SA Camera Drone Debate Hots Up

The debate over the SACAA's ban on camera drones is hotting up. Cape Talk host Kieno Kammies recently spoke to Cape Film Commission CEO Denis Lillie about it and the impact on the film industry.

Kammies asked Lillie what he thought the SACAA's motivation was for the ban, whether it was that they're scared an accident might happen, or that they're looking to get a bigger piece of the pie of a very lucrative industry.

Lillie didn't believe the SACAA has a financial incentive. I think it's more about the safety and security issues and ensuring that operators are appropriately trained and that there's professionalism around the industry he said. But he pointed out that camera drones in filming have been in use for quite some time and that a number of film companies in South Africa have invested a lot in the equipment. Yet the issue has only raised its head now, which is puzzling.

The ban has taken the South African film industry by surprise and could be very damaging, especially to productions that have spent considerably to film in South Africa expecting to be able to use camera drones.

The latest potential casualty in the film industry is a military thriller starring Dame Helen Mirren and Colin Firth, both Oscar winners. It will be directed by producer/director/ writer Gavin Hood who wrote and directed Oscar winner Tsotsi and directed X-Men Origins: Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman and Ender's Game which has Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley in supporting roles.

Ironically, the film is about drone warfare. It's actually set in Nigeria but will be filmed in South Africa. The deal to film here was signed months ago.

The SACAA recently released a press statement saying that it has never issued any specific notice or regulation banning the use of unmanned aircraft systems but that to date no UAS has been able to comply with the Regulations, which would seem to imply that they had no knowledge of anybody breaking those Regulations. Yet on 2 April by their own account they had noticed an upsurge in UAS activity so they issued a statement to the effect that anybody operating a UAS in SA civil aviation airspace is doing so illegally.

In Australia and Europe camera drones are allowed, provided certain conditions are adhered to. In the US, where UAS activity is generally banned, the US Federal Aviation Administration only granted exemptions to government agencies but is now considering exemptions for seven film and television productions seeking to use aerial drones in their work.

The film industry is not the only industry affected. Camera drones are also useful in agriculture, wildlife conservation, tourism, oil, gas and mining industries, search and rescue, amongst others.

However, the Cape Film Commission has taken the lead in bringing the issue to resolution. Next week CFC CEO Denis Lillie will meet with the Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, the Ministry of Transport, the Department of Trade and Industry and representatives of various industries, including film, affected by the ban, to discuss a way forward. The SACAA has also been invited.

http://www.capefilmcommission.co.za

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/africa/south-africa/sa-camera-drone-debate-...
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