Event services provider for brands · drones and pyrotechnics
Celesta, service provider of your brand’s visual identity.
Celesta designs and produces light drone shows and large fireworks displays for brands looking to make a lasting impression on their audiences: from product launches and corporate events to immersive campaigns – from crafting the aerial narrative right through to the final drone landing. A form of media that cannot be closed, skipped or watched just once.
- From 200 to over 2,000 drones
- Feasibility of the design tested prior to validation
- France, Europe, the Middle East, Asia
You bear the mark
You’re the face of the brand. We are writing his sky.
Celesta works with marketing departments, advertisers and their agencies who are looking for a spectacular format capable of delivering a message to thousands of spectators, both on-site and on social media. You decide what the brand wants to display in the sky; we decide what the laws of physics allow us to write there.
Marketing strategies
You are allocating a budget across several options. We provide you with a rough estimate and an understanding of the scheme’s actual scope at a very early stage, so that comparisons can be based on figures rather than on impressions.
Brands and advertisers
You’re presenting an identity to an audience who may or may not recognise it within two seconds. We test how legible your logo is against the sky before you reveal it to anyone.
Media and activation agencies
You are creating a plan in which every touchpoint has its own function. The sky plays the role of the defining moment: rare, unrepeatable, and meant to be captured on film as much as it is to be experienced. Details of how we work with brand and communications agencies, as well as MICE agencies, can be found on their respective pages.
All disciplines, a single point of contact
A comprehensive range of pyrotechnics and light drones.
The drone show can stand on its own or be combined with pyrotechnics, sound, light and video mapping to create the perfect show, tailored to convey the intended message. This is a rare feat in the premium events market, ensuring a clear alignment between creative intent and technical execution.
Light drones
From 200 to over 1,000 drones, scaled according to the location and the desired effect. Creation of the aerial narrative, from animated logos to sequences of figures.
Fireworks displays
From close-up fireworks on the façade to a grand display in front of several thousand spectators, right through to the pyromusical finale set to your soundtrack.
Video mapping
Projection onto a product, a façade or an entire monument. The building becomes the canvas for a brand’s message.
Sound and light show
Musical spatialisation and architectural contrasts, to set the scene before the climax.
Stage special effects
Cold sparks, flames, lasers, thick fog and confetti, both indoors and outdoors.
Aerial displays
Flyboards and aerial performers: when the brand wants a human body in the image, rather than just a silhouette.
LIGHT DRONE SHOW: what the sky can write
Four capacities, and four limitations that are worth being aware of.
The sky is not a screen. What appears in it is subject to physical constraints that most presentations fail to mention, and which you only realise too late. This is what we tell you right from the very first discussion. The technical details of this discipline are set out on the drone light show page.
What you get
The limit we set
The form
A symbol recognisable from hundreds of metres away, held aloft for several seconds. That is what the public photograph and share.
Each drone is a point of light, not a pixel. The finest details are lost at altitude: we strip your symbol back to its essence – the one that can be seen from afar and that the public can relate to.
Colour
A distinctive brand colour applied across the entire design, clearly visible against a black background and consistent with your other marketing materials.
A light source does not behave like ink. Dark colours and shades close to black do not exist in the sky: we show you the expected result before you confirm.
The movement
A figure that transforms into another right before the audience’s eyes. That is when the medium becomes a narrative rather than a poster.
A transition takes up flight time, and flight time is limited. Increasing the number of manoeuvres shortens each one: we’ll work with you to decide which ones need to stay on screen long enough to be photographed.
The ladder
A visible presence extending well beyond the event’s boundaries, making no noise and with no fallout, even in places where a fire would be impossible.
The size of the pattern created by the light drones for your brand depends on the number of drones and the permitted flying height at the venue. Your Celesta pyrotechnician and drone operator will check these parameters before providing a quote, as they determine both the budget and the impact of the drone light show.
Pyrotechnic shows and drone light shows for brands: what we take care of
Four key points for support who does not have to sit a resit.
When it comes to celestial events, there is no ‘undo’ button. Unlike traditional digital media, a light drone show demands absolute precision first time round. By keeping all four of these key stages in-house, we eliminate any weak links and guarantee the flawless execution of your marketing campaign. Come evening, your brand takes no risks: it shines.
