written by ORIGIN STØRIES (ØS) Founder, Sean Bradford
Taking Chances
This past week, we spent 72 hours showcasing how we plan to use generative AI to build custom generation tools, co-creation experiences, and real-world value across the entertainment industry. It was a big week for ORIGIN STØRIES, which included three real-world examples of how creative and tech can have a positive impact and also unlock new ways of thinking. Here's the recap of our first three milestones ⚡ ️
Milestone One: Unlocking Possibility
We were invited by Amazon Web Services to present a demo during their event at the Venture Café in Rotterdam. In this educational setting, we also wanted to showcase how audiences could be engaged in new ways.
Everything started with a QR code. We created an AI-generated QR code with a prompt referencing a futuristic version of the Library of Alexandria. When attendees arrived for the event, they were asked to scan the code which took them to a simple typeform with two questions: 1) What was your childhood car/vehicle (color, type)? and 2) What is a memory in this car?
Over 20 people responded within the first 30 minutes of the event. Then the workshops and panels began, ranging on topics such as social impact with cloud technology, and how to build low-code applications using the AWS tech stack.
Right before the networking session began, I took the stage to give a short demo about how co-creation can be used to enhance storytelling and create engaging experiences. While people had been in the previous workshops, I was entering their answers into a pre-structured prompt that was related to a new song I'm working on called "Home." There was a large range of answers, all different, and after generating AI images, I turned them into a video and then edited together a loop to display during our acoustic performance.
Education and Workshops are something we are passionate about at ORIGIN STØRIES, for both technical and non-technical audiences. We will continue to give demos, especially in the educational and public sectors, to help people gather new ideas.
Milestone Two: The First Audience Response
We chose Helsinki as our test city for a few reasons. The Finnish capital is constantly ranked as one of the world's most innovative cities. Finnish people are open, warm, and up to trying new things. And Slush HQ, one of the world's largest startup events, happens there every year. We scouted a beautiful white-walled gallery, Forum Box, next to the Helsinki harbour and spent some months reaching out to find some of the best untapped talent in the city. Many people might not know all that goes into putting together an event, especially with live music, but here is a shortlist.
Non-Exhaustive Must-Do List for Putting on a Live Music Event:
Set Budget
Set Timeline
Find and Secure Venue
A&R music talent
Secure music talent
Secure sound and other a/v components
Handle licensing with the local PRO
Secure videographer/photographer
Plan and execute a social campaign
Promote event and manage guest list
Strike and return all equipment
Incredible artists help create memorable experiences. Thanks to everyone involved in Origins Live Helsinki Premiere: @ Forum Box
always more to come..
3
During this event, we wanted to test the idea of audience co-creation. The way we accomplished this was as follows:
Work with musicians to create their initial visual world for one song. This is done at the moment through a chatbot on our website - www.originstories.live/feature
Settle on the visual world and the remix idea (aka how the audience can contribute)
Ask the audience to answer questions pre-show to include their imagery during the event
Create a custom generator that can be used on-site
The version which we created features visual worlds for the four musicians who played on Friday with image generation done using Stable Diffusion.
The next components of this are a collection mint from the show. We are testing minting the visual presets and splitting this revenue also with the artist. At the next show, we will test splitting this with not only the artist but also the audience members who contribute.
One additional piece we are testing is the digital closet. As part of ORIGIN STØRIES, we want to create a fashion inspired digital closet featuring items from musicians around the world who participate in our live shows. This is also a great way to highlight local designers. In Helsinki, we collaborated with menswear designer Rolf Ekroth and will showcase the pieces that I wore on our digital board on ensō collective. In the future, guests would be able to login with their ticket and browse the "Rockstar" closet, which will feature a collection of unique items worn by ØS performers.
Milestone Three: In Da Club
As part of Backdrop, we built another demo tool, which is aimed at creating high-quality dance music visuals for DJs, producers, clubs, and venues. While the demo tool uses a custom Python script to help gamify the prompting process, the choices are intentionally combined to ensure a great result.
To test, we worked with a promoter in Stockholm for their Afro Rave party at the world-renowned Debaser club. The party had more than 300 guests, and because it was our first event, we wanted to make sure the visuals looked great on the big screen. To accomplish this, we received the input from the promoter via our feature form and turned these into images in Midjourney. We then used Stable Video Diffusion to generate video and then turned those into an upscaled reel using Capcut.
The results were awesome, and in our opinion, the visuals look amazing behind the DJ booth.
We are testing some ideas here around subscriptions and post-event collection. Some organizers are not interested in co-creation; however, they just want top-notch visuals.
Conclusion
Custom generation, co-creation, and co-ownership are at the forefront of our mission. We are starting with the music industry because of the sheer demand and need for dynamic visuals required by artists, promoters, and venues in all genres. But filmmaking and fashion are also areas where we are confident we can drive value. For us it's important to get these tools in the hands of creatives as soon as possible so they have a chance to help build the future.
Do you think that AI will kill creative industries or simply revolutionize them? Let us know your thoughts!
Want to learn more or interested in learning about our fundraising round? Feel free to send us a DM on Lens, via social or email the founder at sean@originstories.live
