Interactive FrankInteractive Frank

An interactive audio montageAn interactive audio montage

Joe FrankJoe Frank ““Critically acclaimed Critically acclaimed

broadcaster and performance broadcaster and performance artist …”artist …”

“ “a master of the dark, humorous a master of the dark, humorous and absurd”and absurd”

Shows aired on WFMU and NPRShows aired on WFMU and NPR Series of fictitious narrative Series of fictitious narrative

monologues, dramas, "real life" monologues, dramas, "real life" phone conversations, and often phone conversations, and often all of the aboveall of the above

My inspiration for My inspiration for author model author model

Charles MarksCharles Marks

Old grumpy artistOld grumpy artist Ex-girlfriend’s grandfatherEx-girlfriend’s grandfather Loved to talk about his pastLoved to talk about his past Could spout off loosely Could spout off loosely

related anecdotes for hours related anecdotes for hours on end, with minimal inputon end, with minimal input

Perfect model for Perfect model for interactivizing Joe Frankinteractivizing Joe Frank

Make it Interactive?Make it Interactive?

What if the user could guide an Joe What if the user could guide an Joe Frank-esque audio montage in the Frank-esque audio montage in the same way that I could “guide” my same way that I could “guide” my conversations with Mr. Marks?conversations with Mr. Marks?

JobsJobs Author – take input from the user and try Author – take input from the user and try

to make sense of itto make sense of it Actors – communicate with the author Actors – communicate with the author

and try to say something relevant to the and try to say something relevant to the inputinput Lenny –WikipediaLenny –Wikipedia Oswald - LiveJournalOswald - LiveJournal

DJ (and daemon) – communicate with DJ (and daemon) – communicate with author and try to play a song from your author and try to play a song from your hard drive that matches the overall hard drive that matches the overall theme of the inputtheme of the input

Technical DetailsTechnical Details

Google APIGoogle API FreeTTS (text-to-speech)FreeTTS (text-to-speech)

Not so good, but you can set pitch, WPM, style, Not so good, but you can set pitch, WPM, style, and its freeand its free

MP3s on your hard driveMP3s on your hard drive ID3 Tags (blinkenlights) w/help from ID3 Tags (blinkenlights) w/help from

allmusic.comallmusic.com dict.org (especially Moby Thesaurus)dict.org (especially Moby Thesaurus) WikipediaWikipedia LiveJournal RSSLiveJournal RSS

The InterfaceThe Interface

Accepts input from userAccepts input from user Currently works only with single adjectivesCurrently works only with single adjectives Eventually, I would like it to accept Eventually, I would like it to accept

sentences, and do some sort of simple sentences, and do some sort of simple analysis of what words are “important”analysis of what words are “important”

eg: surreal, uplifting, horrible, sublime, etc.eg: surreal, uplifting, horrible, sublime, etc.

Meanwhile…Meanwhile… When you start up the When you start up the

program, the DJ begins program, the DJ begins searching your hard drive.searching your hard drive.

When it encounters an When it encounters an MP3, it checks the ID3 MP3, it checks the ID3 tagstags

DJ keeps track of Artists DJ keeps track of Artists with lists of “moods”, and with lists of “moods”, and songs by that artistsongs by that artist

Moods are expanded using Moods are expanded using thesaurusthesaurus

ThemesThemes

When you enter a word, a “theme” is When you enter a word, a “theme” is constructed.constructed.

The Theme consults dict.org and retrieves The Theme consults dict.org and retrieves synonymssynonyms

When there is more than one valid theme, When there is more than one valid theme, the Author goes to workthe Author goes to work

The themes are the primary narrative guideThe themes are the primary narrative guide

The AuthorThe Author The Author analyzes the Themes created by the The Author analyzes the Themes created by the

useruser Whenever there is an intersection between two Whenever there is an intersection between two

themes, we have encountered something themes, we have encountered something important (a focus)important (a focus)

These foci are what is handed to the DJ and the These foci are what is handed to the DJ and the Actors as “inspiration”Actors as “inspiration”

The ActorsThe Actors

When the themes have been When the themes have been analyzed, the results are fed to the analyzed, the results are fed to the ActorsActors

The Actors then take turns reading a The Actors then take turns reading a lineline

The have different sources and The have different sources and different ways of gathering materialdifferent ways of gathering material

LennyLenny

Lenny here loves to Lenny here loves to drop sciencedrop science

His body of knowledge His body of knowledge comes from the comes from the WikiPediaWikiPedia

He finds an article that He finds an article that has something to do has something to do with the foci and reads with the foci and reads a sentence from ita sentence from it

OswaldOswald

Oswald is into Oswald is into dramadrama

He reads from He reads from LiveJournalLiveJournal

ModularityModularity Authors can be addedAuthors can be added I had to get rid of Fitz I had to get rid of Fitz

(my original (my original character) –he character) –he couldn’t get his act couldn’t get his act togethertogether

Eventually, the Eventually, the authors will have authors will have values that will values that will determine when they determine when they will say a line.will say a line.

The DJThe DJ The DJ is also taking cues The DJ is also taking cues

from the Authorfrom the Author He is going through his He is going through his

list of Artists, comparing list of Artists, comparing the “moods” against the the “moods” against the foci that the Author has foci that the Author has determineddetermined

Once he has found the Once he has found the artist that best matches artist that best matches the themes, he begins to the themes, he begins to play a song.play a song.

The process starts over The process starts over when the song has endedwhen the song has ended

Is it Narrative?Is it Narrative?

NoNo The result is a disjointed series of The result is a disjointed series of

sentences, not nearly as cohesive as I sentences, not nearly as cohesive as I want it to bewant it to be

What could make it narrative?What could make it narrative? Themes should be influenced by previous Themes should be influenced by previous

inputinput Use n-gramsUse n-grams GoogleAPI should allow more than 1000 GoogleAPI should allow more than 1000

queries a dayqueries a day

Then what’s the point?Then what’s the point?

I thought that the DJ was remarkable I thought that the DJ was remarkable effective.effective.

Each song he chose was very accurateEach song he chose was very accurate The dialogue was often very entertainingThe dialogue was often very entertaining I could often fill in the blanks of the I could often fill in the blanks of the

dialogue and come up with a cohesive dialogue and come up with a cohesive narrative of my ownnarrative of my own

With more work, it could definitely get With more work, it could definitely get betterbetter