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Taking Flight on the Ice: Controlled Experimentation, Aerial Limits, and Field Production Judgment

Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Returning to the ice as both a videographer and a former ice hockey player reopened a familiar environment — but from a very different professional perspective.


This time, the challenge wasn’t the game itself.

It was how far aerial and motion-based cinematography could responsibly go inside a confined, high-speed sports environment.


Well this is me, a veteran starting hockey trainings after 15 years of a break
Well this is me, a veteran starting hockey trainings after 15 years of a break

Revisiting the Rink — With a Camera Mindset


After a 15-year break, stepping back onto the ice for training was both personal and technical.


Ice hockey remains one of the most demanding environments for filming:


  • Fast, unpredictable movement

  • Reflective surfaces and complex lighting

  • Tight spatial boundaries

  • Safety considerations for athletes, crew, and equipment


This made it an ideal environment to test controlled innovation, not reckless experimentation.



Combining Ground and Aerial Perspectives


Alongside gimbal-based skating shots, I explored the use of a DJI Mavic Air to capture overhead perspectives of the rink.


The goal was simple:


  • Understand what aerial footage can add to sports storytelling

  • Test spatial awareness and framing from above

  • Evaluate technical and safety constraints in a closed environment


The first flight was undeniably exciting — seeing the geometry of the rink from above opens powerful visual possibilities.



Understanding Limits Is Part of Professionalism


The experiment was short-lived — and intentionally so.


The drone’s obstacle sensors restricted altitude, immediately signaling that:


  • The environment imposed clear technical limits

  • Safety systems were correctly prioritizing collision avoidance

  • This was not a space for improvisation beyond controlled testing


Rather than forcing a workaround, the exercise became a reminder of something essential in professional production:


Knowing when not to push further is as important as knowing how to innovate.

Why This Matters Beyond Sports


This experience reflects a broader production reality:


  • Many environments (prisons, hospitals, live events, sports venues) impose hard technical and ethical limits

  • Senior producers must read those limits instantly

  • Creativity works best within constraints, not against them


Aerial filming is powerful — but only when paired with judgment, safety awareness, and respect for context.



Closing Reflection


This project wasn’t about breaking rules or chasing spectacle.


It was about:


  • Testing possibilities

  • Recognizing boundaries

  • Learning how tools behave under constraint


In field production, innovation is not about flying higher —

it’s about seeing clearly where the ceiling is and designing intelligently beneath it.


Fatih Uğur

Senior Producer & Field Videographer

Founder, Vidyograf


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