Jim SwansonAerial and Tracking camera

I started in the aerial filming business a long time ago, in 1989, when I got a job as a runner for Flying Pictures – Marc Wolff, James Bond, Adam Dale – those guys… After a couple of years, they let me move into the camera department and I started tech’ing the kit and learning about cameras. It was great fun – I got to go all over the place and experience at first hand the largesse and sheer fun of a complicated world without either emails or cellphones.

But I had to grow up and move on and thus went freelance in 1995. I was camera-assistant for a while, but could never resist the allure and reliable top-whack of aerial filming work. In 1999 I was employed by ACS UK in their revitalised film unit but was quickly sent over to France, where they started using the new Stab-C. I was invited to move over to France and step up to become operator and I spent a lovely few years as the world went mental for this new stabilised head.

With a young family though, things were a bit too busy – so I eventually became freelance again and moved back to the UK. Since then, I’ve been at work non-stop - the work keeps coming and thanks to companies like ACS France and Helicopter Film Services in the UK I’m constantly in demand.


For my feature film credits, please see myimdb page


Commercials

Ford     Dacia     Ferrari     Jaguar     Land Rover     Range Rover     Volvo     Fiat     Peugeot     Kia     Nissan     Toyota     Cadillac     Mercedes     BMW

Seat     Lexus     Saab     Renault     Audi     Honda     Porsche    Citroen     Chevrolet     Humvee     Subaru     Alfa Romeo     Lancia     02     Bouygues

Orange     Vodafone     Disneyland     Louis Vuitton     Captain Morgan     Phones4U     BMW Oracle     Opera browser     Q8     EDF     Pirelli     Michelin

Breil     Club Internet     Swisscom     Plusnet     Shell     Kronenbourg     Aviva     Allianz     American Express     J-Phone     Hewlett Packard     Williams F1

Toyota F1    Tag Heuer     Sony     SNCF     Maersk     P&O     Volvic     DHL    Rolls Royce     Mini     Dior      Apple     Heineken     Mazda     Hermès


EDF     Hitachi     SSE     Nokia    


TV:

The Grand Tour     Top Gear


Sports Broadcast

Summer Olympics 2008, 2012, 2016      Winter Olympics 2010, 2014

Sky Sports UK – Premiership     Australian Open Tennis

Five Nations Rugby – Twickenham   Arab Games    World Short Course Swimming Championships     Free Run snowboarding    


Large Format/Ride Films:

Brainstorm    Charles De Gaulle Museum    Busch European Adventure    Ferrari World    D-Day