire 3/2, custom heavy-lift arrays), high-speed FPV drones, and aerial lighting systems. Coverage is centered on US production markets including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Albuquerque, and New York.
Product overview
Aerial MOB is a pioneering drone cinematography company offering a comprehensive portfolio of aerial filming solutions for the film and television industry. Their core offerings include Cinema Aerial (state-of-the-art drone platforms like Freefly ALTA X, ALTA 8, DJI Inspire 3, and heavy lift platforms), Cinema FPV (high-speed first-person view drone cinematography in various sizes from heavy lifter to micro), and Aerial Lighting (lighting systems mounted to drones). The company provides end-to-end production services for feature films, television shows, and commercial productions. Supporting equipment includes production vans, mobile carts, HD monitors, downlinks, communication systems, and charging stations. Aerial MOB operates as a service company rather than a product/software company, renting equipment and crew to film studios and production companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cinema Aerial Rental and crew-operated aerial cinematography using state-of-the-art cinema drone platforms including the Freefly Alta X (4-rotor heavy lifter with custom Movi Pro stabilizer), Freefly Alta 8 (8-rotor heavy lifter supporting RED, Alexa Mini, and DSLR cameras with a wide range of lenses), DJI Inspire 3 (8K full-frame/S35), DJI Inspire 2 (built-in 6K RAW/ProRes Super 35), and a Heavy Lift Drone Platform with a 3-camera array for VFX plate stitching. Sold to studios, DPs, and producers for feature, TV, and commercial productions.
- Cinema FPV High-speed first-person-view (FPV) drone cinematography for feature films, TV, and commercials, deploying a Gimbaled FPV Heavy Lifter (two-man operation, carries cinema cameras like RED Komodo and Alexa Mini LF), FPV Heavy Lifter (~14-inch diameter, ~7 lbs, speeds approaching 100 mph, capable of flying RED Komodos), FPV Light Lifter (~8-inch diameter, ~4 lbs, 100+ mph, smaller 4K cameras including GoPro 8), and Micro FPV (under 6-inch, ounces, 100+ mph, indoor/outdoor capability). Sold to directors and DPs seeking unique dynamic perspectives.
- Aerial Lighting Aerial lighting systems mounted on larger drones, including a police-helicopter-style aerial lighting platform and area-flood lighting configurations. Aerial MOB's technical team can design and build custom aerial lighting platforms to specific production requirements. Provided to productions alongside drone cinematography services.
- Feature Film Drone Cinematography Services End-to-end aerial drone cinematography for feature film productions, including pre-production planning, on-set piloting, and supporting equipment. Credits include Matrix 4, Night Teeth, Hillbilly Elegy, Venom 2, Jungle Cruise, Bumblebee, Rattlesnake, Roman J. Israel ESQ, and others across Warner Bros., Netflix, Sony, Universal, Disney, Paramount, and Amazon Studios.
- Television Drone Cinematography Services Drone cinematography services for episodic television and streaming series, including The Rookie, Lucifer, Big Red, American Primeval, The Umbrella Academy, Never Have I Ever, Black Lightning, Doom Patrol, Them: Covenant, and Coyote. Provided as recurring production engagements across major networks and streamers.
- Commercial Drone Cinematography Services Commercial drone cinematography for television and digital advertising, including work for GMC, Chevrolet, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Volkswagen, Honda, Apple Music, Apple Watch & Nike Plus, and Timberland, including Super Bowl commercial productions. Targeting brand advertisers and agencies via production companies such as SMUGGLER.
Quantifiable outcome
- First ever Emmy award for drone cinematography in television (2016)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Aerial MOB
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Aerial MOB technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature10 records
Aerial MOB partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Motion Picture AssociationcoreSelected as part of small group to develop first safety protocols and operational framework for legal use of drone technology on closed film sets with the FAA in 2013. Partnered on establishing initial commercial drone regulations for the film industry.
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)coreLed effort for first commercial drone regulations with the FAA, establishing operational framework for drone use on closed film sets in the United States.
