Las Vegas at sunset, with the STRAT and Sphere. Photo by Jim Kegley.

Las Vegas, NevadaBackground photo: Jim Kegley

Las Vegas drone cinematography · DJI Inspire 3

Cinematic vision.
Elevated.

DJI Inspire 3 beneath the Elevated headline, facing the STRAT with blurred propellers, steady red front lights, steady green rear lights, and white strobes above, below and behind. Product image by DJI.

Las Vegas drone cinematography for films, resort campaigns and brands. FAA Part 107 certified operators, a DJI Inspire 3 cinema package and $5M aviation liability insurance.

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DJI INSPIRE 3 / FULL-FRAME 8KDiscover below

8K Full-frame imagingRAW Cinema workflow$5M Aviation liabilityLAS Local production experience

The Las Vegas Strip and Bellagio fountains at dusk, with illuminated resorts, Sphere and a mountain backdrop.

DJI Inspire 3 above Planet Hollywood, to the right of the Eiffel Tower, tilted nose-down toward the Bellagio fountain water with blurred propellers, steady red front lights, steady green rear lights, and white strobes above, below and behind. Product image by DJI.

01 / The workFrom the Strip to the screen

The shot that
sets the scene.

A sense of scale. A precisely timed reveal. The movement that carries the story. We work with directors, DPs and producers to make the aerial sequence feel like part of the film.

Explore the production profile

The Las Vegas StripPhoto by Jim Kegley

Netflix / RAW London

The Lost Sons

Aerial cinematographer Madison Square Garden

Film & television

Establishing shots, moving coverage and cinematic sequences shaped around the director's vision.

Narrative · Documentary · Broadcast

Resorts & hospitality

Bring a destination into frame, from the scale of the property to the energy of the Las Vegas Strip.

Resort campaigns · Destination films

Commercial production

Purposeful camera movement and high-resolution aerials for agencies, brands and production teams.

Brand films · Advertising · Content

Explore Las Vegas drone services, rates & production FAQs ↗

Production experience includes

NETFLIXCNN FILMSDisney

Additional clients include Nike, Samsung, Google, MGM Resorts International and Resorts World Las Vegas. View full ProductionHUB profile (opens in a new tab)

02 / The camera packageDJI Inspire 3

Cinema is
in the details.

A dedicated aerial cinema platform, with the image quality and control your production calls for.

FULL-FRAME · X9-8K AIR

01 Full-frame image capture: The Zenmuse X9-8K Air gives you rich image detail and latitude for a considered finish in post.
02 A cinema-ready RAW workflow: CinemaDNG and Apple ProRes RAW support. Plan the recording format and color pipeline around your production.
03 Independent pilot & camera control: Dual-control capability gives flight and framing their own focus, with coordinated movement through the shot.
04 RTK & DL prime lenses: RTK positioning with 18mm, 24mm, 35mm and 50mm DL primes in the 2026 cinema package. Coordinate the lens choice and flight plan around your shot list.

Explore the Inspire 3 platform at DJI

03 / Home-field knowledgeLas Vegas & the Southwest

Vegas is more
than our backdrop.
It's our home.

Led by Jim Kegley, Area 51 Drones brings industry experience dating to 1999, over 1,000 logged drone hours and 20 years of helicopter aerial photography.

Jim combines flight and framing through coordinated dolly, boom, tilt and pan movements as a solo operator. His background also includes video editing, DaVinci Resolve color and a Telly Award for Nowhere But Las Vegas.

Our experience spans major casino properties along the Strip, large-scale entertainment venues and the surrounding desert.

Panorama of the Las Vegas skyline beneath an orange sunset and mountain silhouettes. — Las Vegas at sunsetPhoto by Jim Kegley

100+

Successful flights at Sphere

$5M

Aviation liability insurance

Local knowledge.
Production-minded execution.

Strip corridor · Las Vegas Valley · Mojave Desert

Producing from out of town?

Send the shot list.
We'll be on location.

Coordinate your Las Vegas aerial coverage remotely. Share your framing references, location, schedule and delivery requirements with Jim.

Text Jim

04 / Production rates2026 rate sheet · USD

Build the crew.
Budget the shot.

2026 rates for DJI Inspire 3 aerial cinematography in Las Vegas. Choose your crew, then add the cinema package.

Crew rates cover a 10-hour production day. The aircraft and camera kit are billed separately. Additional airspace, scouting and travel fees are listed below.

Option ARecommended

Dual-control cinema crew

One drone pilot + one dedicated gimbal / camera operator.

$2,200/ day

Crew only · 10-hour day

For complex tracking shots, high-speed automotive work and dynamic camera movement.

With the $795 cinema kit$2,995 / day

Option BCompact crew

Single-operator setup

One drone pilot controlling both flight and framing.

$1,400/ day

Crew only · 10-hour day

For establishing shots, wide landscape plates and productions with a smaller crew footprint.

With the $795 cinema kit$2,195 / day

Crew-plus-kit totals exclude additional airspace, scouting and travel fees.

Add the equipment

DJI Inspire 3
Cinema Package

$795/ day

Equipment fee · separate from crew

Camera: Zenmuse X9-8K Air full-frame gimbal camera and Inspire 3 aircraft.
RAW codecs: Apple ProRes RAW and CinemaDNG activation licenses included.
Prime lenses: DL mount: 18mm, 24mm, 35mm and 50mm.
Power: 12 Intelligent Flight Batteries and rapid charging station for continuous rotation.
Video village: DJI High-Bright Remote Monitor and wireless video transmitter.

Airspace, scouting & travel

2026 additional production and travel fees
Service	Rate
Standard LAANC / Las Vegas Strip authorization	Included
Complex airspace filing / special FAA waivers	$250–$500
Location scout / pre-production tech scout	$500 / day
Las Vegas metro & Strip propertiesLocal travel	$0 travel fee
Out-of-town / desert locationsOutside a 30-mile radius	Standard IRS mileage rate

Booking terms & insurance

Certifications & insurance

All operations are piloted by FAA Part 107 licensed operators. Area 51 Drones carries $5,000,000 in commercial aviation liability insurance. A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is available immediately upon request.

Weather & cancellation

If a shoot is cancelled due to verifiable adverse weather, including high winds or rain, before crew rollout, a 50% Weather Hold Fee applies to crew rates. If cancelled on set, full day rates apply.

Loss & damage

Production assumes insurance deductible liability for any damage directly caused by hazardous or creative requests made by the Director outside of standard operating safety margins.

Have a location and shot list in mind?

Plan your production

Production case studies