BBC Creative brings Titanic back to life
The production marked the launch of the BBC’s Made Of Here campaign in Northern Ireland, celebrating the places that shape the BBC’s most powerful stories.
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BBC Creative, the BBC’s in-house creative agency has brought RMS Titanic back to life in Belfast Harbour through an impressive full-scale recreation of the historic ship made from nearly 1,000 drones, making it the largest drone show ever staged in the UK.
The production marked the launch of the BBC’s Made Of Here campaign in Northern Ireland, celebrating the places that shape the BBC’s most powerful stories.
Conceived and delivered by the BBC Northern Ireland Creative team, supported by BBC Creative, the 270 metre long, 55 metre high “ghost vessel” appeared in the exact spot where Titanic departed in 1912. The team’s ambition was to return the ship to the water at true scale, inside a live commercial harbour and beneath controlled airport airspace, a skilful operation carried out with strict confidentiality, revealing the silhouette only at the moment of ignition.
Credits
View on- Agency BBC Creative/London
- Production Company Celestial
- Director John Partridge
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Credits
View on- Agency BBC Creative/London
- Production Company Celestial
- Director John Partridge
- Creative Lead Tom Hughes
- Head of Creative Paul Brolly
- Head of Production James Wood
- Executive Creative Director Dave Monk
- Creative Director Jamie Kennaway
- Senior Creative Emily Tolley
- Producer Bertie Leigh
- Producer Laura Jenkins
- Managing Director Justin Bairamian
- DP Mark Cheah
- Editing Sion Thomas
- Sound Designer/Audio Mixer Rashid Ariori
Explore full credits, grab hi-res stills and more on shots Vault
Credits
powered by- Agency BBC Creative/London
- Production Company Celestial
- Director John Partridge
- Creative Lead Tom Hughes
- Head of Creative Paul Brolly
- Head of Production James Wood
- Executive Creative Director Dave Monk
- Creative Director Jamie Kennaway
- Senior Creative Emily Tolley
- Producer Bertie Leigh
- Producer Laura Jenkins
- Managing Director Justin Bairamian
- DP Mark Cheah
- Editing Sion Thomas
- Sound Designer/Audio Mixer Rashid Ariori
Working with Celestial, the team used original ship plans and photographic references to build a historically faithful silhouette that balanced technical precision with emotional sensitivity. The film was captured in near darkness, soundtracked by a bespoke recording of Nearer My God To Thee by Múlú. It quickly generated millions of views and global coverage.
Paul Brolly, Head of Creative said: “This idea pushed innovation beyond mere spectacle and towards emotional authenticity. By pairing new technology with a story people already carry with them, we created a uniquely powerful and poignant moment that felt real and human. Emotional resonance was the ambition, because that is what turns a striking idea into something people genuinely remember, share and fall in love with.”
