New Year’s Eve - rehabilitation of the drone

Were you as delighted as me with London’s wonderful and surprising New Year’s Eve firework dIsplay together with the dramatic and uplifting drone choreography?

I’ve worked with drone footage a couple of times in my career. The first time was over five years ago at Chelsea Physic Garden when we ‘piggybacked’ on a local estate agent filming an adjacent massive private Chelsea house and garden. The footage made the Physic Garden  look rather modest in size by comparison though more gorgeously varied and fascinating. Ideal footage to attract potential wedding and event planners. The second time was a couple of years later when producing a corporate video for Ramblers Walking Holidays. Their picturesque HQ is located in a restored old watermill on the banks of the River Lea, surrounded by a large garden and orchards. Aerial drone footage was perfect to display to clients across the country, how true the company is to its ethos of sustainability as well as to a healthy work-life balance for its employees.

But then came the shocking danger caused by drones being flown illegally beside Heathrow and then Gatwick airport which were both forced to close and then manage the resultant flight delays and cancellations. Suddenly drones didn’t seem to be quite the positive creative tool they once were.

So it was great to see drones back again as Big Ben struck midnight, flying high and safely over London – 300 of them, creating such intricate displays to reflect the challenges we’ve faced in 2020 and to help welcome in 2021 from high in the sky.