Hayden5 Launches Remote Photoshoot Service Drop Shots

Video agency Hayden5 – the company that invented the world-famous video Drop Kit – has launched Drop Shots, an all-new in-house solution that enables high-quality photography capture and remote collaboration. Geared towards brands, agencies, and publishers, Hayden5 developed the Drop Shots programme for easy collaboration between on-set teams and remote stakeholders – no matter where they are in the world. In addition to the virtual set experience, Drop Shots gives clients access to Hayden5’s curated roster of photographers from local markets around the world. 

Drop Shots harnesses the power of everything you get from a traditional live shoot, in a remote capacity. Each deployment comes with a Set Link, a live low-latency view through the lens of the photographer's camera; Crew Cam, a tool for remote collaborators to see and communicate with their photographer; Witness Cam, a wideview of the set that enables stakeholders to know exactly what's happening; and the real-time Live Gallery feed, which welcomes remote participants to review images seconds after the shutter snaps. 

“First there was the dark room, then file uploads, and now we’re operating in real-time,” enthuses Todd Wiseman Jr, Co-Founder & Creative Director at Hayden5. “There’s no more waiting for feedback. Everyone can see what’s happening as it happens. The photographer and production team can be in LA and the client can be on their laptop or desktop in London, and still see every moment and every frame in real-time.” 

Providing a step-by-step demo of how Drop Shots works, Hayden5 produced a promo video with acclaimed photographer Karl Ferguson Jr., who conducted actual photoshoots using the product – both in the studio and in the field. 

“I’ve never seen anything like Drop Shots,” adds Ferguson, whose brand and editorial clients include BET, Billboard, MTV, Rolling Stone, Target, Vibe, and Wild Turkey, while photographing such celebrities as J.Lo, Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, and Michael B. Jordan. “As one of the first photographers who got to test drive Drop Shots, I was impressed with how seamless it worked, especially using it out in the field. You can literally run a shoot with this service from anywhere in the world.” 

Beyond studio sessions, Drop Shots is also available in a portable package, leveraging Hayden5’s proprietary mobile workflow, which was born out of its remote video production service, Crew+. 

“Much like how Crew+ changed the game for videography, where every single one of our untethered remote video crews all around the world is always broadcasting live for stakeholders, we are doing the same with Drop Shots, even if our photographers are out in the world on location,” explains Wiseman Jr. “So, you can think about the future applications of Drop Shots beyond the studio, where this is standard practice. That ranges to photojournalism, experiential event marketing, and one-offs like the Met Gala.”

Wiseman Jr worked closely with Ben Nelson, Director of Technical Operations at Hayden5, to develop Drop Shots. Hayden5 incorporated many of the tools and technologies that made its other tried-and-true products so successful into their Drop Shots programme while exploring new ones. 

“We invested a ton of R&D to make Drop Shots the go-to solution for anyone looking to remotely conduct photoshoots and make it a seamless experience that clients can count on every time they use it,” explains Nelson.

Wiseman Jr also believes that Drop Shots can be a game-changer for expanding the talent pool of photographers for its clients without the overhead of international travel, as well as opening up the field of locations they can shoot in. 

“We are proud of the roster of talent and crews with whom we’ve fostered relationships over the course of our 13 years in the entertainment and advertising industry, and we look forward to the doors Drop Shots can open to new partners and collaborators,” concludes Wiseman Jr. “Photographers and clients alike will find the onboarding process and experience of using Drop Shots a breeze.”