Drone footage for companies

In short: Drone footage means photos and video shot from the air, and it is a fixed part of professional corporate films, from the factory site to the wide shot of an event. It works when it shows what can only be seen from above: scale, location, context. As an end in itself, it doesn’t work. In Austria, commercial drone flights are subject to EU rules: registration, proof of competence and insurance are mandatory. Vienna-based Maze & Friends produces drone footage as part of its video production.

The drone has gone from special effect to standard tool. Aerial shots can therefore only impress through what they tell. The drone flight over the company roof as a film opener has become the stock photo of moving images. This article covers when drone footage is worth it for a company, what drives the price, what the legal situation in Austria is and how to recognise a professional provider.

When is drone footage worth it for a company?

The rule of thumb: an aerial shot earns its place when it carries information that can’t be conveyed from the ground. That is the case more often than the worn-out opening flight would suggest.

Showing scale. A production site of 40,000 square metres, a high-bay warehouse, a fleet of machines: size is abstract from the ground and instantly understandable from above. For industrial and construction companies, this is often the single strongest image in the entire brand film.

Explaining location and context. Logistics connections, expansion areas, proximity to customers or the motorway. One aerial shot replaces three paragraphs of explanatory text. The same applies to hotels and tourism, where the surroundings are part of the product.

Documenting progress. Construction progress, installations, dismantling: regular flights from an identical position produce a time series that is equally valuable for the site diary, investor communication and later reference films.

Capturing events at their full scale. The wide shot over a festival site or a conference conveys energy and scale like no ground-level image. For good event content it is a fixed building block, especially in the aftermovie.

Perspectives that don’t exist otherwise. Close-up, inspection-style shots of installations, tracking shots along a production line from above, transitions between outside and inside. Here the drone replaces a crane or a helicopter at a fraction of the cost.

And when is it better not to? When the aerial shot tells nothing. An office building from above looks like every office building from above. If what defines your company lies in faces, craft or advice, the budget belongs in exactly those images.

What does the law say about drone footage in Austria?

Since 2021, a uniform framework has applied across the EU, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (in German), enforced in Austria by Austro Control, the country’s air navigation authority. As a client, you should know these points, if only to be able to check providers:

• Registration: anyone operating a drone weighing 250 grams or more, or a lighter one with a camera (more precisely, with a sensor that can capture personal data), must be registered as an operator. The only exception is the light camera drone that falls under the EU Toy Safety Directive as a toy. The operator number must be attached to the device, as also stated on the page on drone operator registration at oesterreich.gv.at (in German, as of April 2026).
• Proof of competence: for typical assignments, at least the online proof of competence (the A1/A3 “drone licence”) is required, and for flights closer to uninvolved people, the additional A2 certificate.
• Operating limits of the open category: a maximum flight altitude of 120 metres, flying within direct line of sight, no flying over crowds. Anything beyond that, such as flights in urban areas with an audience or beyond visual line of sight, falls into the “specific category” and requires authorisation. The overview of drone categories at oesterreich.gv.at (in German) explains where the lines are drawn.
• No-fly zones: restrictions apply around airports, over certain protected areas and sensitive infrastructure. The current map is provided by Austro Control’s Dronespace app.
• Insurance: in Austria, drone liability insurance is mandatory.
• Data protection and personal rights: footage in which people can be identified, or views into other people’s property, touches on the GDPR and privacy. For shoots on your own premises this can be solved, but it has to be planned (informing employees, consent, neighbours).

For you as a client, this means in concrete terms: ask every provider for registration, proof of competence, confirmation of insurance and, for demanding locations, the authorisation status. A professional presents this unprompted. Anyone who dodges the question is, in case of doubt, flying at your risk. Violations fall back on the operator, and the damage to your image on you.

How much does drone footage cost?

Drone footage is rarely commissioned on its own. It is usually one building block of a production, and that’s also where it pays off best. A pure drone assignment covers travel there and back, the flight and raw footage or a simple edit. As part of a shoot day with a ground camera, sound and post-production, it is absorbed into the overall budget of the video production. Costs go up with authorisations (specific category), difficult locations, bad-weather buffers and elaborate post-production. At Maze & Friends, the price is set as a fixed-price quote after the initial call.

For most companies, one route is the most economical: produce aerial shots as part of a shoot day that is planned anyway. The team is there, the light is planned, the approvals are organised. The drone then adds, for a modest surcharge, exactly the perspectives that give the film scale. Ordered separately afterwards, the same material costs considerably more.

