Minneapolis bowling alley drone video takes off online

The video is one single shot. Photo / Supplied

A video taken by a camera-equipped drone buzzing through the nooks and crannies of a historic Minneapolis bowling alley has attracted millions of views online.

The drone in the 1 1/2-minute video at Bryant-Lake Bowl follows bowling balls down the alley and takes viewers behind the alley's reset mechanism, back out on to the floor and into the bar.

The video is the work of 25-year-old cinematographer Jay Christensen, produced by Minneapolis-based Rally Studios and directed by Anthony Jaska, the Star Tribune reported.

Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn tweeted the clip to his 800,000-plus followers, labelling the clip "stupendous" and saying he wanted the filmmakers "to come with us to London later this year when we shoot Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3".

Christensen, who lives near the bowling alley, was struck by the destruction and rebuilding along Lake Street following last year's rioting after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

"It made me think, what's the future of Lake Street going to look like?" he asked. "Bryant-Lake Bowl is a staple in the community, and not having it be that way didn't sit well with me."

He approached the bowling alley's owner, who let them shoot after-hours because of coronavirus restrictions. Christensen and Gunn said they were just having fun putting the film together this month and never expected all the attention.

The bowling alley video isn't the only example of Christensen's talents that has been posted online.

Another video published to YouTube on February 7, called Mann Theatre FPV Fly Through, shows a flight through the Plymouth Grand cinema in Plymouth, also in Minnesota.

- AP, additional reporting NZ Herald