Stunning Aerial Cinematography for MythBusters Season Finale

The MythBusters episode Buster’s 1,000-Foot Drop put the team’s beloved crash test dummy, Buster, through one of the most extreme experiments in the show’s history. In this high-altitude test, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman set out to determine whether a person could survive a 1,000-foot fall inside a human-sized inflatable hamster ball. To replicate the scenario, they dropped Buster from extreme heights, analyzing the impact forces and testing the feasibility of such a survival claim.

Capturing the sheer scale and intensity of these high-altitude drops required expert aerial cinematography, and Emmy Award-winning Aerial Director of Photography Thomas C. Miller was up for the challenge. Filming from a helicopter, Miller provided breathtaking aerial perspectives, giving audiences a dynamic and immersive view of Buster’s perilous descent. His work helped highlight the precision and science behind the experiment, bringing cinematic visuals to one of MythBusters’ most dramatic stunts.

Throughout its original run from 2003 to 2018, MythBusters became a cultural phenomenon, blending science, engineering, and jaw-dropping experiments. The series, which filmed primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area, was known for its hands-on approach to testing myths and urban legends, often resulting in explosions, crashes, and large-scale destruction—all in the name of science. Miller contributed aerial cinematography to three episodes, ensuring that some of the show’s most thrilling moments were captured from above.

Beyond Miller’s direct involvement, his company, Blue Sky Aerials, LLC, also played a role in the series’ aerial filmmaking. The company provided Kenyon Gyros for many episodes, stabilizing handheld camera shots filmed by the show’s fearless cinematographers, who often shot from an open helicopter door. These gyro-stabilized systems allowed the MythBusters team to achieve smooth, high-quality aerial footage, enhancing the visual storytelling of their experiments.

Working on MythBusters was more than just another job for Miller—it was a chance to contribute to a groundbreaking show that educated and entertained millions. The series combined science with spectacle, pushing the limits of what was possible on television. As a longtime Bay Area production, MythBusters was a source of local pride, and Miller is honored to have played a role in its legacy.

For fans of the series, MythBusters remains an iconic part of science entertainment, proving time and time again that curiosity, ingenuity, and a willingness to blow things up can make for truly unforgettable television.