Faculty and students of SF School of Digital Filmmaking trained, tested and flew one of the latest tools in aerial cinematography – the DJI S800 hexacopter, a remote-controlled “drone” capable of carrying a 10lb camera package. Combined with the Zenmuse gimbel mounting a Sony NEX-7, the drone, nicknamed Pheonix, is an incredibly useful machine for capturing aerial HD footage.

Documentary Program student, Carol Berman, purchased Phoenix for her documentary work-in-progress on the tunnel at Devil’s Slide, and is donating Phoenix to the film school for use by students and faculty.

Says Carol, “I can’t imagine a better way to capture the beauty of the San Mateo coast side that was saved by 50 years of hard work by environmental activists, culminating in the opening of the People’s Tunnel at Devil’s Slide. I think it is such a powerful tool to use that I would feel guilty letting it sit in my garage until the next time I had an opportunity to use it for filming. I’m excited about providing other members of this filmmaking community access to Phoenix!”

“It was such a blast to fly,” said Jeremiah Birnbaum, SFSDF’s President. “I was a serious RC buff as a kid, and this is an amazing tool. I can’t wait to start shooting with it.”