Without Chi Po-lin, there wouldn’t be a Taiwan Aerial Imaging. But he hasn’t carried all the weight himself: were it not for the NT$30-million investment chiefly from Grace Wan, the company wouldn’t have the wherewithal to procure the necessary cinematic paraphernalia.
“At the get-go we set out to raise NT$60 million, but we’re not there yet,” says Wan. She explains that in order to stay afloat while making Taiwan’s first full-length aerial feature film they often shot footage for the government or advertising firms and also licensed others to use their material.
For instance, in 2009 they granted preeminent director Hou Hsiao-hsien permission to use aerial footage of migratory birds flying past the mangrove wetlands in Tamsui, of the streets of Taipei, and of the Taipei 101 building, for his short film which was shown at the Taipei Pavilion of the Shanghai World Expo.
In 2010 the Council for Cultural Affairs (now the Ministry of Culture) commissioned Taiwan Aerial Imaging to make a film celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China. Included in the footage were the first-ever aerial images of the New Year’s Eve fireworks at Taipei 101, which were quickly rebroadcast by the American TV network CNN, the first time that the scintillating scene was broadcast by the international media.
Beginning in 2011, Chi Po-lin became recognized outside of Taiwan as the photographer with the most extensive knowledge of Taiwan’s best aerial film routes, which made him the point man for all foreign filmmakers wishing to do aerial filming in Taiwan. Chi’s camera work has included filming Yushan for Japan’s NHK, capturing footage of Taipei 101 for the Siemens Group of Germany, and shooting Penghu for French public television.
Wan observes that the equipment that Taiwan Aerial Imaging possesses is the only system of its kind in Taiwan; in Asia, only Taiwan and Japan have a single set apiece. Applying that kind of sophisticated machinery to the making of commercial film can only serve to elevate the production values of domestic movies.
As the conversation turns to Taiwan’s aerial filming conditions, Chi begins to air some gripes. Aviation in Taiwan is overregulated, in his opinion, and it occasionally has caused him grief. Aerial filming requires good weather, and on more than one clear day with excellent light he’s been ordered out of an airspace because of military air training in the area or the presidential jet preparing to take off or land.
“It costs money every time you get in the helicopter—it doesn’t matter whether or not you reach your destination or accomplish your objectives. The more delays there are, the more money you burn through,” he says in exasperation.
All that is needed to ensure safety, he argues, is to have rules in place making sure aircraft fly at different altitudes, instead of imposing outmoded across-the-board restrictions.
Taiwan is rich in scenic beauty, and high-quality aerial imaging, as both documentary and artistic endeavor, cannot but raise Taiwan’s profile internationally.
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