Using FPV Drones for Interior Tracking Shots

A couple of days ago, it was announced that the winning ticket for the $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot had been sold at a gas station near our ranch outside of Fredericksburg, Texas.

Later that morning, I got a call from a news association out of New York City that supplies footage to networks and streaming platforms. They asked if I could get a

quick exterior shot of the now-infamous gas station.

 The gas station that sold the $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot 

When I told the producer I was planning to use a drone, he immediately said, “We don’t need to make a huge production out of this.” I laughed and told him, “No worries.”

The truth is, I can sit in my air-conditioned car wearing VR goggles and pretty much put the camera anywhere I want—with silky smooth motion. Sure, an FPV drone can’t open doors, roll down windows, or record audio, but not long ago it would have taken tracks, dollies, or Steadicams to get this level of smoothness. Even a gimbal can’t compete, because you still see the footsteps.

It was pretty funny to watch: I was flying just inches above some truck drivers’ heads, and they all stood there unfazed. I guess acting scared—or annoyed—wouldn’t have been a very cowboy thing to do.

The punchline? When I wrapped up, I accidentally backed the drone into the cigarette rack and it crashed into a trash can. Without hesitation, the cashier fished it out for me.

The bottom line: FPV drones open up a whole new form of visual storytelling—fast, flexible, and cinematic—without the heavy gear or big production setups.