The Story Behind Aerial Action

Meet Dominic

I'm Dominic Ainsworth, founder of Aerial Action. I've got over 20 years of television and film production experience, starting out around my parents' film production company, so cameras, shoots and edits were part of normal life long before drones came along.

Later I spent around eight years in the marketing team at the Heights of Abraham in Matlock Bath. That's where I learned what footage actually has to do for a business. It has to help people understand a place, and want to go there, before they've even arrived. They're still one of my best clients today.

When I started flying action drones, those two sides fitted together. I don't really see the drone as the product. It's another way of moving a camera. Sometimes that means a big aerial establishing shot. Sometimes it means following somebody through a doorway. "Flying cameraman" is about the most accurate job title I've come up with.

How I approach a shoot

Every job starts with what you're trying to show. Then I work out how to get it: an action drone moving through the space, the same drone flown slower and steadier for the wide view, or a mix of both.

Before anything flies I get permission from the site, do a risk assessment and plan the route. On busy or indoor jobs that usually means signage and spotters, and often a small sub-250g aircraft. If the weather isn't right, I'd rather move the flight than come back with poor footage.

Founder-led, but it scales

For most projects you'll deal directly with me, from the first call to the final files. If a shoot needs more than one pilot or extra coverage, I bring in other experienced operators.

Clients so far range from local venues and businesses to agency shoots, and I've filmed for BBC East Midlands on request.

I also work the other way round. If a production company or agency already has the crew and the edit sorted, I can slot in for the drone shots and hand over the raw files.