bully! entertainment

Ecosystem powered by: AI
Capability: Visual development | Branded storytelling

TLDR

When generative AI meets live performance

For Lumen’s Analyst Day 2025, bully! entertainment reimagined the traditional executive keynote as something far more unexpected: a live, on-stage moment with Elle, an AI-powered virtual co-host. The goal was simple but ambitious — transform AI from a slideware concept into a living demonstration of creative collaboration. To do that, bully! built Elle, a Veo-powered branded character who appeared alongside CMO Ryan Asdourian, sharing the stage in real time and turning abstraction into performance.

Developed through an intensive cycle of human-guided iteration and refinement, Elle was precisely timed and choreographed to engage the audience in the room. The result was a memorable stretch of live interaction that gave emerging technology presence and personality — proving that generative AI, when shaped by human craft, can become a powerful storytelling partner.

Where AI Meets Human Craft

The project used AI generative video tools in an iterative pipeline to generate and refine movement, timing, wardrobe, and vocal delivery. Dozens of AI-driven iterations accelerated what would traditionally take weeks of animation, enabling rapid experimentation guided by human direction. Each pass was crafted to maximize stage presence and readability at massive LED keynote scale.

On stage live, Elle operated within a show-control system (VJ) synchronized to stage choreography, functioning as a responsive performance layer rather than pre-rendered media. The result demonstrated AI not as a gimmick, but as augmentation for storytelling and live communication.