Sky Elements' 1,001-drone holiday light show in North Richland Hills in December 2022. [Photo: Sky Elements Twitter]
Fort Worth-based drone show company Sky Elements broke a Texas record Sunday night—and spread a little holiday cheer as well.
To attract attention for the North Richland Hills toy drive benefitting the Community Enrichment Center, Sky Elements presented a “1,001 Drones Holiday Show” over the Birdville ISD Fine Arts/Athletic Complex. The event was free to attend, with viewers encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the drive.
The 1,001-drone light show broke the previous Texas record of a 1,000-drone show presented by Intel, according to WFAA.
Sky Elements was founded two years ago as a spinoff from a pyrotechnic company, WFAA added, as the drone light show phenomenon was taking off—literally—around the world.
The photo below is of a Sky Elements holiday light show over downtown Dallas.
Sky Elements holiday drone light show over downtown Dallas. [Video still: Sky Elements]
The sky is the limit
Drone light shows and aerial performances have transformed the entertainment industry across the world. The Sky Elements team travels around the country to produce event spectaculars for communities, sports teams, businesses artists, brands, and more. From citywide experiences to product launches or brand awareness platforms, the company aims to “super size your visibility.”
Sky Elements is a storytelling company at its core, Rick Boss says in a company video. Boss leads Sky Elements and spearheads the team’s product management and sales.
Sky Elements has worked with clients from locals such as FC Dallas to Amazon’s Prime Video to Paramount+.
“The team uses tech to tell stories in a way it’s never been done,” said Sky Elements tech lead Tyler Johnson said. As a drone technology engineer and automation expert, Johnson handles the tech and logistical elements required to perform shows around the country.
Drone shows are only limited by your imagination: Johnson sees design, logos, QR codes, and more. Scale is difficult to convey, and the sky is an opportunity to supersize your visibility, says Johnson, who is a FAA107 licensed UAV pilot.
The most common thing the team hears after a show, according to Johnson, is, “Wow. I didn’t expect it to be so large.”
Rick Boss, Tyler Johnson, Preston Ward, and Brian Geck. [Photo: Sky Elements]
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