From our own search data: “Drohnenaufnahmen” and “Luftaufnahmen”, the German terms for drone and aerial footage, are searched for thousands of times in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), but click prices are low. That suggests many searchers have a hobby interest rather than a production budget. Conversely, for you as a company, it means the market of providers is large and the range in quality enormous. So choose based on whether someone uses aerial shots as a storytelling tool or sells them as an attraction. The price of the flight is a poor yardstick for that.

How do you recognise a professional provider?

1. They ask why. A professional wants to know what the shot should tell before talking about aircraft. Anyone who opens with technical specifications is selling flights, not films.
2. They bring the legal side with them. Registration, proof of competence, insurance, an authorisation check for your location, and all of it unprompted.
3. They plan for weather and light. Good aerial shots are made at specific times of day. A serious quote therefore includes back-up windows instead of “it’ll be fine”.
4. Ground and air thought through by one team. Aerial shots work in the edit, in interplay with ground-level images. Inserted afterwards, they remain foreign bodies. That’s why, with us, the drone is part of video production and not a separate trade.
5. Their portfolio tells stories. Anyone can do pretty sunsets. What’s interesting is whether the aerial shots in their reference films explain something.

Story first, flight second

Drone footage is worth it when it shows scale, location or progress, and it is most economical as part of a planned shoot day. Ask the provider to show you registration, proof of competence and insurance. Further reading: “What is a brand film?”, “What does video production cost?” and, for events, the aftermovie guide.

From the studio: Blecha: brand film with drone footage · PP-Performance: brand films and photos.

Frequently asked questions

Are drones with cameras allowed in Austria?

Yes, if the operator is registered, the pilot has proof of competence, liability insurance is in place and the operating limits are observed.

Since 2021, a uniform framework has applied across the EU for this, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947. Anyone operating a drone over 250 grams or with a camera must be registered as an operator and attach the operator number to the device. Flights beyond the open category require authorisation, for example with an audience in urban areas or beyond visual line of sight. Details change. So check the current situation with Austro Control before every project.

Can you simply shoot drone footage of your own company premises?

No. Registration, proof of competence, insurance, the limits of the open category and no-fly zones also apply on your own premises.

Owning the land only settles the property question; the aviation law question remains. If the site is near an airport, flying there can be severely restricted, as the map in Austro Control’s Dronespace app shows. Then there is data protection, as soon as employees can be identified or neighbouring properties come into the frame. Something is almost always feasible. Flight zones, the authorisation status, informing the workforce and the neighbours all need checking beforehand.

How high can a drone fly in Austria?

In the open category, generally no higher than 120 metres, and the pilot must keep direct visual contact with the drone.

The open category is the framework for most typical photo and video assignments. It also includes not flying over crowds and, depending on the drone class, keeping certain distances and observing area restrictions. Flights beyond visual line of sight or over an audience fall into the specific category and require authorisation. For company footage, the open category is often enough. For demanding locations, the provider should check the situation in advance.

Where are you allowed to film with a drone?

Anywhere without a no-fly zone, as long as you follow the rules of the open category or have authorisation.

Restrictions apply around airports, over certain protected areas and near sensitive infrastructure. The current map is provided by Austro Control’s Dronespace app. Checking it belongs before every flight. In urban areas with an audience, you are in the specific category and need authorisation. If people can be identified or other people’s property can be seen, data protection and personal rights also come into play. A professional provider checks the location in advance and tells you what is possible there.

Do you need a drone licence for drone footage?

For typical drone footage, the pilot needs at least the online A1/A3 proof of competence, colloquially known as a drone licence.

Anyone who wants to fly closer to uninvolved people also needs the A2 certificate. Assignments in the specific category involve further requirements and an authorisation obligation. As a client, you don’t need a licence yourself. But ask to see the pilot’s certificate, because violations fall back on the operator and any damage to your image on your company. If you fly yourself, for example to document construction progress, the same obligations apply to you.

Which documents should I ask a drone pilot for?

Registration, proof of competence, confirmation of insurance and, for demanding locations, the authorisation status.

• Registration: operator number, visibly attached to the device.
• Proof of competence: matching the planned flight situation.
• Insurance: confirmation of drone liability insurance.
• Authorisation: for assignments in the specific category.

