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TECH NEWS - Dragon in the SkyPRODUCT DEVELOPMENT - Handheld EXO GimbalBEHIND THE SCENES - Feature The Moon and the Sun. INTERVIEW - With Producer PAUL CURRIEDID YOU KNOW?

Issue 05.

TECH NEWS

RED DRAGON Takes Flight:With over 9X more pixels than HD, an increase in latitude and image density, as well as improvements in micro contrast make the DRAGON an amazing imaging tool. When the footage from the 6K sensor is output to 4K or HD the remarkably clean and detailed image ends up being more refined when compared to those captured at lower resolutions. And don’t forget, the ability to capture still images at full resolution at 100 frames per second makes for an incredibly specialized stills camera that opens up the possibility to easily capture subjects that would normally be difficult when utilizing traditional DSLRs.

“Hot-Swap” Zeiss Cine CP.2 Lenses:Our custom crafts and gimbals have been fitted with some amazing new camera tech so we’ve expanded the lens availability as well. When deciding on this stage of expansion we focused on the ability to “hot-swap” (change lenses without wasting time adjust-ing and calibrating out gimbals). We are proud to announce that we are able to fit 6 new lenses for aerial use and 2 more for use on our handheld EXO gimbal (more about that in this issue) with minimum time to balance (less than 2 minutes.) The Zeiss CP.2 lenses are incredibly sharp, compact and produce exquisite image quality. The 14 blade aperture, color rendition, high contrast, flare suppression design, precision focus and low light capability make these lenses a perfect choice for us.

RED DRAGON 6K

LENS CHANGE CP.2 LENS.Compact Prime CP.2 Aperture Close Focus1 AOV3

CP.2 18mm/T3.6 T3.6 to T22 0.3m / 12” 69o

CP.2 21mm/T2.9 T2.9 to T22 0.24m / 10” 61o

CP.2 25mm/T2.9 T2.9 to T22 0.17m / 7” 53o

CP.2 25mm/T2.1 T2.1 to T22 0.26m / 10” 53o

CP.2 28mm/T2.1 T2.1 to T22 0.24m / 10” 48o

CP.2 35mm/T2.1 T2.1 to T22 0.3m / 12” 39o

Zeiss CP.2 21mm T2.9

CP.2 50mm/T2.1 T2.1 to T22 0.45m/ 18” 28o

CP.2 85mm/T2.1 T2.1 to T22 1m / 3’3” 17o

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*Recommended for aerial.

A TEAM MEMBER

Hi, I’m Stephen. I am the founding director of XM2, establishing the brand roughly 15 years ago. Since it’s inception XM2 has grown to be an international service provider of aerial photography, videography and cinematography of the highest level. Armed with extensive experience as a producer and director in high-end film production, I understand your cinematography requirements and know what it takes to successfully achieve projects within your budget. My years of experience in the RC (helicopter and fixed wing) field has given me the knowledge and training necessary to operate our entire arsenal of UAS tools.

Stephen OhDIRECTOR / PRODUCER / OPERATIONS

GENERAL - COMPANY NEWS

In this section we’ll introduce a member of our team to you each edition and hopefully you’ll get a chance to know us before working with us on your next project.

A huge part of our success, besides the experience and character of our crew, is the gear we use. Did you know that our X12 craft is completely custom made and the EXO gimbal (designed for the RED) was designed, machined, assembled and finally tested here at XM2 headquarters? Having complete control over the final product has allowed us to refine its operation and capabilities further than what would be possible when using off-the-shelf products. We are

continually updating and working diligently to develop new products to take the art of aerial image capture to the next level. Watch this space to keep up to date on everything we’re working on.

Having produced many projects in the past for numerous international clients such as Samsung, LG, Sony and McLaren, I have a good understanding of a production company needs. Two distinct sections of production are Budget and Creative, we understand both and it is the reason why we have implemented certain protocols into the way we work.We have 100% redundancy policy for every project, which means we carry two identical units as well as spare parts. As we design and manufacture our fleet of UAS and gimbal modules, we are able to repair and tune onsite to ensure minimal downtime. Understanding the dynamics of regular production equipment enables us to work more efficiently, also enables us to know what is possible to achieve in a given situation.

