From Skate Videos to Skyline Dives: The Rise of FPV Filmmaker Andrew Guillot.

Hello guys! Get ready to lift your adventurous spirit and see the world from a new perspective! 

Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Andrew Guillot @drew.drones a master in the world of FPV videos and a long-time contributor to Filmmakersworld. 

With a drone in hand and boundless creativity, Andrew takes us on an exhilarating journey in China, flying through breathtaking landmarks, factories, and heart-pounding aerial maneuvers. 

Let’s dive into the world of this unique talent and discover what inspires him to create his extraordinary videos!

Hello Andrew! First of all, we’re happy to have you on board for the magazine! You know, we created this platform to inspire people, so let’s start from the beginning!

I think my love for film/media/videos started back when I was a teenager making skateboarding videos, filming on MiniDV and Vx2000s. I was fortunate enough to go to a school that offered media/film studies. YouTube was also just starting, and I was watching and doing every tutorial I could find on there. That’s when I really found a love and passion for editing. After I graduated, though, I didn’t think about film as a career, but it was always on the back of my mind. 

Then, like most in the FPV scene, I would say, I started flying as a hobby, to tinker with my hands, etc. I was lucky enough to have grown up around RC things; my dad was a huge RC geek, but I knew before even building my first drone that I wanted to film. It was like a new dimension had opened up, and my childhood dreams of flying could come to life! 

So, how did your career get started?

How my career started was pretty much right place, right time, with a sprinkle of my entrepreneurial mindset. I was posting videos on socials pre-COVID, and I was super lucky to have sent my videos to the right person, which in this industry, I think is important. This lady [Natacha D.] introduced me to everyone in the movie/commercial scene in Shanghai by making some 1-1 introductions, and things just took off.

Within 1 month of us opening the company, I landed a shoot for a Chinese New Year Nike spot, and it did really well on socials. We were probably among the first 2 or 3 people to start flying cinema cameras on our drones out here in China, so word got around quite quickly! But the issue is, we didn’t really fully know how everything worked on set, as neither my partner (girlfriend at the time) were from this industry, but luckily we learned quickly!

What was your main source of inspiration to start creating FPV drone videos?

Honestly, one of the first videos that got me inspired to start making FPV content, or should I say the possibilities, was a video from Benoit Finck called, Around the Circle – Cinewhoop meets Martial Arts.

Can you share one of your most exciting or memorable experiences filming with FPV drones?

I think for me, the first time I ever dove a building and I almost tipped over because I felt so immersed, is probably the best feeling in the world. Another would be during peak covid time, I dove the 2^nd largest building in Shanghai and the timing of it was so truly magical, my dad had passed away a few months before that and that flight I felt very connected to him as if he was watching over me.

What do you think is the key to creating engaging and unique FPV drone videos?

I struggle a little with this, as most of my work is for clients and we need to always keep in mind their vision, budget, and video use case. A lot of the top influencers I see producing viral FPV content are not always shooting for clients and producing their own ideas. I think there are two ways in this industry to make it, and we chose the one that comes with a paycheck but not necessarily the likes and fame.

You do a lot of incredible work, sometimes there’s to balance safety with creativity. How do you manage these aspects, and what’s your process?

Safety is always a priority; no matter what, we aren’t playing with toys, and I have a really good track record for that. I’ve stopped working with certain producers and directors because they have the mentality of “if you don’t crash, you aren’t pushing enough”, which a lot of local pilots have adopted this mindset. Until very recently, I had never crashed on set.

What are the biggest challenges that an FPV video creator has to face?

If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have said technology advancements and trying to keep up with it all. Now I would say, like most people, I make budget cuts. There are too many people who discard safety and fly for pennies on the dollar, so the market is a little destroyed. I also think the fact that things are so copy-paste. The number of times we show up on set to shoot the exact same shot we did for an ad that was just released is pretty wild.

What is your favorite equipment for creating FPV drone videos and why?

Nowadays, I would say I’ve grooved a path for myself with cinewhoops and one-take videos. So if I had to choose, I would say my custom 3” DrewWhoop. 

Best and worst work and why?

I think “best” is hard because each project is so unique, but I would say between the General Motors fly-through video and the Dehong School video, because of the complexity of achieving one-take videos. I think back sometimes and wonder how my small team and I managed to pull those shots off, and I’m still mindblown to this day. 

What kind of clients do you have, and how do you manage the relationship with them?

I’ve worked with all kinds of clients, from Mercedes, Nike, Adidas, BYD, Gatorade, RedBull, YSL, Zara, Audi, Budweiser, Bosch, the list goes on! I’d say for a long time, though, it was always through production companies as after all we are a speciality camera team, and now that we’ve shifted away from shooting TVCs, we are lucky enough to have a direct contact with all these big brand clients. 

10. Are the clients open to unique and crazy ideas, and – most importantly – do you always have the freedom to pursue your vision?

More so now than before, that’s for sure. One thing about me is that I am not the type of person who sits back and gets told what to do. I want to be involved in the creative, I want to voice my opinion to the client, director or whoever is making the decisions, and I think its why I set a name for myself. I don’t think every director likes that; some feel like they are a little on a pedestal.

But over time we’ve been able to find who we like working with, by proving ourselves time and time again and those are the people we love working with because when we show up, they say “here is my vision but you do what you do best” and thats when i really excel or try push the limits!

How do you see the future of the FPV drone video industry, and what developments are you most excited about?

Currently, this is a hard one to discuss. I think FPV commercially has its place, especially as technology is advancing so fast. Sooner or later, we will be using drones mostly for scanning environments, and everything will be AI or CG. I don’t hope for that, but it seems with how fast things are going in our industry that it’s where it will be soon.

Do you have any advice for anyone looking to start creating FPV drone videos?

I think now is easier than ever to get started on flying FPV drones, as there are so many companies offering Ready To Fly drones, and there is so much information out there on how to build, tune, and fix your drones. But to anyone getting started, please, start with a simulator, for both money and safety’s sake! 

What future projects or ideas would you like to explore with FPV drone videos?

I think the future with FPV might be live broadcasting sports and events. For us, as I mentioned recently, we are slowly moving away from TVCs due to the lack of creative freedom and are exploring more the art of one-take / fly-through videos, incorporating VFX/CG and 3D elements to make things more engaging for the viewers. 

How important are social media to you, and how have they changed your career?

Let’s be honest, in today’s society, a lot of people want to make it on social media (whether or not people admit it is different), but there is a rush people get when their video goes viral and they are on top of the world. I think for me, I am trying to not let that affect me too much as it can hurt the value work you produce.

But I can’t lie that when I do shared posts with Filmmakersworld, it gives you a platform or a connection with people who you admire their work to get a chance to see your creations, where the algorithm might not have! You never know the networking that can come from your videos going viral. But always remember, at the end of the day, the most important thing to do your best, put in the energy and time that is allocatable, and no matter what, be proud of what you created!

Thank you, fam, for reading!

If you wanna learn more about the work of Andrew Guillot @drew.drones check his Instagram profile, and in case you missed our previous mag piece, go check it out!

Much love!
FilmmakersWorld Team

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