Drone Videographer

Job Description – Drone Videographer Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Department: Studio / Digital Delivery Employment Type: Full-Time Workplace Type: On-site Experience: 6+ Years of relevant professional experience Qualification: Degree/Diploma in Film, Cinematography, Media Production, Multimedia, Civil Engineering, Geomatics, Surveying, or a related discipline About Pinnacle Pinnacle Infotech is a global BIM and engineering solutions company with over 30 years of experience, delivering innovative technology-driven solutions to clients worldwide. Job Summary We are looking for a skilled Drone Videographer with substantial hands-on experience in aerial cinematography, ground videography, photography, laser scanning, and 3D reality capture. The ideal candidate will be responsible for capturing high-quality visual content and accurate site data for aviation, infrastructure, engineering, industrial, and construction projects. This role requires practical expertise in both professional drone operations and laser scanning, including point cloud registration, processing, quality control, and delivery of coordinate-controlled datasets. The candidate will work closely with Studio, BIM, and engineering teams to deliver compelling visual content and accurate reality-capture outputs in accordance with project specifications, safety standards, and delivery schedules. Key Responsibilities A. Drone Operations, Videography and Photography Plan and execute aerial filming, ground videography, and photography for construction progress, infrastructure, aviation facilities, industrial environments, corporate events, and project milestones. Develop shot lists, filming plans, and capture schedules based on project briefs, site conditions, access requirements, and stakeholder expectations. Operate professional drones, cameras, gimbals, and stabilisation equipment to capture high-quality aerial and ground footage. Obtain necessary drone flight permissions, filming approvals, and site access authorisations before commencing operations. Assess weather conditions, operational risks, and site safety requirements to ensure safe and compliant filming. Capture 360-degree imagery, photographs, and visual records to support project documentation, progress monitoring, and digital delivery. Maintain consistent visual records for ongoing projects, ensuring accurate dating, labelling, archiving, and backup of captured media. B. Laser Scanning and Reality Capture — Mandatory Requirement Plan and execute laser scanning activities to capture accurate site data for as-built documentation, scan-to-BIM, and project QA/QC. Operate terrestrial laser scanners (TLS), SLAM/handheld scanners, and mobile scanning systems from at least two major OEM ecosystems, such as Leica, FARO, Trimble, NavVis, or equivalent platforms. Review project scope, required accuracy, scan density, site access, line of sight, station layout, target placement, and survey control requirements before field capture. Establish or utilise survey control using total stations, GNSS, targets, checkerboards, or spheres, and align captured data with the designated project coordinate system. Capture supporting photographs, 360-degree imagery, field notes, station logs, and metadata for each scanning assignment. Perform field quality checks to identify missing coverage, data gaps, and scanning issues, arranging re-scans where necessary. C. Point Cloud Registration and Processing — Mandatory Requirement Register and align point clouds using target-based, cloud-to-cloud, SLAM-based, and survey-control-based methods. Process and geo-reference point clouds to the required project datum and coordinate system. Review registration reports, including RMSE, overlap, residuals, tie-point accuracy, and SLAM loop closure where applicable. Clean, filter, segment, unify, decimate, and colourise point clouds for downstream BIM and engineering applications. Identify registration errors, noise, reflections, moving objects, and alignment discrepancies, taking corrective action to achieve the required accuracy. Conduct quality checks against project tolerances and document deviations before submitting deliverables to the BIM team. D. Video Editing and Post-Production Edit and produce professional videos for corporate films, construction progress reports, engineering presentations, project documentation, and stakeholder communications. Perform colour correction, colour grading, sound treatment, transitions, titles, graphics, and final export using professional editing software. Use Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or equivalent video editing tools, with working knowledge of Adobe After Effects and Photoshop preferred. Organise raw footage, edited videos, photographs, and project media into structured archives with appropriate backups. Ensure final outputs meet technical specifications, visual quality standards, branding guidelines, and delivery timelines. E. BIM Coordination and Data Delivery Coordinate with BIM modelers, engineers, project teams, and the Studio Manager to understand capture requirements and deliver suitable outputs. Hand over registered point clouds and supporting visual data for scan-to-BIM, model verification, clash detection, and construction quality checks. Use Autodesk ReCap Pro, CloudCompare, and relevant OEM registration software to prepare and validate point cloud datasets. Support the loading, checking, and federation of point clouds in Autodesk Revit and Navisworks. Export and organise deliverables in E57, RCP/RCS, LAS/LAZ, PTS/PTX, and vendor-native formats. Publish project data to Autodesk Construction Cloud or another designated Common Data Environment (CDE), maintaining consistent naming, coordinate references, metadata, traceability, and backups. Integrate aerial footage, photographs, 360-degree imagery, and reality-capture data into project deliverables. F. Equipment Management, Safety and Compliance Maintain, inspect, calibrate, charge, and safely transport drones, cameras, laser scanners, and associated accessories. Keep equipment firmware, field applications, processing software, and supporting tools updated. Follow applicable UAE drone regulations, flight approvals, site access requirements, permit-to-work procedures, and health and safety standards. Comply with project BIM Execution Plans, scanning procedures, data management protocols, and company operating standards. Maintain equipment inventories, field logs, scanning records, production documentation, and safe operating practices. Support the training of junior technicians where required and contribute to improving capture, processing, and quality-control procedures. Required Qualifications and Skills Minimum 6 years of relevant professional experience, including substantial hands-on experience in both drone videography and laser scanning/point cloud registration. Candidates must demonstrate practical competence in both areas. Degree or diploma in Film, Cinematography, Media Production, Multimedia, Civil Engineering, Geomatics, Surveying, Geoinformatics, or a related field. Strong portfolio or showreel demonstrating aerial cinematography, ground filming, photography, editing, colour grading, and individual contribution to completed productions. Relevant drone pilot qualifications and practical knowledge of flight regulations, permissions, and safe drone operations. Hands-on experience operating professional drones, cameras, gimbals, and stabilisation equipment. Proven experience operating terrestrial and/or SLAM/mobile laser scanners from at least two major OEM ecosystems, with practical point cloud registration and processing experience. Proficiency in relevant scanning and registration software, such as Leica Cyclone, FARO SCENE, Trimble RealWorks, NavVis IVION, Autodesk ReCap Pro, or CloudCompare. Understanding of survey control, coordinate systems, geo-referencing, registration accuracy, RMSE, point cloud quality checks, and scan coverag