Light touch: Cirque du Soleil draws on drones for new film

Canada – For many people, the word ‘drone’ conjures up black, insect-like mini-helicopters – functional and slightly menacing. Famed Québécois performance group Cirque du Soleil has taken the technology in an entirely new direction with an imaginative short film in which a performer dances with enchanted lampshades powered by quadcopter drones. 

SPARKED, released on 22 September, tells the story of an artisanal lamp-maker whose creations come to life and float around him in his workshop. Created with production company Verity Studios and Swiss technology research group ETH Zurich, the whimsical film shows the possibilities for the use of drones in entertainment. SPARKED shows that quadcopters, used primarily to recreate crane and tracking shots, are equally versatile as performers in front of the camera. 

In our forthcoming Autumn/Winter 2014 Trend Briefing, LS:N Global will examine how creatives are exploring the intersection of art and technology. To learn more, book a place at The Me-conomy on 15 October in London.