About David Gu!
David Gu is a Swedish aerial cinematographer and drone operator based in Portugal, with over a decade of experience in high-end film and commercial production. Fluent in English, Portuguese, French, and Swedish, he works seamlessly across international productions and teams.
He began flying drones in 2011 and was building custom gimbals before they were commercially available—pioneering techniques that launched his career in the film industry. While originally working in Brazil, David quickly established himself on national television productions, feature films, soap operas, and campaigns for global brands like Nestlé and top automotive companies. He also collaborated with international broadcasters, including Germany’s ZDF.
In 2014, he helped film the opening video for the FIFA World Cup, flying the first Blackmagic camera ever mounted on a drone in Latin America. Two years later, he shot the official intro for the Rio 2016 Olympics. His portfolio includes Netflix productions such as the Luís Figo documentary, the Portuguese series Rabo de Peixe, and the action film Heart of Stone.
In 2025, David captured aerial footage for the prestigious Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy in Cascais—one of Europe’s most renowned offshore regattas.
Now permanently based in Portugal, David focuses on automotive and commercial work, while continuing to push innovation in aerial cinematography. He is an active contributor to the drone community, especially in the development of advanced gimbal systems and flight technologies.
David also collaborates closely with top-tier drone teams around the world, offering his technical knowledge and cinematic expertise through key partnerships with companies such as House of Drones, Skynamic, AndriuFPV, and House of FPV (led by Benoît Finck).
Career highlights include:
Live drone operations for Formula E and Red Bull
Development of a custom ball-release mechanism for a Guinness World Record attempt with the Brazilian national soccer team—a project that received global media attention and millions of online views
Pioneering drone work on international productions, including commercials, documentaries, and Netflix films
In addition to aerial work, David is expanding his expertise into advanced camera movement systems. He has gained hands-on experience operating remote heads on cars, cranes, remote-controlled vehicles, and motorbikes, and is actively pursuing further work in cable camera systems like Spidercam. This growing skill set allows him to contribute to productions requiring dynamic tracking shots and innovative camera mobility beyond aerial platforms.
