The Aesthetics of the Local News Drone
This is Rhizome Today for Friday, November 7, 2014
Yesterday morning, I walked into an hospital reception room where the TV was on, its decibel level inappropriate for the hour and demanding I look its way. The camera was closely tracking a vehicle, but instead of a car tearing down a freeway, it was a robust fir on the bed of a truck. A nude Christmas tree, on its way to the State Capitol to be adorned.
That I mistook a Christmas tree for a getaway car reminded me of the ubiquity of helicopters in metro news organizations. Reports of traffic updates and car chases have their own aesthetic, imposed by the limitations of the medium: the sound of whipping blades, uneven back-and-forth panning from a cramped passenger seat. These choppers seem unnecessary now that we have sensors, vehicles, and crowd reporting apps can gather and transmit real-time data. Oh, and drones.
In late September, the Federal Aviation Administration allowed six film companies to use camera-equipped drones on movie and TV sets. They are the first in the US to do so outside the wilds of Alaska.
Beyond the film industry, Amazon is the most visible of companies angling for permission to fly drones over civilians. For Amazon, it's in the name of 30-minute delivery. But what about news outlets? The benefits of drones over helicopters are clear: they are safer, quieter, and more fuel efficient.
Like footage from helicopter camera, drone videos have their own style. Look at this video taken at Occupy Hong Kong above thousands of protesters. Without sound, though, it's eerie and drained of the energy of the commons.
Among the hobbyists, the retailers, and Hollywood could be the local broadcasters. Their fleet of drones, with swift efficiency, will capture the ephemera of urban life: a car chase, a strike, a pet adoption drive. Whatever can served on breakfast television—at a glossy remove.
