Charlotte DroneFest

An annual full-service photo and video production documenting Charlotte DroneFest, a community event bringing together aviation professionals, public safety agencies, industry partners, and families to educate and inspire the next generation of drone pilots.

Client: Charlotte DroneFest
Location: Charlotte, NC
Date: May 2026
Industries: Events + Conferences, Nonprofit + Community

Field package

Services offered

The Assignment

Charlotte DroneFest brings together the Charlotte region’s drone and aviation community for a day centered on education, safety, technology, and hands-on experiences. Sponsored by CMPD, the Sullenberger Aviation Museum, and Dronescape, the event gives kids and families an opportunity to learn about drones, explore aviation careers, and even work toward earning their FAA TRUST certificate.

With participation from organizations including the FAA, CMPD, Federal Air Marshals, Charlotte Fire Department, Duke Energy, and other aviation and public safety partners, the goal each year is to document the scale and energy of the event while telling the larger story of the community behind it.

My assignment is to lead production of the annual recap, capturing the people, demonstrations, educational opportunities, and organizations that make DroneFest possible.

The Approach

I handle the project as a full-service production, leading filming and post-production while combining multiple types of coverage into a cohesive story.

Ground production includes event photography, interviews with organizers and participants, cinematic b-roll, detail shots, demonstrations, crowd interaction, and timelapses that capture the event as it unfolds. Aerial coverage adds another perspective through both conventional cinematic drones and FPV, allowing for sweeping views of the venue as well as immersive movement through the event itself.

The combination of interviews, observational footage, aerial cinematography, and event photography creates a complete visual record while giving each annual recap its own narrative rather than simply documenting what happened.

The Result

The finished recap videos provide DroneFest and its partners with an engaging way to showcase the event, recognize participating organizations, and communicate its impact beyond a single day.

Each year’s production highlights the collaboration between aviation professionals, public safety agencies, industry partners, volunteers, and families while reinforcing DroneFest’s larger mission of making drone education and aviation accessible to the Charlotte community.

By documenting the event annually, the project also creates a growing visual history of DroneFest and provides content that can support promotion, community outreach, partner recognition, and future events.

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