Rob Drewett

Rob Drewett
OccupationsWildlife cameraman; technology entrepreneur
Years active2000s–present
Organization(s)Motion Impossible (co-founder and CEO)
Known forCo-developing the AGITO modular robotic camera dolly system
AwardsEngineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award (2025)[1]

Rob Drewett is a British wildlife cameraman and technology entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and chief executive of Motion Impossible, a UK company that develops remote camera platforms, and the co-developer (with product design engineer Andy Nancollis) of the AGITO modular robotic camera dolly system for film and television production.[2][3] In 2025, Drewett and Nancollis were named recipients of the Television Academy's Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award for the development of the AGITO Dolly System.[1][4][5][6]

Career

Drewett began his career as an underwater and wildlife cameraman, including work with the BBC Natural History Unit on series such as Planet Earth II and Africa.[7] Seeking new ways to move cameras safely and smoothly, he experimented early with gimbals and remote platforms.[7]

In 2014 Drewett co-founded Motion Impossible with product design engineer Andy Nancollis to commercialise remote, stabilised camera systems that evolved from their wildlife work, including the Mantis (later the M-Series) and the AGITO family of modular dollies.[2][3]

Drewett has used AGITO on broadcast and entertainment productions where crew safety and repeatable camera movement are priorities, including Top Gear sequences that require high-speed tracking shots.[8]

Motion Impossible

Drewett co-founded Motion Impossible in 2014 with product design engineer Andy Nancollis to commercialise remote, stabilised camera systems developed from their natural history work, evolving from the BuggyCam into the Mantis/M-Series and, in 2019, the modular AGITO dolly family (including the Sports, Trax and MagTrax drive-ends).[9][10] The MagTrax guidance system had its U.S. launch at the NAB Show in April 2022 in partnership with Vū Studios and AbelCine, with Drewett describing it as a key step for AGITO operability.[11] His systems have been adopted on broadcast and drama sets; for example, AGITO was used to stage a major stunt in Line of Duty series 6 and to capture high-speed tracking shots on Top Gear while improving crew safety.[12][13]

Patents

  • Support and stabilization systems (Motion Impossible Ltd). Inventors: Andrew Nancollis; Robert (Rob) Drewett. International publication date 23 May 2019.[14]
  • Support and stabilization systems (Motion Impossible Ltd). Inventors: Andrew Nancollis; Robert (Rob) Drewett. US patent granted 28 December 2021.[15]

Selected credits

Year Title Role / notes Ref(s)
2011 Desert Seas Selected to work on the documentary with the BBC Natural History Unit. [16]
2013 Africa Filmed a rock python sequence; used moving camera techniques. [16]
2014 Hidden Kingdoms Credited among series photographers. [17]
2016 Planet Earth II Shot the Madagascar locust super-swarm sequence using a handheld gimbal. [18][19]
2018 Big Cats Filmed high-speed cheetah tracking shots with a remote buggy and stabilised head (with Andy Nancollis). [20][21]
2020s Top Gear Cameraman operating the head while AGITO captured high-speed sequences (e.g., Aston Martin Victor at Dunsfold). [13][22]

AGITO

AGITO is a modular robotic dolly platform designed to operate free-roaming, on track, overhead or guided by magnetic tape (MagTrax), providing stabilised, repeatable moves from very slow to vehicle speeds in studio and location environments.[23][24][25] The system has been profiled and demonstrated widely at industry shows including NAB, IBC and Cine Gear.[3]

Awards and honours

  • 2025: Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award (Television Academy), shared with Andy Nancollis, for the development of the AGITO Dolly System.[1][4][6][26]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Winners Announced". Television Academy. Los Angeles: Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b Fauer, Jon (14 December 2020). "Motion Impossible and AbelCine". Film & Digital Times. Film and Digital Times. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Antunes, Jose (21 August 2023). "Motion Impossible: next generation of motion control at IBC2023". ProVideo Coalition. Filmtools. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  4. ^ a b Butts, Tom (3 September 2025). "2025 Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Winners Announced". TV Tech. Future Publishing. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  5. ^ Ortiz, Andi (2 September 2025). "TV Academy Honors 2025 Engineering, Science and Technology Emmy Winners". TheWrap. TheWrap News Inc. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Recipients announced for Television Academy's Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards". Post Magazine. Post Magazine. 3 September 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  7. ^ a b Palmer, Hazel (2017). "Making impossibly smooth motion a reality" (PDF). ZERB (Guild of Television Camera Professionals). GTC: 44–47. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  8. ^ "We reveal how Top Gear gets such spectacular video of the sexiest supercars". Digital Camera World. Future Publishing. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  9. ^ Fauer, Jon (14 December 2020). "Motion Impossible and AbelCine". Film & Digital Times. Film and Digital Times. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  10. ^ Antunes, Jose (21 August 2023). "Motion Impossible: next generation of motion control at IBC2023". ProVideo Coalition. Filmtools. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  11. ^ Winslow, George (23 April 2022). "Vū, Motion Impossible to Showcase AGITO MAGTRAX at 2022 NAB Show". TV Tech. Future Publishing. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  12. ^ Priestley, Jenny (18 March 2021). "How Line of Duty ushered in a new era of remote operations". TVBEurope. Future Publishing. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  13. ^ a b "We reveal how Top Gear gets such spectacular video of the sexiest supercars". Digital Camera World. Future Publishing. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  14. ^ "WO2019097218A1 – Support and stabilisation systems". Google Patents. Google/European Patent Office. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  15. ^ "US11209118B2 – Support and stabilization systems". Google Patents. United States Patent and Trademark Office. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  16. ^ a b Hilton, Kevin (2021). "Rob Drewett / Motion Impossible – Freedom of Movement". British Cinematographer. LAWS Publishing. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  17. ^ Creamer, Jon (17 January 2014). "Hidden Kingdoms: behind the scenes". Televisual. Media Business Insight. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  18. ^ Merli, John (14 February 2017). "The Epic Production of 'Planet Earth II'". TV Tech. Future Publishing. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  19. ^ "Up close with wildlife". BroadcastPro ME. CPI Trade Media. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  20. ^ "How They Shot That Running With Cheetahs Footage". Cinescopophilia. Cinescopophilia. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  21. ^ "This Awesome Camera Setup Captured Incredible High-Definition Footage of Sprinting Cheetahs". Jalopnik. G/O Media. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  22. ^ "AGITO captures the essence of speed whilst keeping the crew safe for Top Gear". Motion Impossible. Bristol: Motion Impossible Ltd. 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  23. ^ "MTJibs Taps Agito". American Cinematographer. ASC. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  24. ^ "Vū Studio, Motion Impossible Launch Agito Magtrax in U.S." American Cinematographer. ASC. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  25. ^ "Motion Impossible MagTrax magnetic track for the AGITO robotic camera dolly". Newsshooter. Newsshooter. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  26. ^ Corrigan, Matthew (3 September 2025). "BBC Research and Development awarded Engineering, Science and Technology Emmy". TVBEurope. Future Publishing. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
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