--- description: Seven aerial cinematography companies have petitioned for the right to mount cameras to drones and make movie magic title: Filmmakers to FAA: Release the Drones image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaecc3a39928cc9fa/698695e313c79f32be19278e/454787641.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) ## Tech Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Feds Might Allow Drones For Filmmakers  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 2, 2014 7:34 PM CUT  Technicians look on as a SteadiDrone EI8GHT Octocopter hovers during a test flight in a field outside the headquarters of Mensuro Ltd., a distributor for SteadiDrone Ltd. products, in Pilsen, Czech Republic, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013. Technicians look on as a SteadiDrone EI8GHT Octocopter hovers during a test flight in a field outside the headquarters of Mensuro Ltd., a distributor for SteadiDrone Ltd. products, in Pilsen, Czech Republic, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013.Bloomberg—Bloomberg /Getty Images  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 2, 2014 7:34 PM CUT The Federal Aviation Administration is considering lifting a nationwide ban on using drones for commercial purposes—so long as the purpose is to make movie magic. Seven companies represented by the Motion Picture Association of America have asked for permission to shoot film and TV productions using unmanned aerial vehicles. The FAA [said Monday](http://www.faa.gov/news/press%5Freleases/news%5Fstory.cfm?newsId=16294 "undefined") that it would consider exemptions on a case-by-case basis, acknowledging “there could be tangible economic benefits as the agency begins to address the demand.” A growing list of companies have requested permission to fly drones over farmland, power lines, pipelines and oil and gas flare stacks, among other commercial uses. The FAA says the firms must prove that exemptions to the rules will not pose a hazard to public safety. Congress ordered the agency to set a framework allowing for commercial use of drones by 2015\. The FAA will test drones at six sites. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2811598/drones-movies-faa/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2811598/drones-movies-faa/"},"headline":"Feds Might Allow Drones For Filmmakers","datePublished":"2014-06-02T19:34:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:02:22.720Z","description":"Seven aerial cinematography companies have petitioned for the right to mount cameras to drones and make movie magic","url":"https://time.com/2811598/drones-movies-faa/","keywords":["Tech","Innovation","movies","Drones","cinema","TV","regulations","FAA"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaecc3a39928cc9fa/698695e313c79f32be19278e/454787641.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Dan Kedmey","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/dan-kedmey/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaecc3a39928cc9fa/698695e313c79f32be19278e/454787641.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Drone Manufacture At Steadidrone Plant As Companies Explore Commercial Usage","caption":"Drone Manufacture At Steadidrone Plant As Companies Explore Commercial Usage","creditText":"Bloomberg—Bloomberg /Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2811598/drones-movies-faa/","name":"Feds Might Allow Drones For Filmmakers"}}]}] ```