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Often in movies we see moving vehicles from above. Personally, I think they are shot using helicopters. But if so, why can't we hear the noise of the helicopter? It can't be a balloon, can it? Because balloon can not fly as fast as a vehicle. So how are those shots done?

Here is an example:

enter image description here

The camera at first starts from behind the SUV and then accelerates and finally surpasses the car. How are these kinds of shots done?

4 Answers 4

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Aerial shots don't necessarily require a full-size helicopter.

  Helicam [Source]

  • Helicam

    ... used to obtain aerial pictures or motion images using video, still or motion film cameras. The remote controlled camera mount system allows pan, tilt and roll movements.


  Spidercam [Source]

  • Spidercam / Skycam

    ... a system which enables film and television cameras to move both vertically and horizontally over a predetermined area


The Art of Foley

Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects which are added in post production to enhance the quality of audio for films, television, video, video games and radio.

Even though it started in the silent movie era it is still done today.

Today, sounds do not have to be recorded live on a single track of audio. They can be captured separately on individual tracks and carefully synced with their visual counterpart.

[...]

The purpose of Foley is to complement or replace sound recorded on set at the time of the filming (known as field recording).

[...]

The need for replacing or enhancing sounds in a film production arises from the fact that, very often, the original sounds captured during shooting are obstructed by noise or are not convincing enough to underscore the visual effect or action.


  Watch on YouTube:

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    What can I say? Mind blowing answer. This is what I was seeking for. Thank you.
    – Mistu4u
    Mar 18, 2013 at 13:49
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Yes, it's shot from a helicopter, and the reason you can't hear the noise is because the video and the audio are recorded separately :)

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    It is probably fit as a comment.
    – Mistu4u
    Mar 18, 2013 at 7:34
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    It's not a critique or a request for clarification. the OP correctly thinks that this is shot from a helicopter, and the thing that bothers him is why don't we hear the helicopter noise. I explained why. Mar 18, 2013 at 7:54
  • I would take it as an ideal answer if you put some toil into it. Like posting some pictures of how these shots are taken and explaining how and why audio and video are recorded seperately.
    – Mistu4u
    Mar 18, 2013 at 10:40
  • This is an answer in the fact that it does answer at least part of the original question. It's not that great an answer though as the others have much more detail and explanation.
    – DForck42
    Mar 18, 2013 at 19:27
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The aerial shot at the start of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining was definitely shot with a helicopter. For a few seconds, the helicopter's shadow is visible. Here's a photo from awesomenator.com's top-10 list of movie crew fails:

Helicopter Shadow at lower right

The first question in The Kubrick FAQ explains how the mistake got into the finished product.

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The Aerial Shot:

An exciting variation of a crane shot, usually taken from a helicopter. This is often used at the beginning of a film, in order to establish setting and movement. A helicopter is like a particularly flexible sort of crane - it can go anywhere, keep up with anything, move in and out of a scene, and convey real drama and exhilaration — so long as you don't need to get too close to your actors or use location sound with the shots.

The following link will give you a complete detail about camera angles and shots

http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html

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