Meet the Newest Member of the Fleet: The Spydr ITSY-EVO

Every DIRXECP shoot has a moment where the wide shot just isn't enough — where the story needs to move through a doorway, glide over a dance floor, or thread between performers close enough to feel the energy of the room. That's the gap this build was made to fill.

Why a Cinewhoop

Most of our aerial work runs on larger platforms built for altitude and distance. But event and music video work often calls for the opposite: something small enough to fly indoors, close to people, without the risk a full-size prop poses in a tight room. That's the whole idea behind a cinewhoop — a ducted micro-drone where the propellers are shrouded, letting it operate safely near performers, crowds, and set pieces that a bigger rig never could.

The Spydr ITSY-EVO frame became the foundation, paired with Spydr's own Cine 1103 9000kv motors built specifically for this class of aircraft. On top of that: a GEPRC Taker F405 flight controller, a DJI O4 Air Unit Pro for crisp low-latency digital video, and a GEPRC ELRS diversity receiver for a reliable control link even in RF-crowded venues. GNB LiHV batteries round it out, sized for quick swaps between setups rather than long endurance — because on a shoot day, the drone that's back in the air in sixty seconds beats the one still charging.

The Build

Every build has its lessons, and this one taught a few. Getting the ESC firmware, filtering, and PID tune dialed in took real iteration — including tracking down a root cause that turned out to be refreshingly simple in hindsight: all four motors were spinning backward. Once corrected, the difference was immediate. What had been a fight to keep level became one of the smoothest-flying aircraft in the fleet.

That's the nature of a from-scratch build — the payoff isn't just the finished aircraft, it's knowing exactly how every system in it behaves, which matters when you're trusting it to fly close to people on a live set.

What It's For

This drone exists for one job: getting shots nothing else in the fleet can get. Think a slow push through a crowd at an event, a low glide across a stage during a live performance, or a tight orbit around a dancer mid-take — all while staying light enough, and shrouded enough, to do it safely in spaces where a standard drone simply isn't an option.

It's also flip-capable, which isn't a gimmick — a clean, controlled flip mid-shot is the kind of unexpected beat that turns a good music video moment into a memorable one.

Where You'll See It

Expect this one in the toolkit for upcoming commercials, event coverage, and music video work where the camera needs to be part of the room, not just above it. It's a small aircraft, but it opens up a genuinely different set of shots — and that's exactly the point.