Adolescence

Platform: Netflix Director: Philip Barantini DOP: Matt Lewis Service: Drone Cinematography

Drone Pilot: Aaron Cole Aerial DP: James Davis ACO

One of the most technically demanding aerial sequences in recent British television. Adolescence — Netflix's landmark single-take drama, and the second most-watched English-language series in Netflix history — required a seamless handoff from a handheld camera rig to a drone at the end of a 45-minute continuous take.

Chief Pilot Pete Ayriss engineered the bespoke mount configuration in the workshop before the shoot. On location, Aaron Cole and Aerial DP James Davis ACO spent several days in technical rehearsals, followed by a full week of shooting two continuous takes each day — the final take used in the episode was the product of that extraordinary preparation.

Matt Lewis won the 2025 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series for Episode 2 — the episode featuring the aerial sequence — and was nominated for both the ASC Award and BSC Award for the same episode. The series won nine Emmys in total, four Golden Globes, and the BAFTA for Limited Drama in 2026.

"The Helicopter Girls were fantastic and so game for making it work. It was such a ridiculous task, especially as it was at the end of a 45-minute one-shot, and we needed to connect to a drone, fly away and then land it."

MATT LEWIS DOP Adolescence, NETFLIX

Equipment Used

Heavy Lift Drone

Freefly Alta 8: a heavy lifter with a small form factor.

Top speed: 35mph

Flight time: approx 5mins

Payloads: Best paired with Mini LF, Reds and small form cinema cameras with lightweight primes or lightweight spherical zoom lenses.

Special characteristics: Top and bottom camera mount

Under our OSC from the CAA this aircraft can be operated to within 10m horizontal distance from uninvolved people, making it ideal for work in urban areas, where traffic and public cannot be controlled and a small working footprint is needed for the controlled ground area.