- Other Drone/Aerial CompaniesminorLong standing friendships and strategic partnerships with other drone/aerial companies in the industry.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Aerial MOB competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- DJI: Dominant global drone manufacturer whose Inspire 3 and Inspire 2 platforms Aerial MOB relies on as core equipment. Not a service competitor, but DJI's product roadmap, pricing, and feature releases directly shape Aerial MOB's operating economics and platform differentiation.
- HeliCopter Film Services: Specialized provider of gyro-stabilized helicopter camera systems for film production. Adjacent competitor for aerial cinematography budgets—productions that previously required helicopters are migrating to drones, so this is the legacy substitute product.
- Freefly Systems: US-based manufacturer of the Alta X and Alta 8 heavy-lift cinema drone platforms that anchor Aerial MOB's product line. Equipment supplier rather than competitor, but Freefly's cinema-drone roadmap determines a meaningful portion of Aerial MOB's competitive positioning.
Direct peers
- Flying Cam: International drone cinematography services company, founded by a pilot/cinematographer, serving major motion-picture productions. Operates in the same niche (Tethered and untethered UAS for cinematography) with comparable equipment-led model, but with broader international reach than Aerial MOB.
- Vortex Aerial: Drone cinematography services provider operating in film, television, and commercials with professional crews. Direct competitor serving similar studio and production-company buyers with comparable drone platforms.
- Hovershot (Tarsier): US drone cinematography provider with proprietary stabilized drone platforms for film and TV production. Comparable specialist in UAS-based aerial filming for major Hollywood and streaming productions, with overlapping service offering.
- Drone Dudes: A US-based drone cinematography service company providing aerial shooting for feature films, TV, and commercials. Direct competitor with overlapping customer base of major studios and producers, similar drone-platform inventory and crew model.
Broad incumbents
- ARRI: Manufacturer of the Alexa Mini and Alexa Mini LF cameras carried on Aerial MOB's heavy-lift platforms. A incumbent in the broader film-camera ecosystem, not a direct service competitor, but central to Aerial MOB's equipment-and-crew positioning.
- Paramount Pictures / CBS Studios (in-house drone ops): Major studios and production companies occasionally bring drone capabilities in-house or consolidate to a single preferred vendor on volume deals. Represents the broad-incumbent risk of client-side vertical integration rather than a current external competitor.
Emerging players
- Pictorvision: Australian/US producer of stabilized helicopter and gyro-stabilized camera mounts that has expanded into drone cinematography. Offers comparable aerial cinematography capabilities but historically led in helicopter gimbal systems rather than cinema drones.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aerial MOB social profiles
Digital presenceAerial MOB compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Aerial MOB financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aerial MOB leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Aerial MOB funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aerial MOB 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 Aerial MOB
What does Aerial MOB do?
Aerial MOB provides professional drone cinematography services and aerial equipment rentals to the film, television, and commercial production industries. Services are delivered by FAA-licensed aerial cinematographer crews operating cinema drone platforms (Freefly Alta X/8, DJI Inspire 3/2, custom heavy-lift arrays), high-speed FPV drones, and aerial lighting systems. Coverage is centered on US production markets including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Albuquerque, and New York.
Is Aerial MOB a public or private company?
Aerial MOB is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Aerial MOB founded?
Aerial MOB was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Aerial MOB based?
Aerial MOB is headquartered in Carlsbad, United States, in the North America region.
How does Aerial MOB make money?
One revenue line is on record: drone Cinematography Equipment Rental Services.
Who are Aerial MOB's main competitors?
Others on record are DJI, HeliCopter Film Services and Freefly Systems. Direct peers are Flying Cam, Vortex Aerial, Hovershot (Tarsier) and Drone Dudes. Broad incumbents are ARRI and Paramount Pictures / CBS Studios (in-house drone ops). Pictorvision is listed as an emerging player.
Does Aerial MOB have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aerial MOB.