HI-TECH

Drone Videography Enables a New Perspective

Georgetown-based A Step Ahead (ASA) Imagery specializes in drone videography and photography. Owner Richard de la Vega says drone videography is an ideal way to showcase your property, advertise your business, livestream your event, or document a memorable experience like a family vacation. De la Vega is available to hire on a single project basis or on retainer for businesses who need on going videography and photography.

New Business Launch

De la Vega launched his creative business after a career pivot. Having worked as a detective for the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office for 16 years, he opened his own investigative firm, A Step Ahead (ASA) Investigations. His investigative business did well until the pandemic caused a slowdown, motivating him to explore new business opportunities.

After attending a business conference about “unmanned aircraft systems” (UAS), de la Vega decided drone videography was a good fit for his skills and interests. He closed ASA Investigations and opened ASA Imagery. He says the toughest part about the change from government employment to the private sector was learning how to manage and market a business. These skills, now developed, led to his current success, where his primary sources of new business are repeat customers and referrals from satisfied customers.

De la Vega maintains licenses as a “small unmanned aircraft system” (sUAS) pilot, sUAS flight instructor—both regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)— and is an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 30 certified professional. These credentials enable him to teach other drone owners about FAA laws and regulations. He teaches classes at Valmont Utility, where he instructs UAS pilots how to fly larger drones and inspect electrical lines.

In fields where safety is critical, drones are useful in completing rigorous inspections. In real estate, listings sell quicker and for a higher price when high quality aerial videos and photos highlight key features of the property. For construction projects, time lapse video is the perfect method to document progress from beginning to completion. De la Vega’s videography portfolio showcases how effective this type of videography can be.

Service Diversity

De la Vega launched his creative business after a career pivot. Having worked as a detective for the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office for 16 years, he opened his own investigative firm, A Step Ahead (ASA) Investigations. His investigative business did well until the pandemic caused a slowdown, motivating him to explore new business opportunities.

De la Vega is also affiliated with the Sky Eye Network, a global leader in business development in the drone, quadcopter, and rotocopter industries. Network members are professionally trained drone pilots who operate in full compliance with FAA rules and the organization excels at keeping members on the cutting edge of innovations for equipment and technology. Sky Eye also offers opportunities for skills development and FAA Part 107 (Remote Pilot) examination test preparation.

De la Vega says, “Test preparation is crucial to ensure a passing score, particularly for drone operators who are not licensed pilots.” As an industry expert, he works on retainer with organizations who need multiple employees to become FAA 107-certified.

He adds, “Some drone operators don’t realize that if they fail to comply with FAA rules, the FAA can fine them up to $10,000 per picture. The FAA also has the power to fine the person who hired the drone operator and the agency reviews YouTube to find violators who are not Part 107 certified.” He cited one incident where the FAA fined a drone pilot $182,000 for 26 violations. Current requirements are available at the FAA website.

Excellent ROI

Successful project documentation and marketing means clients are happy to pay project-based fees of $500-5,000, or a retainer fee. Costs are typical based on the value of the hardware, skill of the operator, and the extensive editing necessary to create the finished project. De la Vega says, “Post-production work is a necessary component in any videography project. It takes two hours of shooting to create about ten seconds of usable video.”

For more information about de la Vega’s drone videography and photography business, visit ASAImagery.com.

Tools of the Trade

Startup costs for a drone videography business can be high—$15,000-$20,000 per drone—plus up to $8,000 per camera. For cutting edge technology, de la Vega relies on a Mavic drone equipped with a Hasselblad camera—the same brand used for the first moon landing. He cautions pilots to maintain insurance as one in 1,000 drone flights ends with a crash, typically due to pilot or equipment error.

De la Vega explains that in the early years of drones, flying time was limited to approximately three minutes. Over the past ten years, the technology has advanced to enable flights lasting 15 minutes or longer and is presently on track for missions beyond recreation and commerce, such as delivery of human organs to hospitals or relief provisions in high-risk areas.