For the upcoming London Design Festival in September 2018 and within the frame of the Design Switzerland presentation at London designjunction , Verity Studios’ drone costume designers and choreographers worked together to create something never seen before.

Verity Studios is the world-leading provider of indoor drone show systems. A spin-off from ETH Zurich, the company delivers ground-breaking drone show systems that are purpose-built for the live entertainment and events industry and tour with Drake, Metallica and even Circus Knie. For visitors to the London Design Festival, the drone costume design and choreography teams collaborated closely together to create something completely new.

A blue wash of UV light sets the scene, before music reminiscent of underwater creatures prepares the audience for the arrival of the drones. Dressed as various underwater creatures, the costumes were  designed specifically for the London Design Festival. The process of designing the costumes is not only about making the final product look beautiful, but it also requires consideration of several technical factors. For example, because the Lucie micro drones cannot typically carry loads, the material of the costumes must be extremely light-weight. In addition, aerodynamics and the functioning of flight essential components need to be considered. But it takes more than just costumes to create the effect of an underwater scene; the movements, pace and dynamic of the choreography are integral parts of this effect and have to be tailored specifically to each costumed drone. The process is a close collaboration between the choreography and costume design teams. First, they develop a storyboard which serves as a reference point. Then, the drone choreographer looks closely at the costumes to understand the effect they could have on the fluidity of the movements, light conditions and the pace of the choreography. After the choreography has been developed, testing is important to ensure the choreography and costumes are just right. This is an iterative process where all elements are tested, adjusted and re-tested. Finally, a soundtrack for the choreography is created based on animations and videos of the costumes and movements. The result is a unique underwater story told by a combination of visuals, movements and music.

At Verity Studios, creativity is found in many areas: whether it’s finding innovative solutions to complex mathematical problems, designing drone costumes, or translating a creative vision into a new choreography. Visit Verity Studios at the London Design Festival in September to see its underwater scene come to life and experience the magic of an indoor drone show yourself.