photography
Now aLos Angeles resident , Lindle isthe founder and creative director ofFramework Films , afull-service media production agency specializing in ultra high definition ( UHD ) drone cinematography . After astatewide stay-at-home order was issued inmid-March 2020 , he and fellow cinematographer Alex Kavanagh used Inspire 2drones and ahelicopter to record what his adopted city looked like bereft of everyone but essential workers . Iconic — and empty — locations seen from the air included Griffith Observatory , Dodger Stadium , Walt Disney Concert Hall , The Getty , Hollywood Bowl , Universal Studios , Venice Beach , and Santa Monica Pier .
Lindle edited the footage , and the resulting short film , Lockdown Los Angeles , was selected as one of the top ten submissions tothe semiannual Peugeot Drone Film Festival held in Frankfurt , Germany , onSept . 10-12 . Event sponsors from around the globe joined the invited filmmakers , who toured Frankfurt , test-drove some of Peugeot ’ s newest luxury vehicles , dined at afive-star hotel and networked with fellow attendees .
CREATIVE START INMONTCLAIR
Lindle says he was inspired by the independent music scene in Montclair , and that working at the Wellmont Theater and organizing indie basement shows with friends exposed him to some aspects of music production . But it wasn ’ t until 2011 , he says , that he focused on visual expression . “ I have always wanted to be a National Geographic contributor ,” he says . “ Though it still hasn ’ t happened , maybe one day ... What started as a photography hobby and shooting landscapes while traveling evolved into developing my skills for time-lapse and aerial cinematography .”
Lindle says that when he started licensing the footage he shot to well-known companies , he knew he
TERRA FIRMA ( Above ) Former Montclair resident Mike Lindle ; ( Opposite , top ) The scene at Dodger Stadium . When the pandemic began , rental car agencies stationed at LAX airport had to lease additional parking space from the city of Los Angeles to accommodate the overflow of returned vehicles . ( Opposite , bottom ) The Getty art museum at the beginning of the lockdown .
wanted to continue on the visual documentary path . “ This is when Idecided to fully jump in and build Framework Films ,” he says . He continued to scale the business , grow his portfolio of client campaigns and projects , and expand his media library for continued rights-managed footage licensing .
In addition to the aerial journey above locked-down Los Angeles , Framework Films has produced similar tours of Chicago , San Francisco , Seattle and other destinations . The company ’ s services include providing still , time-lapse and hyperlapse ( moving time-lapse ) photography ; past clients include Disney +, Viacom , NBC , Condé Nast and the Olympics . ■
26 HOLIDAY 2021 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE