DRONE TECHNOLOGY
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are then programmed into flight paths for the drones. These paths are tested in simulations before we take them out to the venue. That’s essential because it ensures the precision, synchronisation and intricacy of the animation. “The music and narration all come together to become the full experience that we take into venues with audience sizes of 10,000 and larger.” The number of drones used per show varies, and it comes down to the scale and complexity of the story Celestial is trying to tell. Smaller displays use a few hundred drones, while the larger-scale shows involve significantly more to form their intricate dynamic formations. The more drones, the greater the level of detail and ability to create a particular image, which allows for even more ambitious storytelling. OVER THE RAINBOW Since the Hogmanay show, Celestial has worked alongside some of the world’s biggest brands, charities and celebrations, including BBC, Eurovision, Amazon Prime, Greenpeace and New Year’s Eve in London. Celestial’s latest show is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz . The 45-minute show will form an entire evening of entertainment, including food villages, music and other forms of stadium performances, both before and after the show. It will take place across stadiums in Nottingham, Southampton, Cardiff, Durham and Birmingham – audiences will be taken on a magical journey to the land of Oz with Dorothy and her friends. “It has been a beautiful show to work on,” says Winter. “It’s a beloved story and we wanted to be respectful of that and translate all of those recognisable and emotive images of The Wizard of Oz into drone animation while maintaining their charm. The challenge was achieving the rich colours, dynamic motion and well- loved character silhouettes. “Additionally, performing this in outdoor stadiums meant having to factor in many environmental variables, such as wind and the lighting conditions. It’s been about bringing all of it together to create an unforgettable experience. “With such a beloved tale like this one, there’s quite an involved story to follow. Our job is to get to the nub of the story and characters to make the experience feel simultaneously very recognisable and yet quite different. I believe we’ve achieved that with The Wizard of Oz .” Feedback for Celestial’s shows has been overwhelmingly positive overall. “What’s especially heartening is that our audience is hugely diverse – cross- generationally, socioeconomically and multiculturally, in a way you don’t always see in other live events,” explains Winter. “We think that’s because people are not just coming as fans of live experiences, but also tech fans wanting to see how the drones operate. “That has been so extraordinary and amazing to see. The audiences seem to appreciate the scale and beauty of our drones, as well as the sustainable
approach we take – that’s been clear with the feedback. It’s a very inclusive experience and also quite rare, to sit with 10,000 people and just look up. It does something to audiences that I’ve never seen anywhere else.” GOING FOR GREEN One of the many advantages of drone light shows is that they serve as a much more sustainable alternative to firework displays, which are carbon-intensive, and with that comes endless possibilities. “Sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do; the drones and our way of working,” explains Winter. “This offers a greener alternative to lots of live event productions because we’re bringing in less kit. Our drone shows have much lower air and noise pollution and any chemical waste is eliminated. They’re also reusable across multiple performances. “By demonstrating far and wide the technology of the drones, as well as
The number of drones used per show varies, and it comes down to the scale and complexity of the story Celestial is trying to tell” their abilities and applications, we’re helping to encourage venues, cities and event organisers to make the transition from less sustainable live events to these kinds of more environmentally conscious products and offerings.” Creating a drone show isn’t without its logistical issues, however the drones are robust and environmental considerations are always at the
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