Colin Hinkle graduated from Western Illinois University in 2002 with a degree in Radio and Broadcasting Technology. Soon thereafter, he became a freelance videographer for news programs throughout Chicago. In 2010, Colin bought his first drone out of curiosity. The industry was starting to pick up, and as a professional photographer, he saw the potential behind being able to capture images from a bird’s eye point of view. However, the technology a decade ago was nothing like what we have today. “The first one I bought was a pretty garbage drone,” Colin said. “It didn’t have the GPS that we have now, it didn’t have a lot of the features we have now, [and] the camera was pretty bad. But it was a good first drone to practice with and get that sense of flying something with a camera on it.”

The technology behind drones progressed rapidly, and Colin found that he was getting enough drone requests to open his own business. In 2014, he opened a drone business and became Chicago’s first FAA approved drone production company. With this approval, he also became the first drone company in Chicago that could shoot on closed film and television production sets. Colin has traveled all over with some of his favorite drones, like DJI’s Inspire 2. Earlier this year, he was hired by Chicago’s PBS affiliate, WTTW, to film a unique vision of the city he now calls home.

With a little under 3 million residents, the 234 square mile city of Chicago is the 3rd largest city in the United States. The city’s motto is Urbs in Horto, which translates from Latin to City in a Garden. There are countless landmarks like parks, waterfronts, and architectural masterpieces throughout Chicago. Most people only get to see these sites from the ground, so PBS thought it would be a wonderful experience to allow people to see the wonders of Chicago from above. Colin was contracted to film a nearly 1 hour long special showcasing all that Chicago has to offer.

The program, aptly titled “Chicago From The Air”, was made possible with the support of BMO Harris Bank and The Negaunee Foundation, and other local businesses. The film is narrated by WTTW’s Geoffrey Baer who has been awarded 7 Emmys for his work as a public television writer, producer, and program host. The film takes viewers on a sweeping journey throughout Chicago, giving them perspective and history for the historic and modern city. And as Colin pointed out, this was a great learning experience for him.

When filming with a drone, timing is very important. A drone can only fly for about 20 minutes, so it is important to have an understanding of exactly what needs to be filmed to be able to fit everything in. To prepare an effective flight plan, Colin first read the script of what Geoffrey would be narrating. This way he could match what he filmed to the timing and cadence of the story. This elevates the film from being a collection of aerial images to a cohesive film. Being able to get all the background information from Geoffery, overlaid with the visual images he was collecting, even Colin got to learn a lot about the city he lives in. “It was neat to see from above and discover why certain things happened in the city,” he said. “On top of that, some locations we went to were unique, so I enjoyed getting to see those. And we had some pretty amazing opportunities, like shooting down the river on a Saturday morning or shooting over City Hall.”

The film tells a story of how Chicago first developed by showing the original Native American Trails and many ports. It goes on to show how the city is structured like a neat grid in some places and a concrete jungle in others. It shows the disparity between affluence and poverty within the city proper and its suburbs. It shows some of Chicago’s most famous sites like the industrial warehouses, lush gardens, and unique buildings. Before filming at any of the locations, Colin had to obtain special waivers from the FAA as certain sites were within restricted airspace, like City Hall.

The idea to make this film came to Geoffery and his crew at WTTW as a way of bringing their beloved city to the masses safely. On average, Chicago sees more than 50 million tourists visiting each year. Tourism is a major part of Chicago’s economy, and like most cities in 2020, due to COVID-19 tourism has nearly ceased. Over the last few months, drones have become vital tools in helping people maintain social distancing. And as Geoffery pointed out, this film is the ultimate way to experience Chicago while maintaining social distancing. As the film’s website states, “Seeing the city from above provides a brand-new perspective, enabling us to discover new things about how our city is designed, how it works, and how the city’s motto — Urbs in Horto — plays out today.” The crystal clear, FPV (first person view) drone footage, and the detailed narration create a stunning portrait of Chicago.

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