Fatboy Slim: Live Aerial Visuals at On The Beach Brighton
Live aerial visuals streamed straight to the screens behind Fatboy Slim, across four nights at On The Beach Brighton.
Pre-Production
Preparation began with a site recce to get familiar with the space, agree the flight plan, and secure permissions, followed by our method statements and risk assessments, crew selection, and scheduling. Because the beach sat beneath a flight path the nearby hospital's helicopter regularly uses, we coordinated with them directly ahead of each day's flying. On site, we established a marquee as our operating base and a cordoned take-off and landing zone for the aircraft.
Production
Each day opened with test flights to dial in every shot before the crowds arrived. We'd planned to fly the Inspire 3 with a camera operator and safety observer; in practice the Air 3S carried most of the work, letting us move in tight to the crowd more safely. With the risk assessment live throughout and the HDMI feeds guarded as closely as the airspace, every angle kept front-of-house and backstage out of frame, with our focus honed in on rapturous crowd reactions and sweeping passes over the city and sea. Nothing else like it!
Post-Production
The aerial content ran live across all four nights as part of the show itself, then was recut afterwards into edits for social.
A fair few moments from this one will stay with us for a long time. One of our very first shots had us rising up from behind the stage and turning to face the crowds, with Brighton Pier and the sun setting over the city behind them. The energy was immense.
There were quieter moments, too: the drone climbing up and up to show the incredible number of people who had come, then easing back down as Fatboy Slim's drop built, the screens full of faces the whole way.
Each day, we noticed more and more jet skis, boats, paddleboards, and yachts drifting in to watch from the water, and by the final night we were weaving around them, streaming ocean vistas back to the stage. What a vibe.
And then there was Norm himself. Meeting Fatboy Slim, a long-time fave of ours, was a proper highlight: he signed some official artwork for us, took the time for a photo, and happily wore our Inspire 3 as a hat! Maybe we're not the only drone heads. A cracking crew on comms, a BBQ on the beach, and a truly unforgettable atmosphere.
Equipment Used
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