The Federal Aviation Administration's approval of drone use on closed film sets could pave the way for commercial drone use in other industries. Also, what’s causing the earthquakes in the Mammoth Lakes area? Then, "Art and Craft" filmmakers explore the mind of the artist who uses simple tools to recreate some of the world’s best known art pieces.
Hollywood may soon have an eye in the sky for shooting television shows and movies
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it has approved exemptions that would allow video and photo production companies to use drones on closed film sets. After being pressured by seven filmmaking companies and the Motion Picture Association of America, the FAA said six of those seven companies could use drones equipped with cameras on certain TV and movie sets.
Until now, the FAA has restricted commercial drone use to special situations in the Alaskan wilderness. It also says it does not need to issue a certificate of airworthiness for drones used in this way because they don’t threaten national airspace or national security.
The six companies that got approval will be allowed to use drones for filming on outdoor television and movie sets that are closed to the public. The companies must inspect the equipment before flight and notify the FAA that they are filming. The drones may not fly higher than 400 feet and must be operated by a technician that has a pilot’s license.
This decision could pave the way for commercial drone use in other industries, such as real estate, agriculture, and news media. The FAA says there are at least 40 pending applications from companies outside of Hollywood, including Amazon, which is looking for the go-ahead on their proposed drone delivery service.
Guest:
Chris Schuster, owner and pilot of Vortex Aerial, one of the production companies that petitioned the FAA to allow the use of drones by the entertainment industry in the US.
Mark Dombroff, Partner at the Virginia-based law firm McKenna Long & Aldridge. He concentrates his practice on the aviation and transportation industry, including litigation, regulatory, administrative and enforcement matters, security, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations and employee related issues.
Mammoth Lakes hit by multiple tremors
Nearly three dozen 2.5-3.8 magnitude earthquakes and even more tiny tremblors have hit the Mammoth Lakes region in the past 24 hours.
Mammoth is home to an active volcano, but there have been no eruptions for about 57,000 years. An uptick in quakes during the past 10 years has been related to “volcanic unrest” -- the period has been marked by gas emissions and movements of molten rock that cut of tree root systems, causing deaths of trees. Mammoth locals seem unconcerned by the quakes.
What’s causing the shaking in the Mammoth Lakes area? Can the tremblors be attributed to volcanic activity, or is there another possible explanation?
Guest:
Tom Heaton, professor of engineering and seismology at Caltech
Practical realities of the ambitious Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan
Looking to balance efforts to boost renewable energy with protecting wildlife, state and federal officials released a plan Tuesday that sets aside vast swaths of California desert for both purposes.
In the works for five years, the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) carves out nearly 10 percent of 22.5 million acres of southeastern California for new solar, wind and geothermal energy facilities. The plan also nearly doubles the amount of conservation land in the area, protecting a total of 13.7 million acres. More study will be done on an additional 183,000 acres to determine the appropriate use for them.
The 8,000-page plan aims to open the door for more renewable energy in a state that wants to get 33% of its power from those sources by 2020. At the same time, the plan addresses the concerns of some environmentalists by conserving fragile desert habitat for a number of plants and animals.
How will California's desert lands be preserved responsibly while utilizing its resources? How will decisions be made about development projects? Who will be the stakeholders considered? Why are some renewable projects not addressed in the DRECP?
WEIGH IN
How do we weigh the value of desert species and animal migrations against clean energy sources? What about mitigating power consumption in the state?
Guests:
Karen Douglas, Commissioner of the California Energy Commission
James G. Kenna, State Director, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of Interior
David Lamfrom, Associate Director, California Desert Program, National Parks Conservation Association
Filmweek: 'The Boxtrolls,' 'The Equalizer,' 'Jimi: All Is By My Side' and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson, Henry Sheehan and Charles Solomon review this week’s releases, including “The Boxtrolls,” “The Equalizer,” “Jimi: All Is By My Side” and more. TGI-Filmweek!
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The Boxtrolls:
The Equalizer:
Jimi: All Is By My Side:
Guests:
Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC and LA Weekly
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
Often posed as a priest, artist fools trained eyes of many museum curators
Dubbed one of the most prolific art forgers in recent history, Mark Landis has fooled countless museums into hanging his replicas of famous paintings around the country. In the documentary “Art and Craft,” filmmakers Jennifer Grausman and Sam Cullman take audiences inside the mind of the artist who uses simple tools like colored pencils and chalk to recreate some of the world’s best known art pieces.
Often posing as a Jesuit priest with a large family estate, Landis has fooled many museums by giving away his work instead of selling it. Because he doesn’t make any profits, Landis has not been prosecuted under the law, which holds each art museum responsible for reviewing gifts of any caliber.
Grausman and Landis join us to talk about the artist’s battle with schizophrenia and the process of recreating works of art that continue to fool some of the country’s leading curators.
“Art and Craft” airs tonight on PBS. Click here for more information
Guests:
Mark Landis, artist and subject of “Art and Craft”
Jennifer Grausman, one of the directors of “Art and Craft”