Drone Pilot Who Shot FPV ‘Bowling Alley’ Viral Video Continues to Impress
Filmmaker and drone pilot Jay Christiensen of Minnesota-based Rally Studios became a near-overnight viral sensation when he published a video of a bowling alley that took the idea of a scripted single shot to another level. Since then, he’s published two more amazing videos of other impressive spaces.
When a creative professional does something new and unexpected, others are bound to take notice. In just over a month since his debut video took off online, Christiensen’s talents have been seen by hundreds of thousands of people and even caught the attention of director James Gunn of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” fame.
Oh my God this drone shot is stupendous. 🎳 pic.twitter.com/bUcfRtq70O
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 9, 2021
It’s incredible @JayByrdFilms! https://t.co/asvBW0sH28
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 10, 2021
Earlier in April, Christiensen shot another stunning aerial video featuring Los Angeles staple Mel’s Drive-In:
Following those two successful videos, the team was then leveraged by at least one major corporate client: The Mall of America.
In a video titled “The Quack Attack is Back” (above), Christiensen teamed up with fellow Rally Studios director Anthony Jaska and takes viewers on a cinematic aerial ride through the Mall of America. The goal of the shoot was apparently to not only show off the Mall, but also harken back to nostalgic feelings of their childhoods where they frequented the mall.
“Working with the Mall was a collaborative effort that brought together like-minded folks who wanted to try making the seemingly impossible possible. And that’s just what we did,” Christensen said to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press. “After a busy morning of strapping on Rollerblades and chasing rollercoasters with a drone, we are extremely proud of this footage and look forward to future shoots with the Mall of America team.”
The extreme level of detail that these shoots feature as well as the expert piloting by Christiensen make them, at least for now, unique. Seeing a creative professional team jump to such success thanks to a new process is something all photographers and filmmakers should be happy to see and shows what is possible when an artist does something new to such a high degree of professionalism.
Christiensen and Rally studios are unlikely done sharing their unique perspectives, so make sure to subscribe to them on YouTube so you don’t miss their next project.