AI is a very useful tool for unleashing our creativity. We have the power of an illustrator, video animator, or scriptwriter at the press of a button.
So, instead of just discussing how these work, let’s build something. Let’s tell a story using AI tools together! The first step is to use an LLM to help us think about a story, create a script for it, and let it generate prompts we can use for images.
Finding a story to tell is sometimes hard. If you need some inspiration, head to one of the LLMs we used before and try the following prompt:
I want you to act as a storyteller. You will come up with entertaining stories that are engaging, imaginative, and captivating for the audience. It can be fairy tales, educational stories, or any other type of story that has the potential to capture people’s attention and imagination. Depending on the target audience, you may choose specific themes or topics for your storytelling session, e.g., if it’s children, then you can talk about animals; If it’s adults, then history-based tales might engage them better, etc. My first request is “A story about Africa and AI.”
Claude, Gemini, and Llama are all great choices for this task.
This is the idea that I liked:
The Festival of Lights
In a small town, the annual Festival of Lights is a time of joy and celebration. This year, the festival committee decides to use AI to enhance the event with innovative light displays, interactive exhibits, and a digital storytelling booth that shares stories from the community.
Writing the script is the first crucial step in our storytelling process. It lays the foundation for everything else – from the visuals to the video production. A well-crafted script will help us capture the essence of the Festival of Lights, including the preparations, the event itself, and the personal stories of the villagers. We’ll use AI to assist in generating ideas, structuring the story, and adding creative touches.
You can use the following prompt to generate some story scripts:
I want you to act as a screenwriter. You will develop an engaging and creative script for a social media post that can captivate its viewers. Start by coming up with interesting characters, the setting of the story, dialogues between the characters, etc. Once your character development is complete – create an exciting storyline filled with twists and turns that keep viewers in suspense until the end.
My story idea is:
{Paste your story in here}
This is what I got:
Scene 1: Introduction
Setting: A quaint town square decorated with colourful lanterns and bustling with activity as townspeople prepare for the Festival of Lights.
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) Every year, our small town of Bahari comes alive with the Festival of Lights. It’s a time of joy, unity, and celebration. This year, we decided to blend tradition with innovation, introducing AI to create an unforgettable experience.
Scene 2: Meet Kwame and Amina
Setting: Kwame’s workshop, cluttered with gadgets and tech projects. Amina walks in, curious but wary.
Kwame: (Excitedly) Amina, you’ve got to see this! I’ve programmed the AI to design interactive light displays for the festival. Imagine the possibilities!
Amina: (Skeptical) I don’t know, Kwame. Technology is great, but what if it takes away from the human touch? Stories and art are meant to be personal.
Scene 3: Festival Preparations
Setting: Town square, as volunteers set up booths and decorations. Kwame and Tunde are installing the AI-powered light displays.
Tunde: (Grinning) This is going to be epic! I can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction.
Kwame: (Focused) Me too, Tunde. But I hope Amina comes around. Her stories would add so much to the digital storytelling booth.
Scene 4: The Festival Begins
Setting: The festival is in full swing with music, dancing, and the mesmerizing AI-powered light displays. The townspeople are in awe.
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) The night of the festival arrived, and Bahari was transformed. The AI light displays were a sight to behold, but there was still something missing…
Scene 5: The Twist
Setting: The digital storytelling booth, where people can interact with the AI to hear stories. Amina, after much thought, decides to share one of her stories.
Amina: (Softly) Alright, let’s see what this AI can do. I’ll share my story and see how it brings it to life.
The AI animates Amina’s story with vibrant visuals and dynamic narration, captivating the audience.
Kwame: (Amazed) Amina, this is incredible! Your story combined with the AI… it’s magical.
Scene 6: The Resolution
Setting: The end of the festival, as people are gathered around the storytelling booth, sharing their experiences.
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) That night, we witnessed the perfect blend of tradition and technology. The AI didn’t overshadow human creativity; it enhanced it. Amina’s story, brought to life with AI, showed us that innovation could coexist with our cherished traditions.
Scene 7: Conclusion
Setting: Kwame and Amina stand together, watching the last of the festival lights fade.
Amina: (Smiling)You were right, Kwame. AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to help us tell our stories in new and exciting ways.
Kwame: (Grinning)I knew you’d come around, Amina. Just wait till next year’s festival!
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) And so, in Bahari, we learned that by embracing the future, we could honour the past and create something truly special. Until next year’s Festival of Lights…
Fade out with a view of the town, the lights twinkling like stars.
I got that on my first try. As always, AI tends to not really capture emotion well like this part:
Kwame: (Excitedly) Amina, you’ve got to see this! I’ve programmed the AI to design interactive light displays for the festival. Imagine the possibilities!
Amina: (Skeptical) I don’t know, Kwame. Technology is great, but what if it takes away from the human touch? Stories and art are meant to be personal.
