ACTIVATIONS
It's a boooring day...HEY! what's that?!
We ain't that lucky...no!
They're giving it awa..NO!
giiiin?THEY ARE GIVING GIN!!!
Seeing the event before it's made has its advantages. Takes away fear, unblocks funds, gives status to the project. Big ideas deserve advanced previsualization. Today's generative AI allows us to portray our unfinished dreams with splendor. It's not perfect, yet. But it will become ubiquitous, sealed off only by
the commitment of realization.
The Toast of Three Cities
"The Toast of Three Cities" Beefeater Spec Mock Up Activation. The use of Gen Ai to previz events.
ACTIVATION PREVISUALIZATION
Events happen when somebody says something like: "This cool thing is going to happen here tomorrow." So questions arrive to be solved: What is there to be constructed? How many people are flowing through? Do we have permits? What size is all this? And of course, do ambassadors wear costumes?
For previz purposes, this means working out the structures to be built and the protagonists who inhabit those structures at a certain place and hour. Then bringing it all together beautifully and coherently.
The service I provide is multifaceted. I can help with the design of the event's theme as well as photorealistic illustration of the concept using AI. Generative video can create walkthroughs or simulate the experience itself. Seeing the event through others' eyes and how their lives are interrupted by your event.
THE PLACE
Proper referencing is key to anchoring the generative model in place. Ideally, photography of the place at the hour and season in which it will happen.
THE ELEMENTS
Each element in the equation must be sought independently. Then, before placing it into the space, it has to exist on its own. The negative space inside the sets is essential to allow several people to move and understand its flow capacity.
THE CHARACTERS
Characters should feel like normal people, never drawing too much attention to themselves since the event is the protagonist. Sometimes this rule should be broken for a special host or a spectacle-oriented activation.
THE INTEGRATION
All the elements have to be brought together in harmony to create the illusion of existing there. The best way to do it is through a 3D mockup to guide the camera parallax.
THE EXPERIENCE
Events can be "described" as something seen from above. Yet it is much richer to dare simulating what we're going to feel once inside. This is new territory that has become reachable with AI video models. It is deeply rewarding to portray that experience.
PROCESS FLOW
HOW I WORK EVENT DESIGN
I call you on Google Meet, share my screen, and quickly draw all what is needed to be produced.
We follow up either on Slack, Google Slides or by email.
You can call me at any time during the process.
WHAT CAN I DO IN A WEEK OF EVENT DESIGN
The first day will be for establishing all the elements needed for production and positioning them within the spaces they will inhabit. Depending on the element type, I would choose one technique or another to create its character sheet.
Simple, known objects require only sketches or precise reference photography before generation. This applies to standard characters, hosts, tents, stands, and branded personnel. Even if the host wears distinctive clothing, they remain straightforward to generate.
Objects that deviate significantly from reality require 3D basic shapes with color-coded groupings so the model can differentiate textures according to my specifications. Time required depends on the number of elements and their complexity. One or two specialized objects per day is a reasonable estimate. Examples include a bar shaped like a spirit cabinet, a butterfly mounted on a vehicle, a towering faceted chess knight, and so on. These are protagonistic elements that give character to the event.
For this example, assume I need to create three special objects, a couple of stands, some people, and a host. By day 4, all elements, the location, and references would be complete. I would then orchestrate a master prompt to integrate everything. Should the composition prove too complex, I would mock it up in Blender with simple shapes.
Within a week, you would have detailed photorealistic images of your event from different angles and with your chosen crowd density. The process can stop here if images alone serve your needs.
Another week develops hosts and people experiencing the activation as you envision it. Establish a camera path or create keyframes for interpolation. Testing, refinement, and video delivery.
Overall, two to three weeks is a reasonable timeline.
TIME CONTROL
AND TIME VALUE
IN EVENT DESIGN
Day rate varies according to a private agreement between your company and me.
Factors affecting that rate are: the speed of the exchange, the deadline, and your company's maturity. The quicker the exchange, the further ahead the deadline, and the newer your organization, the more economic compression the agreement can accommodate.
I give emerging companies an advantage as I know how hard it is to start.
Every hour spent can be justified. I log everything with the Clockify app.
If a particular day is shorter or longer, you will see it reflected in the bill.
I also work with budgets once I have estimated the scope of the work.
LEGAL AND IP PROTECTION
Event previsualization sits at the intersection of multiple rights: brand identity, location usage, talent representation, and design authorship. My process protects you across all of them.
Design ownership and confidentiality
The event design you commission is yours from conception. Every sketch, 3D mockup, and render I produce belongs to you, not to me. This is critical: unreleased activation designs are often confidential until launch. Keeping that design work hand-crafted and documented—rather than purely AI-generated—means you own it unambiguously, and no third party can claim rights to the concept.
Tool security for confidential concepts
If your activation design includes unreleased branding, product schematics, or proprietary event concepts, those never enter public AI systems. Video generation runs on Luma at the Enterprise tier, contractually prohibited from training on anything you submit. Image generation runs on Google Vertex AI, where service terms exclude customer prompts, files, and outputs from model training. Your material stays yours.
Talent and location clearance
If your activation includes recognizable people (hosts, ambassadors, cast) or identifiable locations, those rights must be cleared separately through your legal team. My mockups serve as planning tools to visualize those needs before you commit to production. The preview itself—my rendering of the concept—contains no legal liability for you, as long as the underlying location and talent rights are handled by your organization. We can also use "proxies" of place and people to go around the legal issues if permits and rights cannot be cleared in time for the previz.
Brand asset protection
If your activation features branded elements, logos, or product imagery, those remain owned by your brand. My role is to show how they integrate into the space. Confidentiality is built into my tool stack, so unreleased brand assets stay protected throughout the previz process.
Dossier and future production
Like cinema work, I deliver the full build: every sketch, 3D file, spatial reference, and generation step documented. This becomes your blueprint for actual production. If you ever need to regenerate or modify the previsualization with emerging tools, you have complete control and a clear record of authorship.
LEGACY ART
I have been creating painterly activation illustrations over the years. With 3D and AI, this art is disappearing because it is faster elsewhere. Nevertheless, for those who prefer painterly results, I still offer the service and deliver it with joy.
Gad Weil & Alexandra Castaing, Place Grand Public et Il était une voie... Activations Projects
We are Family London. Activation Projects