Vantage Pictures translates next-gen drone tech into gritty storytelling for BRINC

When BRINC approached Vantage Pictures to produce the launch film for its next-generation public safety drone, Guardian, the brief was ambitious: move beyond “Drone as First Responder 101” and show what the next phase of the category looks like.

Instead of a traditional product video, Vantage built a real-time, multi-scenario narrative – a robbery, vehicle pursuit, and nighttime arrest, water rescue, and remote fire response – all designed to reveal the system’s capabilities through action rather than explanation.

“We didn’t want this to be an endless stack of specs and features,” says director Zacharia Lorenz. “The goal was to make the technology feel intuitive, so everything was built around the real workflows of first response teams.”

The story begins with a jewelry store robbery and escalates into a coordinated, multi-unit response. It revolves around the Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC), where drone ops, analysts, and field units converge, creating a stark contrast between chaos in the field and clarity in the control room.

A Two-Continent Production
To balance scale and efficiency, the production was split across two countries.

Exterior action sequences were shot in Newport Beach, California, with extensive support from local public safety agencies. The Newport Beach Police Department and Lifeguard Operations Division provided active-duty personnel, vehicles, locations, and logistical support – enabling complex scenes like a robbery and pursuit to be executed with a high degree of realism.

“Their level of support was incredible,” says executive producer James Duong. “They weren’t just participants – they were collaborators. That made a huge difference to what we could accomplish with our budget.”

Meanwhile, the RTCC scenes were filmed on a custom-built set in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This allowed the team to increase production value while maintaining full control over art direction and lighting without breaking the budget.

It also led to a unique casting choice: the lead actor portraying the drone operator is a former U.S. police officer now based in Vietnam, bringing real-world experience into the role.

Designing for Continuity
One of the key challenges was maintaining a consistent visual language across two very different environments. Cinematographers Erick Turcios (Newport unit) and Tùng Bùi (Saigon unit) aligned early on lensing, color, and lighting strategy to ensure the transition between locations felt seamless.

“We weren’t trying to force a visual match – the environments are fundamentally different,” says Lorenz. “The goal was simply to make them feel like they belong to the same world.”

The final film blends live-action footage with CGI and HUD overlays to accurately represent the drone platform’s capabilities, including autonomous deployment, thermal imaging, and Starlink integration.

A Collaborative Process
The project was developed directly with BRINC, without an ad agency intermediary. VP of Strategy & Marketing Communications David Benowitz played a key role in shaping both logistics and narrative, coordinating public safety partners and contributing to the creative process.

“We were excited by the way Vantage approached Guardian as a whole,” says Benowitz. “It’s not just about the drone—it’s about how it integrates seamlessly with the strict workflows of public safety agencies. First responders have little use for speculation on KSPs and user benefits. They face life-threatening situations daily, so our film needed to convey immediate value in real-world applications.”

That realism was shaped in large part by the Newport Beach Police Department, whose officers contributed both as talent and advisors. Their expertise influenced everything from blocking for the high-risk vehicle stop to radio comms dialogue, reflecting how these scenarios play out in the field.

BRINC founder and CEO Blake Resnick was also closely involved during production in California, reviewing shots on set and helping refine key moments to align with his vision for the company.

From DFR 101 to DFR 201
At a broader level, the film reflects a shift in how drone technology is positioned within public safety.

BRINC’s “New Era of Response” film from 2024, also produced by Vantage Pictures, focused on proving the concept of DFR (Drone as First Responder). Guardian aims to show what happens when those systems become fully integrated—autonomous, continuous, and scalable.

As outlined in the original brief, the goal was to present Guardian not just as an upgrade, but as a new operational standard.

Systems, Not Features
What defines the final film is its systems-driven approach. Rather than isolating individual features, the narrative unfolds as a continuous chain of events – mirroring the way the technology itself is designed to operate.

For Vantage, the project highlights one of its strengths as a production house: translating complex, emerging technologies into grounded, relatable storytelling.

And in a rapidly evolving drone landscape, that clarity may be just as important as the technology itself.

Credits
PRODUCTION
Brand: BRINC
Production Company: Vantage Pictures
EPs: James Duong, Avery Bazan
Production Service: Think Foundry
Director: Zacharia Lorenz
Producers: An Hoang, Matt Cross
Line Producers: Dennis Ha, Hang
Production Coordinator: Lex Healy
1st AD: Morgan Rodner
PAs: Steve Kaye, Phuc Phan
DOPs: Erick Turcios, Tung Bui
1st AC: Karli Gregory
Drone Op: Jack Hiniker, John Holway
DIT: Quach Hai Tho
Gaffer: Ben Trevey
Key Grip: Logan Alesso
Grip: Malik Dawdy
Rental House: CineSpace
Art Director: Fosha Zyong
Props Master: Le Loc
Wardrobe: STYLUS Agency
Hair & Makeup: Mai Tan Sang
Storyboards: Lynn Nguyen
Sound Engineer: Daniel Bonilla
Stunt Driver: Kevin Frame
Talent: Brandon Lawrence, Joshua Stone, George Henry, Jwyanza Hobson, Chad Mitchell, Timur Bilge, Ni-Shaat Salaam, Tip Top, Alex, Jessica Montout
BRINC TEAM
Founder/CEO: Blake Resnick
VP of Strategy & Marketing Comms: David Benowitz
Drone Op: Dmitriy Tarasov
Gimbal Op: Cody Holthus
Backup Drone Op: Brandon Rehbach
Technicians: Davis Hazen, Trey Pfeiffer
Station Technician: Jerrod Tyler
NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES
Police Department POC: Jay Kim
Lifeguard POC: Rob Marienthal
Boat Operator: Ari Marks
Boat Deckhand: Michael Vaughn
Rescue Team: Noah Mayne, Hillary Lowengrub, Austin Cozza, Bryce Miller
POST-PRODUCTION
Post Supervisor: Thach Thao
Editors: Tuyen Tran, Huy Le
Colorist: Olha Korzhynska
Sound Design & Mix: Marc Sander Montant
VFX: Benjamin Villataspaisarn (Basugaa Studio)
Motion Graphics: Huy Le