From Novelty to Necessity: The Evolution of Drone Video

By Luke Carothers 

When the Engineering Drone Video of the Year Competition (EDVY) launched in 2018, drones were still emerging as a new tool across the AEC industry.  Early winning videos focused on something simple but transformative.  Drones gave firms new ways to capture and understand projects, construction progress, and infrastructure from perspectives that were once difficult or impossible to achieve.  Over time, the competition evolved alongside the technology itself.  Winning entries moved beyond just shooting aerial footage into storytelling, public engagement, resilience, and brand communication.  By 2025, that evolution became official when EDVY became part of the Marketing Excellence Awards (MEA), reflecting how drone video has grown from a niche tool into a core part of AEC marketing and project storytelling. 

Proving the Possibilities: 2018-19 

The earliest EDVY winners captured a moment when drones were still proving their value to the AEC industry.  In 2018, Spiracle Media and Aerial Buzz won for their coverage of the Atherton Mill mixed-use redevelopment project, using aerial footage to document the transformation of a historic site while highlighting the scale and complexity of the work.  

A year later, Nelson Aerial Productions won with “The Big Boom,” which was a cinematic look at large-scale demolition and implosion work that showed how drones could capture infrastructure moments in ways traditional cameras could not. 

Together, the first two winners reflected the industry’s early fascination with aerial access and visual perspective.  The technology itself was still the story, but firms were already beginning to recognize its potential as both a documentation and communication tool. 

Drones Become Storytelling Tools: 2020-22 

By 2020, the competition began reflecting a broader shift in how drones were being used across the industry.  The Alabama Department of Transportation won with “A Year in Review” in 2020, highlighting how drone programs were becoming integrated into infrastructure operations, public communication, and transportation planning.  

The following year, filmmaker Reid Hu earned recognition for “After the Mudslide,” which paired technical precision with emotional storytelling to document the aftermath of environmental disruption. 

That evolution continued in 2022 when Casale won with their video documenting a nitric acid plant in Sweden.  This highly cinematic entry reflected the growing sophistication of drone-based storytelling in AEC.  

By this point, winning videos were no longer defined by aerial footage alone.  Editing, pacing, narrative structure, and atmosphere had become just as important as the drone work itself, signaling a major shift in how firms used video to communicate projects and ideas. 

From Documentation to Strategic Communication: 2023-25 

Recent winners demonstrate how drone video has become fully integrated into how AEC firms explain projects, build public understanding, and strengthen their brands.  In 2023, Moore Engineering won for their coverage of flood protection in the Great Plains by using drone footage to illustrate the scale and importance of resilience infrastructure across vulnerable communities.  

The following year, McLaren Engineering Group earned recognition for their video covering Promontory Point, which was a story driven by visuals but focused on preserving one of Chicago’s most recognizable shorelines. 

By 2025, the competition itself had evolved.  Gilbert Architects became the first drone video winner under the banner of the Marketing Excellence Awards, making the transition from a standalone competition into a broader marketing and communications category.  This shift reflected how drone video has matured with the industry, moving from a specialized creative tool into a core part of AEC storytelling, visualization, and brand strategy. 

Looking Ahead 

Over the past eight years, EDVY has documented more than great aerial footage.  It has captured the evolution of how the AEC industry communicates its work.   

Today, drone video is no longer a niche capability within AEC marketing.  It has become one of the industry’s most powerful tools for showing scale, explaining complexity, and helping audiences experience projects in entirely new ways.  As the competition continues under the MEA banner, the next generation of entries will continue pushing the boundaries of how firms tell their stories from above. 

Submissions for the 2026 MEA Drone Video category are now open! 

source https://zweiglist.com/from-novelty-to-necessity-the-evolution-of-drone-video/