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Gamma
Gamma
Projection Mapping + 1,000 Drone Performance
San Francisco Tech Week | San Francisco Ferry Building
Objective: During San Francisco Tech Week, Gamma set out to create a moment that reflected the energy of the event. The goal was to show how technology and creativity can come together in a real-world environment.
Instead of a traditional launch, the activation moved into the city. The plan was to transform the Ferry Building into part of the experience by combining a 1,000-drone show with large-scale projection mapping across the landmark.
The visuals projected onto the building were inspired by dreams submitted by the public and translated into AI-generated artwork. Those ideas became the foundation for the content displayed across the façade, synchronized with the drone formations above.
Challenge: The activation required two complex systems to work together in real time.
A 1,000-drone show is a technical operation on its own. Projection mapping across the Ferry Building introduces a separate set of challenges. The goal was to make both systems operate as one coordinated experience.
Drone formations constantly shift position, scale, and lighting in the sky. The projection content had to align with those movements while staying accurately mapped to the building’s architecture. The Ferry Building includes arches, columns, windows, and layered surfaces that required precise digital mapping so visuals would land exactly where intended.
For the activation to work, the projection content had to stay in sync with both the drone choreography and the pacing of the show.
Solution: National Experiential developed and executed the projection mapping system for the activation, handling the creative, animation, architectural mapping, and live projection
Working from Gamma’s AI-generated visuals, the team built custom content designed specifically for the Ferry Building. A detailed digital model of the structure ensured every architectural element was accounted for in the projection design.
The projection content was timed to align with the drone choreography overhead. As formations shifted across the sky, the visuals on the building were designed to respond in a way that felt connected to the aerial movement.
High-powered projection systems were deployed along the waterfront and calibrated to deliver consistent, precise coverage across the building while maintaining clarity across the historic façade.
Impact: As the activation began, the Ferry Building became a moving canvas while 1,000 drones formed shifting patterns above the waterfront. The visuals on the building and the formations in the sky worked together to create a single coordinated display.
The event attracted over 5,000 attendees, creating an energetic atmosphere that captured the attention of social and local news outlets. As word spread, it became known as the
first synchronized drone show in a public space in the US.
The activation showed how projection mapping and drone technology can work together at scale on a landmark. For Gamma, it brought AI-generated ideas into a physical environment. For National Experiential, it reinforced the ability to develop content, map complex architecture, and execute synchronized projection systems as part of a large-scale activation.
When projection content is designed for the architecture, it lives on, a landmark becomes more than a backdrop.
If you're planning a moment that demands that level of execution, let's talk.
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