The trailer of Ambulance, which was produced and directed by Michael Bay has dropped. The main cameras are the Bayhem machines, which are RED cameras (colored yellow) made especially for this epic director. According to the trailer, expect a lot of FPV drone shots, performed by the Komodo. Indeed, Bay just found the magic of cinema FPV, and we’re going to get it right into our faces. Why not? 

Ambulance (2022)

Ambulance is an American action-thriller film directed and produced by Michael Bay. The film is based on the 2005 Danish film of the same name. The story is about two bank robbers who steal an ambulance occupied by a paramedic and a patient in critical condition. Principal photography with cinematographer Roberto De Angelis began in January 2021, in Los Angeles, and concluded that March (3 months in total). The trailer has dropped today. Check it out below:

A ‘Michael Bay film’

Bay is known for his dangerous cinematography. His mantra is that in order to get the best shots, the camera has to be located inside the heart of the action. In fact, Bay shared an explosive stunt involving an ambulance on Instagram, in which he was seen on a camera dolly; the stunt was criticized for endangering several crew members. However, Bay stated: “Filming my new movie. I’m the guy in black on the dolly. We do these controlled but dangerous-looking shots. It takes a great crew to make these shots possible. Knowing the physics involved and catching cars. In the end, everyone was safe. This phone video makes it look scarier than it was in person” Explore this shot below:

Cinema FPV in all its glory

More and more directors utilize compact cinema cameras on an FPV drone. A solid reference for that is Red Notice (its trailer was released today as well). The majority of aerial shots were executed with the RED’s action camera, the Komodo. We wrote about Red Notice as the first film that utilized extensively the ‘cinema FPV’ approach (Read: ‘Red Notice’ is a Proof That Cinema FPV Conquered Netflix). With such a great tool for action sequences, it was a matter of time that this approach will be heavily implemented in Michael Bay films. The main camera used for the aerial FPV shots is the RED Komodo (Bayhem version?), which constitutes a classic solution for that kind of cinematography. Moreover, a ‘conventional’ helicopter was also extensively used, by the mighty pilot, Fred North, which is Bay’s cinematic partner.  North has published a BTS shot of a very complex aerial stunt. Check out that BTS below:

Camera and lenses used (According to IMDB Tech Spec):

• RED Komodo 6K Bayhem, Panavision T-Series, and Vantage One Bayhem Lenses
• RED Weapon Helium 8K Bayhem, Panavision T-Series, and Vantage One Bayhem Lenses
• RED Weapon Helium 8K, Panavision T-Series Lenses

Wrapping up

Let’s sum this up by quoting a commenter saying: “Bay just found the magic of FPV drones and he’s using it all around. This is going to make me nauseous in theaters”. Well, we’re pretty happy about that. Ambulance is scheduled to be theatrically released by Universal Pictures on February 18, 2022. We can’t wait! Are you?

Product List

Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers. 

• RED Digital Cinema KOMODO 6K
  • BUY on B&H
  • BUY on ADORAMA