On Friday May 15, health care workers in Nashville were given their own show of appreciation with a custom-designed drone exhibition that featured 140 of these unmanned aerial devices equipped with LED lights. The show was presented as drones took to the air from the safe confines of Vanderbilt Stadium, which obviously is not allowing people in the stands at the moment. Instead, doctors, nurses and other essential workers in the health care industry stood in a nearby parking structure that faced the open end of the stadium to enjoy the 10 minute spectacle.
The drones moved into wide configurations, often displaying animated light figures ranging from washing hands with drops of water to models depicting the six-foot social distancing length. Of course, messages of text were written out to the workers, who showed their appreciation with applause and quite a few “oohs” and “ahhs.”
The show was put on by local pyrotechnics and special effects company Strictly FX. This company has been one of the world’s leaders in all kinds of effects ranging from lasers to explosive devices to smoke effects, but it was only recently that they got into the drone side of the entertainment business — an obvious fit for a special effects company that offers one-stop shopping for almost any type of entertainment, film or special event.
PLSN spoke with partner Ted Maccabee about how this exhibit came to be. “Our team at Strictly FX is grateful for the amazing bravery of all the front-line workers. We really felt like doing something epic for the City of Nashville that has been hit by the Covid crisis. They are truly heroes, and this felt like just a tiny way that we could give back in appreciation to those putting their lives on the line to save others. We thought to ourselves, ‘When they see this, it’s a way to change the narrative and spread something positive.’ On another front, we thought this would be fun. We’ve got the city skyline as a backdrop; a perfect canvas.”
It was also a way for the company to make use of their drones. Strictly worked through Verge Aero, who manufactures their own proprietary drone system, to purchase 150 of these units for their inventory earlier this year. Like everyone else in the entertainment business, their work shut down literally overnight last March. The timing for getting their crew up to snuff on operations was right as Strictly FX, assisted by members of Verge Aero who came down to help guide the team, took one day to prep and ready themselves for the exhibition.
The idea for the show came from an exhibit that Verge Aero had done in Philadelphia a week earlier. Strictly FX was impressed with what they saw there, so they collaborated with them to produce a show in Nashville.
To get permission to hold the event, Strictly worked hand-in-hand with the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., who were the first to be approached to discuss the idea of a tribute. The area was carefully selected and the show was designed to ensure that the hospitals in the area were able to see it. Once Vanderbilt Stadium was chosen as the launch site, Vanderbilt’s team stepped in and they were extremely helpful in assisting everyone at Strictly FX.
The drone shows’ maximum height is 500 feet, which is high enough for the aerial devices to be viewed in many areas surrounding the campus, along with various other parts of the city. But while drone shows are exciting to watch in person, the event was deliberately designed to avoid drawing a big crowd of spectators, which would be at odds with its social distancing messaging. It was announced just a few hours prior to the tribute. Health care and frontline workers were informed, and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. also issued a press release and provided a live stream for people to safely watch from home.
The load-in process started the day before the event, around mid-day. They invited the FAA onsite to check out this new technology and make them aware of how the drones operate. After they were comfortable, the crew did a health check of the drones to ensure that all signal and data information was accurate. After that was verified, the pilot flew several low altitude practice flights. Prior to each practice flight, the team ensured that the local helipads at the hospitals were notified and cleared for them to take off. Late in the night, they did a full rehearsal as to not reveal the surprise.
There was limited time for the actual event, determined by the logical amount of time the workers could leave their posts and the fact that the drones can only fly lit for 15 minutes before requiring a fresh battery charge.
Strictly FX has such a vast and diverse clientele ranging from large scale concerts to stadium sized wrestling events that they are always expanding with new technology. The drones are another great effect they can now offer their clients. After close to a year of planning and R&D, Strictly FX was prepared to support a number of live events with drone effects this spring and summer. Those plans have changed, of course, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. So the company refocused its efforts on a display that would pay tribute to the frontline workers, and the May 15 event was the first live show where Strictly FX’s drones were deployed.
Speaking of the models and system, Strictly FX strategically partnered with Verge Aero because of their expertise. These drones are not your typical models. They literally fly in formation in a three-dimensional space. This requires many sensors to ensure precision and reliability. Before they even take off, they must be rock solid.
Sam Jackson is considered a “Remote Pilot” — he is licensed through the FAA to pilot the drones, and did so for this event. Tony Samaritano, a representative from Verge Aero, was on hand assisting with Strictly FX’s inaugural flight. In addition to the license, a waiver from the FAA is also required to fly these drones.
Some thought and advance work has to go into creating the animations and flight paths of the drones. That was a collaboration between the Verge Aero team and Grant Sellers from Strictly FX. The city of Nashville also had an opportunity to suggest graphics, which is where the custom music note logo and believe flag was introduced. These were all programmed in the Verge Design Studio.
We also spoke with Nils Thorjussen from Verge Aero about the drone company’s decision to work with Strictly FX. “They have the perfect mindset to deal with specialized gear like ours. They are used to dealing with equipment that is different from the normal, widely-used technology. As you know, with an actual drone show, you need approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Because of all the various permits they have to pull for other shows, Strictly already has the right people in place who are accustomed to dealing with these types of permits on a daily basis. And who deals with safety better than pilots and pyrotechnicians? We have never been more pleased, working with Ted and his team. Very happy to aid in this production and know that the drones will get a lot of use and are in good hands.”
For more information, visit www.strictlyfx.com.
