Chris Bates

Camera, Specialist Filming

I am a BAFTA-winning drone operator, and I’ve been in the drone filming game since 2013, making me a bit of an old hand in this industry.
I thrive on the challenges of working in difficult locations that require technical flying and slick camerawork.
My work has taken me to all corners of the UK, and from the jungles of Panama to the frozen lakes of Lapland, the mountains of Switzerland and volcanoes of Lanzarote.

Kit includes:

2x DJI Inspire 2’s with X7 and X5S cameras & lenses
Freefly ALTA hexacopter with Movi M5 gimbal
FPV drones for both fast outdoor flying and smooth indoor manoeuvres. Footage is post-stabilised before delivery.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
DJI Mini 2 (sub 250 grams)

My clients include:

Small Screen:
Vikings, The Grand Tour, Top Gear, Grand Prix Driver

Commercials:
Jaguar, McLaren F1, Rémy Martin, Porsche, Four Seasons Hotels, Legoland

Features:
The Host, Summerland, Nativity Rocks, School’s Out Forever

Numerous TV series for:
BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky and Discovery

Freelance drone operator credits include:

Drama:
Poldark, His Dark Materials, Sex Education, Keeping Faith, Spanish Princess, A Discovery of Witches

Commercials:
Schweppes, Betfair, Mercedes Benz World

Features:
Infinite, Dream Horse, Transformers 5

TV Series:
‘The Great Mountain Sheep Gather’ (BAFTA winner), Bear Grylls ‘The Island’, Bear Grylls ‘Mission With’, Blue Peter 60th Anniversary, Europe from Above.