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The Brief
MDA family member, Janet Rodenhouse has six sisters and five of the sisters including Janet live with myofibrillar myopathy zaspopathy, a form of muscular dystrophy. Janet and her husband have participated in many MDA fundraisers. This year, they planned one of their own. Janet’s motivation behind raising awareness and funds to accelerate research is how they can make a difference for future generations, her five children and their future children. Earlier this year, at the Rodenhouse vineyard, Point of the Bluff, there was a weekend of events to celebrate the 4th of July.

Celestial was commissioned to create a drone show to assist with Janet’s goal of raising awareness and funds for Muscular Dystrophy Association. The show took place on Saturday, the 1st, and Sunday, the 2nd of July, as the finale to a fantastic lineup of acts at the Vineyards in New York State.

Following extraordinary performances by Leonid & Friends on the Saturday and classic rock legends America on the Sunday night, the visually stunning 400 drone display concluded events over breathtaking views of Keuka Lake.

The Show
While the inspiring drone light show was taking place, the narration of a captivating human triumph over adversity from the deeply affecting perspective of individuals living with muscular dystrophy was playing alongside the performance.

The soundtrack featured a moving poem written by Celestial creatives Marc J Francis and Robbie Sloan in collaboration with MDA Ambassadors. To fully understand and portray the experience people living with neuromuscular disease have, Celestial listened to stories of MDA Ambassadors Lily, Janet, Ira and MDA National Ambassador, Amy Shinneman. Celestial was able to create a powerful poem that encapsulates the daily challenges they face and the emotions they feel. An experiential cinematic musical score was created by Bethany Stenning.

Through a cosmic and ephemeral presentation of sacred geometric formations, the drones created both a mesmerising and uplifting experience. The drones’ intricate light formations took on a mystical quality and became vessels of inspiration, conveying a powerful message of resilience and hope.

The use of spoken word enhanced the emotional journey of the light show and created a multi-sensory symphony that left viewers moved to tears, and to donate to a worthy cause.

The Film
“Humble Courage” is an enchanting short film produced by Celestial that captures the
extraordinary performance of Lily, a determined 15-year-old girl living with muscular dystrophy. In a small town in upstate New York, Lily discovers her unique ability to summon the stars through the power of her radiant poetry. The film marries breathtaking cinematography with a captivating soundtrack by Benjamin Gordon to encapsulate Lily’s unwavering optimism in the face of adversity.
Director : Marc J Francis
Producer : Caroline True

“Humble Courage” transcends boundaries, reminding viewers that even in the darkest of nights, the spark of hope can ignite the most extraordinary of journeys.

We learn of Lily’s challenges, the strength that she shows to face adversity and the hope and gratitude that she feels toward the work to find a cure someday. The film creates a multi-sensory symphony that celebrates not just the challenges faced by people living with muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular diseases, but also the invincibility of the human spirit in us.

The success of this story was very much down to the fantastic collaboration between the teams at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Point of the Bluff Vineyards, and Celestial. We are eternally grateful to the contributors to both the show and the film, and we’re excited to witness drone shows continuing to play a bigger role in the 4th of July celebrations across the U.S.

Results
Celestial had two further objectives: raise funds and raise awareness. We are pleased to say the event raised $185k, $27K was generated online when video was shared. Additionally, over 15,000 attended the event with an additional 5,000 viewing our posts of the event across social media.

"With captivating imagery and poetry, Celestial created a show that was informative,
emotional and inspiring. The results were breathtaking, and the audience was dazzled!"
Amy Meyers
Vice President, Fundraising and Community Engagement
Muscular Dystrophy Association