We can also assist with creative, we film in the air all the time and have a good understanding of what a shot will look like from the air even before we take off, so we can assist creative by past experiences and a creative eye.

Drones have come a long way in such a short time which is great if you know what you are doing, however there are too many out there that take off the shelf products without previous experiences of flying or filming and have trouble when things go wrong. We design / build and fly our own creations (aircrafts and gimbals) and we can fully strip down and rebuild a unit on location, we understand the equipment that we are using. This combined with our 8 years of flying experience with RC Helicopters and 22years of film experience we know what we are doing. Precision and experience are of utmost importance when working with aircraft and high-end cameras, who do you want to work with on your next project.

XM2

AERIAL CINEMATOGRAPHY

In the past, full sized helicopters, airplanes or complex rigging systems have been used to showcase a director’s vision. While effective, these methods are expensive, time consuming and typically inflexible. Utilising our drones, your setup times will be dramatically reduced and direction change is achievable within minutes. With XM2’s technology you can have a helicopter, tripod, jib, techno crane or steady cam in the air at a moment’s notice.

XM2’s drones provide freedom unimaginable with traditional methods and equipment. Full size helicopters are expensive to use, rig with cameras, are not permitted in metropolitan areas and cannot fly at low levels, drones on the other hand, can skim the ground and then lift to any height desired, can be flown down metropolitan streets, chase cars or even follow people down an alleyway.

“A game changer.”

DRONES IN FILM XM2

UNSURPASSED HARDWARE

THE EQUIPMENTWe offer a unique combination of filming experience and skills in piloting, programming, engineering, design and manufacturing. We design and build our own drones. This increases our dependability and means we offer a fleet that easily exceeds industry standards. It also means our pilots and camera operators have greater capabilities which in turn defines new boundaries for your imagination.

100% RELIABILITYOur systems represent cutting edge technology and reliability. We have a 100% redundancy policy which means we always travel with two identical units as well as spare parts. As designers and manufacturers of the UAS, we can make repairs and change configurations to ensure minimal downtime on set.

EXPERIENCEOur team consists of professionals with decades of experience in photography, cinematography and drones operation, which set us apart from our competitors. We have developed and continue to enhance our expertise in creating aerial content that is unrivaled in our industry. Whether it be a TVC or feature film, we come to set knowing what to expect and how to execute the task at hand.

We not only have the best technology, we also have the best pilots and aerial cinematographers. Industry leading personnel and world class technology give us the competitive advantage. If we cannot make your vision a reality - no one can.

XM2

The fantasy-adventure film starring Pierce Brosnan is about King Louis XIV’s quest for immortality leads him to capture and steal a mermaid’s life force, a move that is further complicated by his illegitimate daughter’s discovery of the creature. Set to be released 2015.

INTERVIEW

FEATURE MOVIETHE MOON & THE SUN

Have you worked with drones before?Yes, once before.

What was your impression on that experience?Found it nowhere near as controlled or reliable. It didn’t operate with precision and wasn’t maneuverable enough for our application. Don’t get me wrong, it was good but not amazing and I don’t think the shots made it to the final edit.

What was it like working with XM2 Aerial?Just the attitude of you guys was what was really impressive. No challenge was too intense and we kind of collaborated together as to how we were to best capture the shots and we succeeded. That’s the name of the game, when all is said and done you do the work and does it survive and make it into the edit? And I’m happy to say that the shots we all worked on were completed and successful.

Paul CurrieDirector / Producer

Producer Paul Currie on The Moon and the Sun.

How did you hear about us? A talented and trusted stunt coordinator friend of mine that worked with you guys on a job earlier this year recommended me.

