FORT WORTH, Texas—“Chopper Cops,” an all-new docuseries produced by SEE IT NOW Studios and V1 Productions, recently debuted on CBS/Paramount+. The 10-episode series offers an unprecedented look at the Marion County Sheriff’s Department’s state-of-the-art helicopters, operated by elite police pilots known as “Air One.” Throughout each half-hour episode, the series showcases these “chopper cops” as they utilize high-tech infrared cameras and augmented-reality mapping to support ground units in locating and apprehending suspects, providing a critical “eye in the sky.”
V1 Productions, a Texas-based, full-service production house that offers television and film production, live broadcast and post-production services, has built a reputation for delivering compelling, humanistic stories through its unscripted and live productions as well as breathtaking cinematography.
Unique Cameras, Unique Angles
For “Chopper Cops,” the production needed to capture content from various sources, including helicopters and the deputy police cars. To achieve these unique angles in extremely space-conscious locations, we relied on a selection of POV cameras from Marshall Electronics, including eight CV506 Miniature Full-HD Cameras, two CV568 Miniature HD Cameras with Global Shutter with Genlock and two CV504-WP All-Weather Micro Cameras.
The cutting-edge technology of these cameras allowed us to provide an immersive and authentic viewing experience without interfering with police work in the air or on the ground. The camera’s compact size and robust capabilities are essential for capturing the intense and often unpredictable nature of police aviation operations.
Marshall’s CV506 camera was used in the interior of deputies’ cars and helicopters, including scenes captured from the dashboard of the squad cars, as well as the footage that was filmed over the shoulder of the pilot and Tactical Flight Officer (TFO). For these aerial police applications, the pilot is responsible for the safe operation of the helicopter, and the TFO is responsible for law enforcement and coordinating ground resources.
The Marshall cameras were also used to capture some footage from the dashboard of the Sheriff helicopter looking back at the Pilot and TFO. The CV506 can capture detailed shots while maintaining an ultra-discreet miniature POV perspective without sacrificing versatility or convenience.
Miniature POV
In addition to being used in a similar capacity to the CV506, Marshall’s CV568 miniature global camera with genlock delivered synchronized, HD footage critical for capturing coordinated movements and actions within the vehicles and aircraft. The CV568 is built around an impressive 1/1.8-inch Sony global sensor with 25% larger pixels and interchangeable M12 lens mount, making this the most capable POV camera in the miniature camera lineup.
In addition to the exterior of the sheriff helicopters, the Marshall CV504-WP camera was used to film from the exterior of the deputy squad cars. Footage captured from the exterior squad cars depict the cars in motion and highlights the sheriff decals. Footage captured from the exterior sheriff helicopters includes POV from the skids that show the helicopters flying over the city, and shots of the infrared camera on the belly of the helicopter.
The CV504-WP delivers exceptional 10-bit 4:2:2 video performance from a durable aluminum alloy body through weatherproof breakout cable and flexible, interchangeable lenses. The new Sony sensors offer rich color, accurate video with improved low-light sensitivity and refined remote adjust-and-match capability.
This series would not have been possible without Marshall. They were able to have several cameras on board without interfering with the actual mission of the aircraft and real police work being done. We have used Marshall cameras across a number of productions, and we will continue to use them to capture unique perspectives as we push the envelope in documentary filmmaking by combining compelling storytelling with innovative technology to bring audiences closer to the action than ever before. l
W. Hulsey Smith is the founder, president & executive producer, V1 Productions. More information about the company is available at https://v1.live/. He can be reached at Hulsey@v1.live.
More information is available at https://marshall-usa.com.