A professional presents these unprompted and checks your location on their own initiative. Also ask about weather reserve, back-up date, delivery formats and usage rights. Anyone who dodges the question is, in case of doubt, flying at your risk.

What do you need to consider about data protection with drone footage?

If people can be identified or views into other people’s property arise, drone footage touches on the GDPR and personal rights.

For shoots on your own premises this is easy to solve, but it has to be planned. Inform your employees in advance and obtain consent from people who appear identifiably in the film. Think of the neighbours too, if their properties come into the frame. Plan flight routes and framing so that other people’s gardens, windows or courtyards are not the focus. If in doubt, a brief legal check before the shoot is worth it.

What does the price of drone footage depend on?

Above all on authorisations, difficult locations, bad-weather buffers and the scope of post-production.

A pure assignment covers travel there and back, the flight and raw footage or a simple edit. If the flight has to be authorised in the specific category, the effort for preparation and coordination rises. Back-up dates because of wind or rain also cost planning time. As part of a larger shoot day with a ground camera, sound and post-production, the aerial shots are absorbed into the overall budget. When choosing, check whether someone uses aerial shots as a storytelling tool. The price of the flight alone says little.

Is it worth booking drone footage on its own?

Rarely. For most companies, it is more economical to produce drone footage as part of a shoot day that is planned anyway.

On the shoot day, the team is already on site, the light is planned and the approvals are organised. The drone then adds, for a modest surcharge, exactly the perspectives that give the film scale. Ordered separately afterwards, the same material costs considerably more, and aerial shots work best alternating with ground-level images anyway. A sensible exception is regular flights from an identical position, for example to document construction progress.

Which industries benefit most from drone footage?

Industry, construction, logistics, hotels, tourism and event organisers, because that’s where scale, location or progress only become clear from above.

A large production site or a high-bay warehouse looks abstract from the ground and instantly tangible from above. In logistics, the aerial shot shows connections and expansion areas; in hotels and tourism, the surroundings are part of the product, and the same goes for property. Construction companies document progress with regular flights, and event organisers show the scale of their event. If your offer lies in faces, craft or advice, aerial images bring little. An office building from above looks like any other.

Do we need drone photos or drone videos?

Usually both, and both can be captured on the same flight.

Photos work on the website, in brochures and presentations; videos in the brand film and on social media. A professional assignment delivers both as standard; you just have to agree it in advance. Otherwise you only get video frames instead of high-resolution stills, and these are often not enough for print or large formats. Specify in the briefing which subjects are needed as photos and which as video, and in which formats you will receive them.

How weather-dependent is drone footage?

Very. Wind, rain and poor light can derail a shoot date.

Professional planning therefore means watching weather windows, scheduling a back-up date and placing the aerial shots flexibly within a shoot day. Good aerial shots are made at specific times of day, when the light is right. A serious quote includes back-up windows instead of “it’ll be fine”. Embedded in a larger production, the flight is more robust than a standalone appointment, because the team can react to a weather window without losing the whole day.

Can we buy a drone ourselves and do the footage in-house?

For internal documentation such as construction progress, your own drone can make sense. For footage that faces the public, the device alone is rarely enough.

Registration, proof of competence and insurance are prerequisites in-house too, and the rules of the open category apply just the same. For the website, a brand film or social media, the same holds as for any camera: the device doesn’t make the picture. Flight control, timing of the light, composition and above all the edit into the overall material decide whether the result looks like a corporate film or a hobby. A split that often proves itself: documentation in-house, footage that faces the public left to professionals.

Who produces professional drone footage for companies?

Specialised aerial imaging providers and video production companies with their own registered and trained pilots.

Pure aerial imaging providers mainly deliver material from the air. Video production companies think ground and air together, and it is precisely in interplay with ground-level images that aerial shots work in the edit. That’s why, at Maze & Friends, the drone is part of video production and not a separate trade. For every type of provider: a professional first asks what the footage should tell, presents certificates unprompted, plans for weather and light and shows references in which aerial images explain something.

Is drone footage allowed at events?

Yes, within limits: in the open category, crowds must not be overflown, and flights over an audience require authorisation.

At events in particular, the wide shot over the site is a strong image, because it shows energy and scale and shapes good aftermovies. The drone therefore belongs in the planning early on, with flight routes, take-off spot, time window and the question of whether authorisation in the specific category is needed. Also check the flight zones at the venue, for example near airports. If guests can be identified, data protection belongs in the event communication.