The Client

Gluttony

The Challenges

Flying a drone in the CBD around multiple helipads and in the vicinity of the general public.

The Outcome

Drone Photography and Drone Video

Earlier this year, Creative Kicks were contacted by the team at Gluttony to capture drone footage for their night dumpling market on the shore of the Yarra River at Birrarung Marr. Usually the site for the Night Noodle Market, the team behind Adelaide Fringe Festival's Gluttony venue hub took on the challenge for this year. It's true what they say, a feast for the eyes is just as important as a feast for the taste buds. Like any drone shoot, capturing the drone photography came with its fair share challenges.

Melbourne’s weather is about as unpredictable as it gets. One minute, it’s sunny, the next, torrential rain out of nowhere. We had to plan our shoot times carefully to catch the right light while dodging the rain. If you’ve worked with drones, you know they don’t thrive in wind or rain. We planned the shoot for a Saturday night and also the closing night of the markets but after a late change in the weather forecast for Saturday, we scrambled to update permits to shoot a day earlier on Friday night and it paid off giving us perfect conditions. Warm with light winds and a breathtaking sunset.

Another challenge? The crowd. It was PACKED! While being great for the energy and atmosphere, it meant we had to be super cautious. Maintaining smooth, wide-angle aerial shots without flying over the crowd (which was a condition of the permit) was an art in itself. With so many people about, capturing clean, high quality lower level shots required a lot of patience and timing.

In the end, the results spoke for themselves. The drone captured views of Melbourne’s skyline and the bustling night market, offering the overhead of the markets layout. From above, you could see the sea of colours, vibrant vendor stalls and dishes being served, the people and the light with the drone gliding over the crowd capturing the glory of Melbourne’s food scene.

We were pushed creatively and it reminded me why I love what I do. The end result was an experience. Capturing a celebration of Melbourne's iconic food culture. Shooting the Downtown Dumpling Market was a delicious one for Creative Kicks Media and you better believe I ate some delicious food once I wrapped.