Programming of the drone show needs more than 100 hours of work, the biggest challenge is the 3D format, says David Zaorálek
Brno – In 2021, a hundred drones took off for the first time during Ignis Brunensis. After its great success, another two shows became part of the festival in 2022 and the drones are set to return in 2023. The audience can look forward to a combination of modern drone technology, music and fireworks twice this year: on Saturday 10 June for A Dance of Two and on 17 June for Mysteries of the World. David Zaorálek, the head of Spectrum Production, explained the background to the drone performance.
This year's first drone performance on Saturday 10 June is dedicated to the dance of two nations, Czechs and Slovaks. Can you tell us what the Czech and Slovak audience in Brno can look forward to?
The content of the whole show is of course a surprise, but we can perhaps reveal a little. The theme of the dance of the two was conceived around the topic of the division of Czechoslovakia. The story of our two countries is told as a metaphor on the story of two people, a Czech and a Slovak. Just like this love story, the story of our countries is similar in many ways. Sometimes we are very close and sometimes we don't understand each other at all, so we dance together through Europe and through life. It is up to the audience how they will read the story. Will it feel like a romantic conversation between two people or would our countries speak the same language? We look forward to the dance in the sky giving our drone show (together with the music and voice-over) the dimension of a theatrical dialogue.
What is actually involved in preparing a drone show on the scale we can see it over the Brno Dam?
Overall, preparations have to start months in advance. The programming of one show alone takes over 100 hours, and we’re not counting the concept creation, editing, tuning and composing of the music, which are all inherent to the result. On top of that, it also takes a lot of time to process the many permits required to make the show as safe as possible. This year, another dimension has returned to the preparations in the form of a commentary that will complement the show. In the performance "Mysteries of the World" we added a great commentary voiced by Zdeněk Junák, and in the performance "Dance of Two" we have told everything through a dialogue of a Czech man and a Slovak woman.
And does the preparation of the show for IGNIS DRONE SHOW have any specifics compared to other projects that you do?
The biggest difference and the biggest challenge is the need to create a show in a 360° format. When creating a show, there is normally one designated viewing location and we adapt the show to that location. However, at the Brno dam, it is necessary to take into account that the audience is standing at different places from where they observe everything, so the patterns have to be adapted to this and from a 2D format to a 3D format so that every viewer from any place can have a great experience. Of course, the safety of our audience is a priority. Even during shows in cities, it is not allowed to fly over places where people are standing. Flying over water is our favourite type of show, because the shapes are mirrored in the water, and this gives the whole show an extra dimension.
Which destinations have you already visited this year with and what are you planning after Brno?
This year we have already performed drone shows on various occasions in Slovakia, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Albania, where we did one of the biggest shows in Europe. After Brno, we are looking forward to another couple of shows in Italy, Germany, Portugal and Algeria. We will be opening the Arab Sports Games, one of the biggest sporting events in Africa. We also have some shows lined up in the Middle East where we are also active.
And if we stay in Brno for a bit… How do you feel about the combination of a drone show and fireworks on the same night? Is it common in the world?
It is certainly an interesting combination, and one that is more common elsewhere in the world and can be encountered at large events. Both types of show can light up the sky and amaze the spectators. Fireworks are, of course, lavish and pompous, while a drone show, on the other hand, can tell a story with very specific symbols, often expressing absolutely precise patterns and thus perfectly telling a specific story. Music and its presence is inherently linked to both formats and helps to complete the atmosphere for both shows.
And one last question about your second show, Mysteries of the World, which people can visit in Brno, at the dam on Saturday 17 June. What do you think is the greatest mystery of the world?
Whats’ the biggest mystery of the world, that's a really good question. The greatest mystery probably differs for everyone. But what I can promise is that more than one mystery of the world will be solved on June 17th above the surface of the dam.
Dominika Lišková
The author graduated from FSS MU in Brno,
for more information from students of the faculty visit Stisk online