Chicago & Phoenix Director of Photography, Cinematographer, Drone Pilot, and Video Production
City of Rosemont
TV Commercial Production | Steadicam Operator & Drone Pilot | ORD Class B Airspace
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Project at a Glance
Client: City of Rosemont
Production Company: Big Shoulders Productions (Chicago)
Role: Steadicam Operator and Drone Pilot
Duration: Two-day commercial production
Location: Rosemont, Illinois — multiple venues across the Rosemont entertainment district
Airspace: FAA authorization required for drone operations in ORD Class B airspace
Scope: Lifestyle commercial shoot across dining, bar, entertainment, live sports, outdoor concert, and fireworks environments
Services: Director Of Photography · Drone Video Production
Hired as Specialist Crew on a City TV Commercial
Rosemont, Illinois is one of the most entertainment-dense destinations in the Chicago area, with a cluster of restaurants, venues, a minor league ballpark, a theater district, and a convention center all within walking distance of each other. The City of Rosemont commissioned a television commercial to showcase the full range of what the destination offers, and engaged Big Shoulders Productions to produce it.
Big Shoulders brought Jamie Link in as a specialist hire for two specific roles: Steadicam operator and drone pilot. This is a common model for larger commercial productions where a production company leads the project and contracts specialist crew for the technical capabilities they need. Jamie operated the Steadicam throughout the lifestyle and venue footage, and handled all drone operations including the airspace authorization required to fly in the area.
The production spanned two full days and covered six distinct environments across the Rosemont district, each requiring a different approach to camera movement, lighting integration, and subject coordination.
Class B Airspace Authorization Over O'Hare
Rosemont sits directly adjacent to O'Hare International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. The entire area falls within ORD Class B controlled airspace, which requires FAA authorization for any drone operations. Flying in Class B airspace without authorization is a federal violation. Most drone pilots simply do not operate in this corridor.
For this production, obtaining FAA authorization was a production requirement, not an optional add-on. The drone footage of the Rosemont entertainment district and the fireworks sequence both required flights that could not be executed without federal approval. Jamie handled the authorization process, coordinating with the FAA to secure the required permissions for the specific flight windows needed across both production days.
For production companies and agencies that need drone coverage in the Chicago area near O'Hare, this is a meaningful capability gap in the market. Most operators either decline the work or are unaware of the authorization pathway. Having a certified Part 107 pilot with experience navigating Class B airspace authorization removes a logistical barrier that would otherwise shut down that portion of the production.
Steadicam Throughout the Lifestyle Footage
The dining, bar, and lifestyle sequences throughout the commercial were shot primarily on Steadicam, providing the fluid, continuous movement that distinguishes a television commercial from a static product video. Steadicam operation on a live commercial set with real models, real food and drinks, and practical lighting requires both technical skill and the ability to direct movement within a scene while operating the rig.
In the restaurant and outdoor dining environments, the Steadicam allowed the camera to move through the scene naturally, tracking alongside models, moving through doorways, and pulling back to reveal the environment without the visual signature of a dolly or static tripod. This kind of coverage is what separates a television commercial from a corporate video in terms of production value.
The Fireworks Sequence
The fireworks footage represents the highest-complexity element of the production from an airspace management perspective. Firing commercial fireworks and simultaneously operating a drone in Class B airspace requires coordination between the production team, the pyrotechnics operator, and the FAA authorization parameters. The flight window, altitude, and position of the drone all have to be planned in advance and executed precisely.
The resulting footage, with the Rosemont sign and entertainment district visible in the foreground and fireworks exploding overhead, is the kind of aerial sequence that anchors a destination marketing campaign. It communicates the scale and energy of the venue in a single shot.
What This Production Demonstrates
The City of Rosemont commercial illustrates the value of a specialist hire who can deliver multiple capabilities under a single contract. Big Shoulders Productions needed a Steadicam operator who could also handle drone operations in one of the most restricted airspace corridors in the Chicago area. Bringing in separate vendors for those two roles would have added coordination complexity, additional cost, and the risk of inconsistent production standards between crews.
For production companies and agencies managing commercial shoots in the Chicago area, this case study is relevant whenever a project requires both dynamic camera movement and aerial coverage, particularly in locations near O'Hare where airspace authorization adds a layer of complexity most drone operators will not touch.
Drone work in Class B airspace is not simply a matter of having a Part 107 license. It requires experience with the FAA authorization process, knowledge of the specific operational parameters that apply to the ORD corridor, and the planning discipline to integrate those constraints into a production schedule without disrupting the rest of the shoot. That combination of capability is what this production required and what was delivered.
Working as a Specialist DP or Drone Pilot on Your Production?
If your production company or agency needs an experienced Steadicam operator, drone pilot, or Director of Photography for hire in Chicago or nationwide, contact Jamie Link Photography to discuss crew availability and production requirements.
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