Storytelling From Above: David Carreno Shares What It Takes to Pilot Drones at EDM Shows

Published on Monday, 20 January 2025 17:10

In the heart-pounding world of electronic dance music, there's an unsung hero navigating the skies: the drone pilot.

This high-stakes art form is not just about flying—it's storytelling from above. They are tasked with the difficult job of not only blocking out the sensory overload below, but also enhancing it to transform each show into a multi-dimensional experience for fans.

At the controls, drone pilots like David Carreno navigate a world where every second counts. As the founder of Destination Reset Productions, he maneuvers his FPV (first-person view) drone through the chaos of flailing limbs, intricate lighting rigs and expensive stage equipment at EDM shows.

Every moment for Carreno requires split-second decisions and demands extremely sharp focus, as any hesitation could lead to a crash or a missed moment. It's akin to conducting an orchestra, where the drone is both instrument and maestro.

Patience is key—one wrong move and the night's magic could be grounded. Confidence, too, is non-negotiable. A scintilla of doubt could send the drone hurtling into a crowd of thousands.

David Carreno editing drone footage in front of Zedd at the DJ's "Zedd in The Park" event at Los Angeles State Historic Park on September 7th, 2024.

c/o Destination Reset Productions

Next up for Carreno is a March 21st gig at San Francisco's famed Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, where he'll capture FPV drone footage of Gareth Emery's "LSR/CITY: Cyberpunk" production, which the trance music icon called his "biggest tour yet." The eye-popping show blitzes audiences with 110 different polychromatic lasers, an immense challenge for Carreno since lasers tend to burn camera sensors, he tells EDM.com.

He'll then head to Colorado April 12th for an unforgettable flying experience at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where he'll be manning the controls for dubstep star Wooli's first-ever headlining show at the open-air venue.

We caught up with Carreno to peer through the looking glass of his drone transmitter and share his expertise for aspiring pilots. Read on to discover his tips and insights in his own words.

Be disciplined in your craft

A lot of things can go wrong and it can result in someone getting seriously injured. So be consistent on your equipment inspections, adhere to laws and regulations, and practice and prepare for all scenarios. Artists and festivals hire you not only for your creative work, but the assurance that everything will go right, every time.

Confidence and patience equals portfolio

From learning to fly to mastering aerial cinematography and photography, it takes time! You want to deliver fire content, and being confident in flying over 1,000 to 500,000 people plays a huge role, especially at night.

So appreciate the time on the simulator, know your equipment inside and out, and practice flying in all environments.

Invest in quality gear

You definitely don't want your drone falling from the sky due to cheap equipment. You also want to have a smooth and exciting flying experience.

What fun is there if you're always uncomfortable with a cheap neck strap or your drone doesn't respond? Invest in basic necessities, and premium gear can come later.

Be prepared to be an engineer

At some point you might be building your own drones and programming them with specialized softwares. In FPV context, you would fly sub-250g drones at festivals and concerts. And sometimes that means tweaking with soldering and wiring parts in order to comply with regulations.

Involve artists and management

Believe me when I say this: artists and their management actually like it when you involve them in your setup process and during flights. Being the drone person is cool, but having them see you decked out with gear is cooler to them.

I would have external monitors so they can see what I'm seeing, and so I can explain to them what each piece of equipment does. It leaves a great impression and makes you stand out.

Practice communication

Flying drones at festivals is your first job. Your second is communicating your every move to operations by headset.

Initially it's challenging to achieve total focus on drone operations while having to communicate with the crew, so it's worth practicing with a person. It will come in handy when you're out in the festival grounds.

Stay on top of drone innovations and creators

Both safety and camera/drone technology are always being updated with new products and software. You should always be improving the safety of your flight operations and learning techniques from other creators. Most of my equipment and flight style has just been watching other drone pilots.