Chris Bates | Specialist Drone Pilot, Camera Operator, Drone

I am a BAFTA-winning drone pilot and camera operator, and I've been in the drone filming game since 2013, making me a bit of an old hand in this young industry. I thrive on the challenges of working in difficult locations that require technical flying and slick camerawork.

My work has taken me to all corners of the UK, and from the jungles of Panama to the frozen lakes of Lapland, the mountains of Switzerland and volcanoes of Lanzarote.

After 5 years working in the camera department on commercials and features, I became a CAA-approved drone pilot and aerial camera operator in 2013 - almost at the start of the UK drone industry. This experience from the early days of the technology, tied with my keen eye for composition and detail, stands me in good stead within this dynamic market.

My company Skyhook Media Ltd has grown over this time winning work, developing solutions and providing kit and crew for productions including:

Vikings, The Grand Tour, Top Gear, Grand Prix Driver;

commercials including:

Jaguar, BP, McLaren F1, Remy Martin, Porsche, Four Seasons, Legoland;

features including:

The Host, Summerland, Nativity Rocks, School's Out Forever;

and numerous TV series for:

BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky and Discovery.

In 2021 I won a BAFTA award for drone photography, as a freelancer and part of a larger drone team.

Recording my BAFTA acceptance speech by drone was certainly an enjoyable experience!

My credits as a freelance drone operator include:

Drama: Poldark, His Dark Materials, Sex Education, Keeping Faith, Spanish Princess, A Discovery of Witches.

Commercials: Virgin Orbit, Schweppes, Betfair, Mercedes Benz World.

Features: Infinite, Dream Horse, Transformers 5.

TV: 'The Great Mountain Sheep Gather' (BAFTA winner), Bear Grylls 'The Island', Bear Grylls 'Mission With', Blue Peter 60th Anniversary, Europe from Above.