The 87-second clip, Right Up Our Alley, has blown away online fans and fellow filmmakers alike
Technology has come some way over the years, but the magic of movie-making is that it never seems to stop breaking new ground. However, while you would have seen a CGI version of this kind of shot, nothing quite prepares you for the real thing.
‘Right Up Our Alley‘ was posted to YouTube on Monday and has since exploded all over social media. The incredible filmmaking feat shows a drone flying around a bowling alley in hopes to raise support for a local business. Bryant Lake Bowl & Theatre is a popular venue in Minneapolis and was able to reopen with limited capacity in January.
The short film was directed by Anthony Jaksa and the camera operator was Jay Christensen, who has showcased various drone work on his Instagram before. The two have amazing portfolios, respectively, so be sure to check them out.
Some of the shots are utterly staggering and, to be honest, we simply can’t stop watching. From sweeping around the room and along the lanes as bowling balls roll past it, the drone captures everything in crisp detail and with minimal motion blur. All in one shot.
In fact, it’s garnered so much appreciation that various names through the world of Hollywood have responded to the clip. Here’s just one from James Gunn, the man behind Guardians of the Galaxy and the upcoming reboot of Suicide Squad:
https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1369390961873281026?s=20
The video reaches an amazing crescendo as the drone makes one last pass along the lanes and crashes into the pins, as the camera finally stops, sitting inside the internal mechanism before cutting to black. Ugh, play it again.
Everything from the lighting to the small references that will go unnoticed by most is pure perfection. For example, as the drone flies by, you can hear people making quoting lines from The Big Lebowski.
The level of detail and atmosphere conveyed cannot be overlooked. Don’t just take our word for it – take it from an expert. Todd Vaziri, a visual effects artist who’s worked on everything from Star Wars to the Transformers movies:
This kind of wonderful photographic innovation adds to the language and vocabulary of cinema. Just beautiful. https://t.co/HZU8ls3kiK
— Todd Vaziri (@tvaziri) March 9, 2021
As we speak, the video continues to do absolute bits and find more audiences. We particularly enjoyed James McManus‘ take, who wrote “This drone shot but at Rowans on June 21st. Would be beautiful.”
In case you’ve been living under a rock, June 21st is when we can all supposedly get back to normal and for those unfamiliar with Rowans, it is a popular bowling alley and bar in London. We see you, James.
While we’re busy watching this on repeat, make sure you check out Jay and Anthony’s other work. The pair both created the film through Rally Studios and are certain to blow up from here on out.
Right Up Our Alley – certainly was.
