Edinburgh rings the changes with giant drone swarm used for Hogmanay film
The UK'S biggest ever swarm of dr ones has been used to help make special effects for a short film which will replace Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party.
Around 150 dr ones were launched in the Highlands to create specially choreographed sequences for the film, which will be broadcast online over three nights in the run-up to the Bells.
The effects created by the dr ones, which were only used in the Highlands due to the heightened restrictions in Edinburgh, will be superimposed onto other scenes filmed at the For th Bridges and across the city’s Old Town.
Each instalment of the three-part film, which was made by a 40 -strong team of artists, designers and technicians, will be broadcast on the official Hogmanay web - site from 7pm on 29, 30 and 31 December.
Actors David Tennant, Lorne Mac fad yen and Siobhan Redmond will be among those narrating lines from a specially commissioned poem by Scots Makar Jackie Kay.
The film, which was partly shot in the Spean Bridge area, is said to feature Scotland' s first ever large-scale dr one show.
It was commissioned by Hogmanay organisers Underbelly, which has a contract worth up to £800,000 with Edinburgh City Council to stage the city’s celebrations, after the street party and all other public events were called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Under belly said the film, which will feature a soundtrack by Skye electronic a band Ni te works, would bring to life Fare Well, Kay’s poem, which will “reflect on world events this year, before looking to the turn of the year and our hopes for 2021”.
Kay said: “It’s such a pleasure to be kicking off Hogmanay with this.
"It will be so different this new year for everyone–we have to take the company and the solace where we can.”
A spokeswoman for Edinburgh’ s Hog ma nay, which has also secured Scottish Government funding for the project, said: “Taking inspiration from Scotland’s land and air, the new work will take viewers on a breathtaking visual journey with the help of 150 individual dr ones, creating Scotland’ s first ever large-scale drone show and the largest drone show ever seen in the UK.
"Featuring stunning Scottish scenery, the story starts in the Highlands (near Spean Bridge) before moving to the iconic Forth Bridges with the finale in the home of Hogmanay – Edinburgh.
"From majestic snowcapped mountains to the historic Old Town of Edinburgh, this is a beautiful ode to Scotland not to be missed.”
Donald Wilson, culture convener at the city council, said: “We’re very proud of our status as the home of Hogmanay and I’ve no doubt this will endure for many years to come.
“We've had to adapt our plans for this year, but I believe we've found a fitting way to celebrate the endof a highly unusual and challenging year.”
Underbelly directors Charlie Wood and Ed Bart lam said :“With 2020 being the year it has been, we want to ring out the old year and hurry in the new year, with a message of hope at a world-class event. Hope will be the universal message of the turn of the year and ours will be no exception.”