Mark Tomlet is a droner. He recently got involved in the business of droning around 7 months ago. He first began during the summer and in order to get his videos out there, he decided to start using Tik Tok to further spread his projects and reach a bigger audience. He first tried reaching out to some filmmakers and big companies, but none of them paid much attention to it. He explains that this was due to the fact that, “[he]hadn't separated [him]from other droners in Panama”. He also had a small drone which came to his advantage as many of the others had really big drones, meaning that they weren't allowed to fly over the canal. This allowed him to get better and closer shots of the ships and the canal. This type of footage is what made “stations that [he] had really been trying to get in contact with and would be ignoring [him] actually were asking like [him] for his footage”. He explains that this is what first opened more opportunities and essentially started his career as a droner.
At first, it can be difficult to get contacts and make connections with people when starting a business. Mark explains how the key is to “show someone that you are passionate about something and they will actually help you”. One of the people that has most impacted his life is fellow filmmaker Chuck Holton. He mentions how one of the biggest pieces of advice Chuck has given him is to “under-promise and over-perform in everything you do”. This gives you the space to be able to perform to the best of our abilities without promising things you can’t deliver.
A lot of the skills he has learned for droning come from Youtube, and just being able to edit things nicely. To edit his footage he uses the editing software Final Cut Pro. He explains how he “usually films alone”; he gathers his equipment and finds a comfortable spot where he can film what the client needs. It usually takes a fair amount of time, but it all depends on whether they want a “ full video circulating the place or different shots”. After he is done he will send the completed footage and will edit anything if asked.
As he gets prepared for filming, in order to get the best shot, he will go into Google Earth and inspect the area where he is gonna be filming. He will “ actually try to plan out a few shots” since it allows him to plan accordingly when he is not given much time to take certain shots. This helps him avoid “wasting time” which he could be using to get the best shots possible.
Mark explains how he believes the thing that makes him stand out from other droners is he “[has] tried to go places that people really understand, know and remember”. He wants people to see his footage and feel the emotion behind it. He also talks about how his Tik Tok has allowed him to be different as he “tr[ies] to show [his] face to show that [he] is just this young kid”. He thinks this is important because it shows to younger generations that they shouldn't be afraid to dream and try to reach their goals.
Like any business or project, it comes with obstacles. One of Mark’s main obstacles is bad weather. Since he lives in Panama, where the weather is so unpredictable sometimes he will have a shoot planned and will have to cancel. This has taught him to stay on top of the weather and constantly check in order to plan accordingly. He explains that his drone can survive the rain, but “it is not recommended” as it can leave lasting damages on the device.
He believes one of the most important things in his work is creativity. It's not about “ having the best equipment”, but about knowing how to get the best shots and which places will provide you with the most creative space. Sometimes he sees people with amazing drones not being able to get good footage. Mark explains it's not because they don't know how to use it, but rather sometimes they limit themselves to not think outside the box. The main reason he loves doing this, apart from it allowing him to explore his creativity, is that it somewhat fulfills his dreams of being a pilot. He explains that when“ [he] flies a drone [he] look[s] at [his] phone and feel[s] like [he’s] actually up there flying. It allows him to feel more connected and has shown him that he really enjoys it and made him more excited for when he actually gets the chance to fly.
Droning has allowed him to be a more ambitious person. He has “always been an introvert” and this business has pushed him to socialize and reach out to more people. He is grateful because it has opened many opportunities for him that he wouldn't have had otherwise. He explains how sometimes it's difficult to stay motivated, but what keeps him going is to think about the outcome of all his effort and all of the amazing memories and people he meets along the way.
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