
Biden campaign celebrates victory with drone light show from Strictly FX and Verge Aero posted: 20/11/2020
Strictly FXs Verge Aero drone fleet performs in the sky above President-elect Bidens victory celebrations in Wilmington, Delaware.
When US President-elect Joe Biden delivered his long-awaited victory speech in his home town of Wilmington, Delaware on the evening of Saturday, November 7th, the exuberant celebrations culminated with a spectacular drone and pyrotechnic show from Strictly FX. The creative on this originated with executive producer Ricky Kirshner, of Kirshner Events, who has been the nexus of all the work we've done with the DNC, notes Ted Maccabee, CEO of Strictly FX.
In partnership with Verge Aero, the leader in advanced drone show technology, Strictly FX deployed a fleet of 200 state-of-the-art drones for the event. As those below celebrated, the GPS-guided drones lit up the sky with precision choreography, synchronized to a soundtrack which began with Coldplay's A Sky Full of Stars.
Strictly FXs Verge Aero drone fleet performs in the sky above President-elect Bidens victory celebrations in Wilmington, Delaware.
The large-scale aerial imagery, created and refined in line with the Biden campaign's vision, included red, white and blue stars, Biden's campaign logo, a map of the USA, 46' and Harris' - all with Strictly FX's stunning pyrotechnic accompaniment.
The team worked fast to organize not just the content of the show, but the permissions and logistics required to carry it out. Since this was a national security situation, the permissions that we had to get from various government entities were incredibly detailed; thankfully, we started on this process three weeks ahead of the election, and we were able to wade through all the authorizations in time to create this once in a lifetime event, notes Maccabee.
The crew from Verge Aero had challenges as well. Nils Thorjussen, CEO of Verge Aero, adds, Naturally, there was a vigorous vetting process to satisfy the authorities that the show could be flown safely. However, the flexibility and redundancy built into our system allowed us to meet every security request and scenario that was posed to us.
Strictly FXs Verge Aero drone fleet performs in the sky above President-elect Bidens victory celebrations in Wilmington, Delaware.
With the election's result delayed, the team was on standby from Tuesday until Saturday, ready to fly the show at a moment's notice. Thanks to the system's rapid deployment capability, this was not a problem. Our ten-person east coast special effects team didn't know if we were even going to be doing the event until we got the green light from a member of the Biden Camp on Saturday night, confides Maccabee.
Strictly FXs Verge Aero drone fleet performs in the sky above President-elect Bidens victory celebrations in Wilmington, Delaware.
To maintain secrecy and surprise, there was no rehearsal. The first time we flew the show there was on the night, says Thorjussen. This really speaks to the accuracy and robustness of our flight planning software. The client was amazed at the accuracy of our pre-show rendering.
The resulting show topped off a joyous occasion for those gathered below, including Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, their families and campaign teams, all of whom clearly enjoyed the spectacle playing out in the sky. We've done numerous presidential campaign events, and this one was especially memorable since we were able to add drones into the mix, thanks to our partnership with the very talented professionals at Verge Aero, concludes Maccabee.
About Strictly FX
Strictly FX specializes in world-class pyrotechnics, artfully programmed lasers, custom effects and more for live events. The firm was founded in 1996 by industry veterans Mark Grega and Ted Maccabee and developed a sterling reputation for pushing the creative boundaries and exceeding worldwide safety standards. The firm, originally based in Chicago, has now grown to include offices in Nashville-the new HQ-and Los Angeles. The firm is home to a roadworthy team of special effects technicians, in house artists, as well as a detail-oriented office staff that's knowledgeable about regulations faced by the industry around the globe.
Strictly FXs Verge Aero drone fleet performs in the sky above President-elect Bidens victory celebrations in Wilmington, Delaware.
About Verge Aero
Verge Aero empowers creative professionals by making it easy to incorporate sophisticated drone shows into entertainment events. A fully integrated hardware and software platform with sophisticated programming and previsualization tools allows designers to go from creative vision to reality in minutes. Verge Aero is fully approved by the FAA to fly drone shows in the US.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
14/07/2026
Victory+ telecasts to be simulcast on TEGNA-owned station, expanding free local distribution...
14/07/2026
Plug-ins for heavy music
Avalanche Tones is the brainchild of Ava Toton, a 17-year-old musician and developer who says her goal is to make the lives of gui...
14/07/2026
Launched alongside new Singer Showcase purchase model
IK Multimedia's innovative vocal-synthesis software has just gained its latest voice add-on, the R...
14/07/2026
Registration open until 1 September 2026
The MIDI Association have revealed that the registration deadline for this year's MIDI Innovation Awards has no...
14/07/2026
88-note model completes MK4 range
Novation have just introduced the final model in their flagship MIDI controller keyboard range, the Launchkey MK4 88. Roun...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
IBC2026 has unveiled a powerful Conference programme bringing together global media leaders, technology innovators, creators, sports organisations, broadcasters...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, has delivered two highly capable outsid...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/07/2026
Techtel Successfully Relocates AICD Broadcast Studio to New Sydney Headquarters
BroadcastBroadcast EquipmentLive StreamingBroadcast Studio2026
14 July Writ...
14/07/2026
Tuesday 14 July 2026
First look revealed for Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal ...
14/07/2026
When immersive audio dominates industry headlines, it's easy to assume that every broadcaster is preparing for an Atmos future. The reality is quite differ...
14/07/2026
Emma and Sophie from ICG's marketing team joined thousands of fellow marketers, brands and agencies at MAD//Fest London 2026, one of the UK's biggest ma...
14/07/2026
Why Trusted and Secure Media Operations Matter In this series, we explore the technologies, architectures and operational realities shaping modern media operati...
14/07/2026
Pilot Project Shows How Retailers Are Prepared for the Next Step in the Evolution of Digital Commerce
Arvato Systems Drives Agentic Commerce Forward
G terslo...
14/07/2026
As part of this commitment, weve joined the SME Climate Hub, publicly pledging to:
measure our greenhouse gas emissions
reduce them in line with a net zero p...
14/07/2026
Power is AI infrastructure's inescapable constraint. How many tokens an AI factory can generate within a fixed power budget determines its revenue and profi...
13/07/2026
The Braves opted to keep production in-house rather than hand it off to MLB...
13/07/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
13/07/2026
Eurovision Sport is making live athletics more accessible to fans than ever befo...
13/07/2026
The Milwaukee Bucks will return to full-season over-the-air television for the 2...
13/07/2026
SMPTE has announced an expanded education pathway for media technology professio...
13/07/2026
Vizrt has announced that its graphics technology was used by broadcast design agency Girraphic for Netflix's debut MVP MMA event, broadcast live from the In...
13/07/2026
ARRI has announced an agreement to sell its global rental activities in Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America to H2 Equity Partners through a management...
13/07/2026
DAZN has announced a partnership with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) to bring PBC fight nights to DAZN subscribers globally. The partnership begins Saturday, Ju...
13/07/2026
TikTok and WSC Sports have announced a strategic partnership that gives sports r...
13/07/2026
Two new Ross products -Brushback: Full Count and CapGo - are debuting at Citizens Bank Park All-Star festivities...
13/07/2026
MSG Networks' was given exclusive access during the Knicks' unforgettabl...
13/07/2026
LOS ANGELES, July 13, 2026 - Sundance Institute today announced the 10 producers selected to participate in its annual Producers Labs taking place July 13-18 fo...