FAA regs and who best to ask

[Longbeachvideoguy]

I have been a video producer in Southern California for the past couple of years and thought it would be challenging and fun to get into low-level aerial footage and photography, moreso on the video side.  I'm not an accomplished pilot and would likely hire out pilots until I felt comfortable flying it myself.   I can be the camera person in the meantime. 

However, the FAA folks I've talked to tell me that there's no way I can do it in what they call congested areas.  In my terms, they mean I could fly it anywhere as long as it's in the middle of nowhere.  Tough to find clients for that kind of thing.

I've already researched the electric copter I want to use and there are obviously companies doing this kind of thing already, based on what I've seen on the internet.  Is there something I'm missing here and is there a good resource to go to for information?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

[HeidiLynn]

I know this is kind of an old post, but the FAA and their regulations is being constantly discussed. It may not be a solution for some, but I do all my RC aerial work over seas in countries where this line of work is perfectly legal. I have contacts in Australia, Germany, and Africa. If you go the right people, you can always have a job flying small helis/planes with a camera attached- it's such a valuable and wide-spread application.