From 200 to over 2,000 drones
Each fleet is tailored to the venue, the size of the fleet and the desired effect. The drone pilots who fly the fleet are our own and are listed in the file: for a flight over an audience, this responsibility cannot be delegated.
Aviation compliance
We will submit and withdraw the application, and we will let you know as soon as the site has been assessed whether the height required for your stunt is permitted there.
Timecode synchronisation
Drones, lights, illumination and visuals are synchronised to the millisecond and interact seamlessly. The choreography is simulated and then rehearsed under real-world conditions: when evening falls, nothing is being experienced for the first time.
A single point of contact
The same person oversees your branding, your campaign schedule and your film crew, from the first test shoot right through to the handover of the footage.
The shared timeline
A method of creation and production proven.
In the world of MICE, a spectacular concept is of no use unless it is perfectly aligned with your strategic objectives and practical constraints. At Celesta, we transform event creation into a highly targeted marketing tool through an exclusive methodology centred on the brand
You
We
01
You set the objective
What the project is intended to achieve, for whom, and the proposed location. The location is just as important as the message: it determines the height and therefore the size of the figure.
01
Creative brief and description of the sky
Airspace, proximity to an aerodrome, permitted height, clearance from the ground. You’ll know very quickly whether the location will allow you to achieve the effect you have in mind.
02
You entrust us with the symbol
The logo, the tagline and any other elements to be included must be included in your source files. This must be done before any internal presentation, not afterwards.
02
Artistic proposal and readability test
We simulate the layout based on the number of units envisaged and show you what it will actually look like. If any simplifications are needed, you’ll know this before you commit.
03
You lock in the date
This is the milestone that sets everything else in motion. If the date changes after the application has been submitted, the administrative clock is reset to zero.
03
Design and compliance
Airspace dossier, risk analysis and coordination with the site. You will receive copies of the acknowledgements for your campaign monitoring.
04
You are organising the filming
With this medium, filming isn’t an option: without footage, there’s nothing left the next day. Please let us know who’s filming and for which format.
04
Production and rehearsals
Rehearsals under real-world conditions, finalising camera angles with your director and confirming the cue for the start with your production control team.
05
You are broadcasting
Social media, the press, retail outlets, the next public appearance. The sky did its job once; the images keep doing it for months on end.
05
Coordination on the day and feedback
Deployment by certified teams and production control. We then provide you with the data we have collected, in accordance with the terms set out in the quote, along with a report detailing what actually happened during the flight – including any deviations – for your future campaigns.
The two clocks
The sky is holding back more than just an advertising space.
This is the most common surprise for a marketing department accustomed to the lead times involved in media buying. In this case, the starting point is not the availability of a medium, but the administration’s processing of an application.
45 days
For administrative authorisations
This is the minimum requirement before a drone light flight, and this counter resets if the date changes. For a campaign, therefore, the date of the operation must be finalised first, even before the budget.
2 to 6 months
Development and testing
The time it takes us to write the show, secure the venue and finalise the administrative paperwork. If the production includes a fireworks display, you’ll need to allow an extra month for the pyrotechnic permits.
45 j
Airspace
The only milestone that cannot be made up for
10 000 €
Starting point
For a drone light show
0
Noise and fallout
Which opens up areas off-limits to fire
+20
Countries of operation
To roll out an operation internationally
A media file that cannot be replayed
No test, no return, no second wave.
This is what really sets it apart from all the other channels in your plan. You won’t be able to adjust an advert whilst it’s running, nor can you relaunch it the next day. Here’s how we get round this limitation, and what we expect from you in return.
The risk that this creates
How we cover it
The design cannot be tested
You approve a design in a computer-generated image, and then see it in real life in front of your audience and guests.
A rehearsal under real-life conditions
The choreography is rehearsed, then ‘stolen’ before the evening’s performance. What you will see that evening will already have happened at least once before.
The weather is a gamble
Wind can prevent a flight, and your campaign has already been launched. That’s the scenario nobody likes to bring up at a launch meeting.
Early warning and options
We monitor conditions upstream and will notify you in writing as soon as any serious concerns arise, setting out what is still feasible and the course of action we recommend.
