Drone Video Shows Off The Beauty Of Los Angeles' Neon Apartment Signs

Here's a soaring look at Los Angeles' many neon rooftops. Filmmaker Drew Ganyer used a drone to film the neon signs that top many of Los Angeles' apartment buildings, including the signs found on the Gaylord, Los Altos Apartments and the Hollywood Tower. It's a very brief video, but a fun, eye-level look at the illuminating signage you've probably seen numerous times while cruising around Los Angeles at night.

Ganyer tells LAist that he was inspired to make the video when hanging out with a friend on the rooftop of the friend's apartment building, which is in view of The Embassy.

"It was right around the same time that I got my DJI Phantom 3 and filming that sign was one of my first flights," he said.

Soon, he began noticing how many of these signs L.A. had and discovered a website—Public Art in L.A.—where he could find more of them. He spent about a month using the drone to get footage of different signs.

"My goal was to shoot them all around dusk or dawn when there is still a little glow in the sky, but the challenge was that all the signs turn on and off at different times and a lot of the signs turn on after dark and turn off before dawn," he said.

The neighbor in question, Josh Humphrey, provided the electronic score for the video, which reminds us a little of the November 2019 Los Angeles found in Blade Runner.

We asked Ganyer which of Los Angeles' neon signs is his favorite and he chose the Wilshire Royale, located at 2619 Wilshire Blvd near MacArthur Park, which opens the video.

"I like that it has two different fonts and colors and it feels kind of '80s," he said.