Hi Team! Field Notes is back from Thanksgiving with a holiday treat for you.
+ Cuenca is moving full-steam ahead, while the small community we have been following receives national coverage during their fight for clean water. (This isn't the treat).
+ Also, allow us to introduce you to Pondy, the Ponderosa drone. Specifically called a DJI Phantom 3, this fancy unmanned aerial vehicle is our MVP in the field (not counting our DP, of course). La Cuenca de la Independencia, where our story is set, spans a massive 7,000 sq. Km, so we are very excited to be able to cover its sweeping expanse with a literal flying robot (#thefutureisnow). It might also bear noting that looking at things from a high vantage point lets us get some good perspective when dealing with such a massive crisis. Here are a some of our drone-related hijinx.
(This is the treat.)
Not sure you can tell from the picture, but the sky is about to unleash a torrential storm right on our heads. Our Head of Production, Deanna Urciuoli, was just able to catch the face of pure joy as the drone outruns (outflies?) the rain.
(Above) Drone flying is very serious business.
(Video) We've learned that sometimes, life doesn't give you ideal landing conditions but, ever the intrepid documentarians, we adapt.