What’s your general opinion of drones in cinematography? I love the technology. I think the use of drones adds a whole new dimension of film making. My only challenge with it is at what point do airspace restrictions stop you from getting shots in urban areas and populated places? What I would love to see is the people that are not that good in the market kind of phase out and guys like you, that are the true pioneers of that technology, set the level of professionalism and expectations so that it becomes more of a film making technique and standard so that the art form can continue to be pushed.

XM2

Recently we have had the pleasure to work on some amazing projects and work with some incredible people. In this edition we’re happy to share with you some BTS while shooting for the upcoming feature film, The Moon and the Sun. Over the course of a few days we were on location and filmed some phenomenal scenes over water and along horses at full gallop. We are all pretty anxious to see the final outcome when the film is released. In the mean time enjoy these snippets.

BEHIND THE SCENES

”WE HAVE BEEN BUSY”

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BEHIND THE SCENES

XM2

The Moon and the Sun. Feature Movie

XM2

The Moon and the Sun. Feature Movie

XM2

EXO V2 3 Axis Stabilized Gimbal

Our EXO 3 axis stabilized gimbal performs flawlessly, however, there is still room to improve. Research and CAD design of a new EXO Gimbal is complete, with machining to start at the XM2 Aerial workshop 1st of July 2014.

The completely new gimbal has the following features:

• Greater and smoother adjustability on all axis• Increased structural rigidity• Easily interchangeable from aerial to handheld operation• Bluetooth connectivity with PC, Android and iOS devices for faster tuning• Dimensionally larger and easily expandable for large cinematography cameras• Higher power motors to handle follow focus and aperture control motors• Incorporated enclosure for GCU and routing for wiring

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS

WHAT’S TO COME

Multi-rotor aircraftXM2 Aerial is growing, and so is the need for equipment. To complement the EXO V2 Gimbal we are also designing and manufacturing new multi-rotor aircrafts. The two new X8 units will be as agile as our X12 machines. More emphasis is being placed on the transportability of the units. CAD design is well underway, with a new fold-down arm design which will allow quick setup times.

Thermal imaging UAV moduleXM2 Aerial is engineering a special 3 axis stabilized gimbal (module) for a unique thermal imaging camera. It is currently in CAD design process and due to start prototype part manufacturing in mid July 2014. Proto type 2.0

XM2

DID YOU KNOW

Controlled airspace exists generally:

• 5Nm exclusion zone around registered aerodromes• 3Nm exclusion zone around registered helicopter landing areas• Not above 400ft above ground level (120m)• Must be 30m away from any persons not involved in the operations• Must have good visual meteorological conditions (VMC)(enough light to see the drone)• Not operated over a populous area which could pose an unreasonable risk to persons not involved in operations• Must be able to see drone during operation – visual line of sight (VLOS)• Not permitted to drop or discharge anything from the drone

Of course we can apply for special permissions or exemptions from CASA should we be requested to operate outside of these base regulations.

We also check for dangerous and controlled airspace zones – these also require special CASA approval to operate in. D and R airspace can exist for military or aerobatic flying, parachuting, even rocket launch testing.We also check for power lines, take off areas, water, flight obstructions, hazards etc.

NOTAM’s – notice to airmen. We check these for the area we are operating in, encase airspace has become controlled for any reason.

To fly in controlled airspace we can apply to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for special area approval. There is an administration and processing fee involved (approximately $500 AUD +GST) and approval grant is not guaranteed.

When it comes to booking any aerial works you need to keep in mind that there are rules and regulations that need to be followed as outlined by CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority.)

You are not permitted to operate a drone in controlled airspace unless approved.

Controlled airspace is defined on visual terminal charts, which we analyze when we check the feasibility of your job request. We offer this free of charge, so call to check your proposed project area and we’ll be happy to research it’s feasibility for you.

XM2

CONTACT US

M. +61 477 270 727 P. +61 3 9568 8458 E. info@xm2.com F. www.facebook.com/XM2aerial8 Park Road, Oakleigh VIC 3166, Austalia

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