Without images, there is nothing left
The video is twelve minutes long. If nobody has filmed it properly, the investment comes to an end at the end of the evening.
The filming is carried out in the system
We highlight the angles from which the image should be viewed and the exact moment of the key action, so that your team doesn’t miss it.
What the sky has already borne
Three recent projects, and what has been invested in it.
Each entry details the location, the sequence and the resources actually deployed. The drones fly either on their own or in conjunction with pyrotechnics, depending on the requirements of the scene.
Luminous drone showsMarly-le-Roi Town Festival: A Drone Show and Fireworks DisplayA town celebration in the heart of a royal park The Fête de Marly returns every June to the grounds of the Domaine royal de M…View the project
Luminous drone showsPyrotechnic display featuring drones in BuchyA demonstration to showcase the new hybrid formats In Buchy, Celesta organised a technical demonstration combining a pyrotech…View the project
Pyrotechnics40th Anniversary Fireworks for the Cévennes Steam Train: A Celesta ProductionThe context: a heritage railway line turns 40 Since 1986, the Train à Vapeur des Cévennes has linked Anduze to Saint-Jean-du-…View the project
Let’s create special moments that remain for your brand.
International launches, conferences, corporate evenings, formal events or incentive trips: let’s make your next MICE programme a highlight that lives up to its ambitions. All we need for an initial response is the venue, the proposed date and the source file for your logo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What marketing departments ask us first.
Can our logo really be drawn in the sky?
Often, but not always exactly as it is. Each device is a point of light rather than a pixel: fine lines, tight contours and delicate typefaces are lost at the distance from which the audience is viewing them. We simulate your logo using the planned number of devices and show you the expected result before any internal presentation.
How many drones are needed for a brand event?
From a few hundred to over 1,000 aircraft, depending on the scale of the operation and the desired effect. The number determines two things: the size of the formation and its level of detail. Each fleet is tailored to the specific requirements, based on the location, the aircraft type and the authorised altitude.
Can we match our brand colours exactly?
A light source does not behave like printed ink. Light, saturated colours come across very well, whilst dark tones and shades close to black do not exist in a night sky. We’ll tell you right from the start what your colour palette will look like, and we’ll work with you to find the most accurate equivalent.
Can drones, pyrotechnics and special effects be combined?
Yes, and it’s quite common. Celesta orchestrates drones, pyrotechnics, sound, lighting and video mapping directly, without any intermediaries, into a coherent narrative synchronised to the timecode. If the production includes a fireworks display, you’ll need to allow an extra month for the pyrotechnics to be authorised.
Is the show designed to generate content for social media?
Yes, and this isn’t just a matter of convenience. The flight lasts a few minutes and cannot be replayed: without usable footage, the investment comes to an end at the end of the evening. We’ll point out the angles from which the move is most clearly visible and the exact moment of the key movement, so that your film crew doesn’t miss it.
How much time should be allowed for in a campaign plan?
At least forty-five days before the flight for the airspace application, and this countdown starts again if the date changes. You should also allow two to six months to write the show, secure the venue and finalise the administrative paperwork. For a simpler indoor production involving stage flames or cold sparks, shorter lead times may be possible.
What happens if the wind prevents the flight?
We monitor the conditions in advance and will notify you in writing as soon as any serious concerns arise, setting out the options still available and the course of action we recommend. The final decision rests with you, as it concerns your campaign; the technical decision not to fly is ours, and we take full responsibility for it.
Is this event suitable for a product launch or a conference?
Yes: whether it’s product launches, conferences, corporate evenings, incentive events or formal functions, the set-up is tailored to the programme’s objective. For a product unveiling in particular, the product launch page details the scenography of the reveal; all professional formats are listed on the corporate events page.
What authorisations and security safeguards are in place?
Each flight is subject to an airspace file and a risk assessment in accordance with French regulations, with registered drone pilots. As regards pyrotechnics, our pyrotechnicians hold the required certificate for category F4 and theatre effects, and the products are dispatched from our ICPE-licensed storage facility.
How much does a drone light show cost?
A drone light show starts at 10,000 euros. The cost varies mainly depending on the number of light drones used and the duration of the flight, as well as the airspace restrictions at the venue. The complexity of the manoeuvres also plays a part, as transitions take up flight time.