SCENE 01 / THERMAL IMAGING
Thermal Imaging
Heat visualization for your Colombian production.
Here is how this works in practice. Thermal imaging cameras detect infrared radiation to visualize heat signatures invisible to standard cameras. In Colombia this technology unlocks remarkable wildlife filmmaking—tracking Amazon jaguars and Andean spectacled bears at night, capturing pink river dolphins and over 1,900 bird species in their natural habitats, and logging coffee processing facilities, cacao farms, and mining operations across the country's different tropical terrain.
Here is the short of it. We source pro FLIR thermal systems and infrared cinematographers across Colombia and South America, working closely with Proimagenes Colombia and regional film commissions in Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena. Our team sets up gear customs through DIAN, secures national park permits in the Amazon and Sierra Nevada, and makes sure your thermal footage qualifies for the Colombia Film Law incentive of up to 40%.
Capabilities
Thermal Services
Professional thermal imaging for documentary, scientific, and creative applications.
01
Thermal Cameras
- FLIR professional
- High-resolution sensors
- Real-time display
- Recording capability
- Multiple palettes
Heat Visualization
02
Production
- Narrative integration
- Documentary filming
- Scientific capture
- Wildlife tracking
- Technical imaging
Diverse Applications
03
Analysis
- Temperature data
- Heat patterns
- Thermal anomalies
- Comparative imaging
- Data export
Scientific Data
04
Creative
- Color palettes
- Aesthetic looks
- Compositing
- Special effects
- Post-processing
Visual Style
See the Heat
Capabilities
Our Process
Requirements Review
Knowing what you need to visualize and the thermal traits of your subjects.
Equipment Selection
Choosing the right thermal camera system based on resolution, sensitivity, and aesthetic needs.
Production
Capturing thermal footage with proper setup for accurate and visually compelling results.
Post-Production
Processing thermal data and integrating footage with your production.
On Location
FLIR T1020 and Pulsar thermal cameras across Chocó, Amazon and Pacific whale-migration corridors
Here is the short of it. Thermal-imaging filming in Colombia services some of the most security-off-limits and biodiverse wildlife environments in the Americas — the Pacific Chocó's 13,000mm-rain biogeographic corridor with ocelots, jaguars, peccaries and three-toed sloths, the Amazon Leticia tri-border with margay, ocelot and the largest concentration of jaguars in the Colombian Amazon, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta cloud-forest owl and spectacled-bear habitat, and the Tayrona National Park coastal jungle where heat-signature scouting is the only practical method for non-invasive nocturnal wildlife survey.
Here is how the picture comes together. Our crews carry FLIR T1020 high-resolution thermal-imaging cameras (1024×768 sensor), FLIR Vue Pro R and Vue TZ20 drone-mounted thermal payloads, and Pulsar Helion 2 XQ50F and XP50 handheld thermal spotters across the wildlife documentary, conservation broadcast and NHK-grade natural-history feature work landing in Colombia. INVEMAR — the Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras based in Santa Marta — sets up oceanographic thermal work on humpback whale migration in the Pacific Bahía Solano, Nuquí and Gorgona Island corridors during the July-October calving season.
Here is what we have to work with. Planning runs through ANLA biodiversity authorisations, PNN park-ranger escorts across Tayrona, Sierra Nevada, Amacayacu, Utría and Ensenada de Utría national parks, and DIAN ATA carnet forms on imported thermal sensor packages flying in from BBC Natural History Unit, NHK Specials, Disneynature and Netflix Our Planet co-production crews. Indigenous cabildo consents. Wayuu in La Guajira, Arhuaco and Kogi in Sierra Nevada, Embera and Wounaan in Chocó, Tikuna and Yagua in the Amazon — are filed through ONIC and the Ministry of Interior's Dirección de Asuntos Indígenas with bilingual mediation handled by our fixer team.
Here is the layout. Thermal-imaging also serves industrial-documentary work on Colombian coffee fincas (Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda processing facilities), Buenaventura port and shipping operations, Cerrejón mining electrical-systems heat surveys and Ecopetrol pipeline integrity inspections. Productions claim the 40% Film Law incentive and 35% CINA tax credit through Proimágenes Colombia on qualifying camera, drone, post-prod and crew spend, with bilingual ARL-insured crews covering the full chain.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What can thermal cameras visualize?
Thermal cameras detect heat radiation, visualizing temperature differences. They can show body heat, engine heat, electrical hotspots, heat loss from buildings, and even recent contact traces on surfaces.
What resolution is available?
Pro thermal cameras range from 320x240 to 640x480 and higher. While lower than visible light cameras, modern thermal sensors give detailed visuals suitable for HD and 4K production.
What are the color palette options?
Thermal cameras give many palettes—white-hot, black-hot, ironbow (rainbow), and many others. Each gives different aesthetic looks and can be selected based on creative needs.
Can thermal be used for wildlife?
Here is the breakdown. Yes, thermal imaging is great for Colombian wildlife—detecting Amazon jaguars and pink river dolphins in deep tropical darkness, Andean spectacled bears in cloud forests, and nocturnal birds among Colombia's 1,900+ species, all without lighting that might disturb them.
Is thermal footage useful for documentaries?
Here is what that looks like on the ground. Thermal adds a unique perspective to documentaries shot in Colombia—revealing heat patterns in coffee fincas and cacao processing, capturing endangered wildlife in Amazon jungles, or illustrating the site-level conditions inside emerald mines and sugar refineries across the country.
Can thermal footage be composited?
Yes, thermal footage can be composited with visible light footage or used as creative elements. Post-prod can boost thermal visuals for specific visual effects or scientific presentations.
Related Services
Productions in Colombia that need this often pair it with Night Vision Filming, Helicopter Filming, and Car Filming for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Lighting & Grip and Steadicam & Gimbal Operators.
On Set
Need Thermal Imaging?
Tell us about your thermal visualization needs and we'll reveal the invisible.