Chicago & Phoenix Director of Photography, Cinematographer, Drone Pilot, and Video Production
Chicago Drone Cinematography & Aerial Video Production
Commercial drone work requires more than a pilot and a camera. It requires FAA Part 107 certification, airspace coordination, flight path planning, liability coverage, and production experience that integrates aerial footage into a larger shoot without disrupting the ground crew or the schedule. Jamie Link is an FAA Part 107 certified drone pilot and cinematographer with 15 years of on-set experience, $5 million in commercial liability coverage, and a track record of aerial production for brands, agencies, and production companies across Chicago, Phoenix, and nationwide.
Every aerial production is led by Jamie personally, operating Canon Cinema systems on the ground and a cinema-grade drone package in the air. You get a Director of Photography who understands how aerial footage fits into a finished commercial, not just a pilot who shows up with a remote. That integration is the difference between drone footage that gets used and drone footage that sits on a hard drive because it doesn't cut with the rest of the production.
What We Shoot From the Air
Commercial & Brand Campaigns
Brand campaigns and commercial productions require aerial footage that holds up against ground-level cinematography in the edit. That means matched color science, deliberate framing, and shots planned to serve a specific role in the finished piece, not generic sweeping footage that gets dropped in as filler.
Pre-production on a commercial drone shoot includes reviewing the shot list alongside the full production plan, identifying the flight windows that work within the shoot day, and coordinating any airspace authorizations or waiver requirements for the location. On larger productions, the drone unit operates as a dedicated camera team within the broader crew structure, not as a separate contractor working around the main shoot.
FPV Drone Filming
FPV drone cinematography produces footage that a standard drone cannot. The camera moves through spaces, around obstacles, and at speeds that create a cinematic energy specific to the format. It works well for product reveals, venue walkthroughs, manufacturing environments, event coverage, and any application where the camera movement itself is part of the visual story.
FPV requires a different pilot skill set than standard drone operation and a different production approach. Shots are planned around the physical environment, battery management, and the number of passes needed to capture usable footage. Jamie Link has produced FPV footage for commercial clients including the Chicago Dental Society, with footage captured in environments that required precision flying in tight indoor and outdoor spaces.
Corporate Events & Trade Shows
Trade shows and corporate events present specific aerial production challenges. Convention center airspace, indoor no-fly restrictions, and event schedules that can't accommodate extended setup time all require a drone operator who has worked in these environments before.
Aerial coverage of corporate events provides establishing shots of venues, crowd and floor coverage from angles ground cameras can't access, and cinematic transitions between segments of an event recap video. Productions at McCormick Place, Navy Pier, and other major Chicago convention venues benefit from a drone operator who understands the operational constraints of large event environments.
How a Commercial Drone Production Works
Most commercial drone productions follow a consistent sequence regardless of the project type. Understanding what happens at each stage helps marketing teams and producers plan budgets, schedules, and deliverables accurately.
Pre-production covers airspace authorization, location assessment, and flight path planning. Depending on the location, this may require FAA Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) authorization, coordination with local authorities, or a formal waiver for restricted airspace. Chicago's proximity to O'Hare and Midway airports means a significant portion of the metropolitan area falls under controlled airspace that requires authorization before any commercial flight. That authorization process is part of every production, not an afterthought.
On the shoot day, the drone unit is briefed alongside the rest of the production. Shot sequencing is planned to minimize battery swaps and maximize usable flight time within the schedule. Ground-to-air communication between the drone operator and the director of photography ensures the aerial coverage integrates with the ground-level footage rather than running parallel to it.
Post-production delivers aerial footage in the format and color profile specified by the edit team. Canon Cinema footage from the drone package is matched to ground-level Canon Cinema footage so the edit doesn't require heavy color correction to unify the material. Deliverables are provided in the resolution and format the production requires.
Aerial Footage
Flying FPV Through McCormick Place During a Live Trade Show
Flying FPV Through McCormick Place During a Live Trade Show
Shop the Great Escape Store Profile | Ft Wayne Indiana
2025 Cinematic Highlight Reel | Aerial and Ground Cinematography by Jamie Link
FAA Part 107 Certified
$5M Commercial Liability Coverage
4K Cinematic Capture
Chicago Drone Photography & Videography
Where We Work
Chicago is one of the most visually compelling drone production markets in the country. The lakefront, the river architecture, the downtown skyline, and the density of major corporate venues make it a strong location for aerial production across commercial, corporate, and brand categories.
Productions are regularly conducted across the Chicago metropolitan area including:
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McCormick Place and the South Loop convention district for trade show and corporate event coverage
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Navy Pier and the lakefront for brand campaigns, product launches, and event coverage
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The Chicago River corridor and downtown architectural environments for commercial and brand film productions
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Chicago suburbs and industrial corridors for manufacturing and corporate clients including Caterpillar and AGCO productions
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O'Hare and Midway adjacent locations with appropriate airspace authorization
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City of Rosemont and Stephens Convention Center for commercial and advertising productions
Productions outside Chicago are available nationwide. A significant portion of JLP aerial work is also conducted in the Phoenix metropolitan area, where the airspace, terrain, and climate create different but equally strong conditions for commercial drone production.
Every location is assessed for airspace classification, obstructions, and operational constraints before the shoot day. Productions in Class B and Class C airspace, which covers most of the Chicago metro, require LAANC authorization or formal FAA waiver depending on the altitude and proximity to airport operations.
Why Brands Choose Us
The commercial drone market is crowded with operators who can fly a drone and capture footage. The differentiation that matters to marketing teams and production companies is different from what matters to hobbyist clients.
Production integration, not just aerial footage
Every drone production is led by a Director of Photography who also operates ground-level cinema camera systems. That means the aerial footage is planned and executed to integrate with the rest of the production from the start, not handed off as a separate deliverable that the edit team has to work around.
FAA Part 107 certified with $5 million in commercial liability coverage
Commercial productions require documentation. FAA Part 107 certification, certificates of insurance, and airspace authorization records are standard deliverables alongside the footage. Productions at corporate venues, convention centers, and locations requiring vendor credentialing are familiar territory.
Canon Cinema package ground-to-air
Aerial footage is captured on a cinema-grade drone package matched to the Canon Cinema systems used for ground-level production. The footage cuts together without significant color correction overhead, which matters in post-production timelines where budget and time are both constrained.
Named commercial clients
Aerial production credits include Hydra-stop, Rust-oleum, The Great Escape, Abbvie, Caterpillar, AGCO, City of Rosemont, Chicago Dental Society, and other brands across manufacturing, industrial, consumer, and corporate categories. Productions range from single shoot days to multi-day brand campaigns with aerial as one component of a larger production.
Recent Productions
The Great Escape | 9-Year Video Production Partnership
Nine-year production partnership including Product tutorials, store tours, brand messaging, how-to content, and cyclorama studio design producing 400 product shots per day, and a YouTube channel grown from 400 views to nearly 2 million, filmed and edited entirely by Jamie Link Photography.
OUR CLIENTS
