Inspiration Arrives
It's part of what makes us human,
to look up at the sky and wonder.
165 years ago, we took flight
to capture those heights for the first time.
In 1858,
the photographer Nadar flew a hot-air balloon over Paris,
taking the first aerial image in human history,
and marking the start of a new era.
Innovative trailblazers followed in his footsteps,
searching for novel ways to capture our world from above.
In 1903,
the first manned aircraft took flight,
as film production and playing technologies leaped forward.
Six years later, a French production company
shot Wilbur Wright and his Flying Machine,
the first motion picture to use aerial footage.
This marked the transition from aerial stills to video,
and further dissolved the barrier between humans and aerial imagery.
From the 1940s onward,
the development of helicopter and stabilizer technology
made smooth, high-quality aerial footage more easily obtainable.
But, with a high cost,
it was mostly limited to Hollywood productions,
often serving as a dispensable aspect of a film
to facilitate storytelling.
Entering the 21st century,
The multi-rotor drone designed for aerial photography arrived,
allowing pilots to control flight
and camera operations flexibly from the ground.
Aerial imaging became democratized,
and its popularity expanded rapidly around the world.
In 2014,
the Inspire 1 was released, specially made for
groundbreaking aerial cinematography.
Its integrated and convertible airframe, 360° gimbal pan,
4K video capability, long-range dual-control video transmission,
and other innovative technologies
revitalized the concept of aerial shooting.
Filmmakers were empowered to let their imaginations fly,
and aerial footage became essential to the cinematic landscape.
Two years later, the future-proof Inspire 2 was launched,
bringing image quality and workflow efficiency to entirely new heights,
and setting a new benchmark for the industry.
Over the past seven years,
the language of aerial shooting has become increasingly diverse,
as creators push to realize bolder visions.
To master the unseen boundaries of creativity,
It's time to redefine aerial cinematography
and Inspire the world once again.
The legacy continues on April 13.