These two characters seem to have very different values, so it makes sense to me to make their conflict a little more emotionally charged. I gave ChatGPT that feedback, focusing its attention on a specific part and improving it. We can do this over and over to get the story we want.
“Kwame: (Excitedly) Amina, you’ve got to see this! I’ve programmed the AI to design interactive light displays for the festival. Imagine the possibilities! Amina: (Skeptical) I don’t know, Kwame. Technology is great, but what if it takes away from the human touch? Stories and art are meant to be personal. It seems like these two characters have very different values, so it makes sense to me to make their conflict a little more emotionally charged. ”
This is what I ended up with:
Scene 1: Introduction
Setting: A quaint town square decorated with colourful lanterns and bustling with activity as townspeople prepare for the Festival of Lights.
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) Every year, our small town of Bahari comes alive with the Festival of Lights. It’s a time of joy, unity, and celebration. This year, we decided to blend tradition with innovation, introducing AI to create an unforgettable experience.
Scene 2: Meet Kwame and Amina
Setting: Kwame’s workshop, cluttered with gadgets and tech projects. Amina walks in, curious but wary.
Kwame: (Excitedly) Amina, you’ve got to see this! I’ve programmed the AI to design interactive light displays for the festival. Imagine the possibilities!
Amina: (Frustrated) Kwame, don’t you see? Technology is great, but what if it takes away from the human touch? Stories and art are meant to be personal, not automated by some machine!
Kwame: (Defensive) But Amina, this isn’t about replacing people. It’s about enhancing our experience, making the festival more magical than ever before!
Amina: (Angry) Magic? You think a machine can understand the soul of our stories? Our art? You’re missing the point, Kwame. This festival is about our community, our traditions, not some flashy tech gimmick!
Kwame: (Hurt) Amina, I’m not trying to erase our traditions. I just want to show that we can move forward without losing who we are.
Amina: (Softening slightly) I know you mean well, Kwame. But I’m scared that in our rush to embrace the future, we’ll forget what makes our past so special.
Scene 3: Festival Preparations
Setting: Town square, as volunteers set up booths and decorations. Kwame and Tunde are installing the AI-powered light displays.
Tunde: (Grinning) This is going to be epic! I can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction.
Kwame: (Focused) Me too, Tunde. But I hope Amina comes around. Her stories would add so much to the digital storytelling booth.
Scene 4: The Festival Begins
Setting: The festival is in full swing with music, dancing, and the mesmerizing AI-powered light displays. The townspeople are in awe.
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) The night of the festival arrived, and Bahari was transformed. The AI light displays were a sight to behold, but there was still something missing…
Scene 5: The Twist
Setting: The digital storytelling booth, where people can interact with the AI to hear stories. Amina, after much thought, decides to share one of her stories.
Amina: (Softly) Alright, let’s see what this AI can do. I’ll share my story and see how it brings it to life.
The AI animates Amina’s story with vibrant visuals and dynamic narration, captivating the audience.
Kwame: (Amazed) Amina, this is incredible! Your story combined with the AI… it’s magical.
Scene 6: The Resolution
Setting: The end of the festival, as people are gathered around the storytelling booth, sharing their experiences.
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) That night, we witnessed the perfect blend of tradition and technology. The AI didn’t overshadow human creativity; it enhanced it. Amina’s story, brought to life with AI, showed us that innovation could coexist with our cherished traditions.
Scene 7: Conclusion
Setting: Kwame and Amina stand together, watching the last of the festival lights fade.
Amina: (Smiling) You were right, Kwame. AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to help us tell our stories in new and exciting ways.
Kwame: (Grinning) I knew you’d come around, Amina. Just wait till next year’s festival!
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) And so, in Bahari, we learned that by embracing the future, we could honour the past and create something truly special. Until next year’s Festival of Lights…
Fade out with a view of the town, the lights twinkling like stars.
I think this version captures the conflict a bit better, right?
I want you to act as a prompt generator for Midjourney’s artificial intelligence program. Your job is to provide detailed and creative descriptions that will inspire unique and interesting images from the AI. Keep in mind that the AI is capable of understanding a wide range of language and can interpret abstract concepts, so feel free to be as imaginative and descriptive as possible. For example, you could describe a scene from a futuristic city or a surreal landscape filled with strange creatures. The more detailed and imaginative your description, the more interesting the resulting image will be. Create image descriptions of each scene in this African town, and create character descriptions I can use for each of the characters. If a character appears in a scene, describe them in the scene and be consistent so we get the same character each time.
Scenes:
A quaint town square decorated with colorful lanterns and bustling with activity as townspeople prepare for the Festival of Lights.
Kwame’s workshop, cluttered with gadgets and tech projects. Amina walks in, curious but wary.
Town square, as volunteers set up booths and decorations. Kwame and Tunde are installing the AI-powered light displays.
Town square, as volunteers set up booths and decorations. Kwame and Tunde are installing the AI-powered light displays.
The festival is in full swing with music, dancing, and the mesmerizing AI-powered light displays. The townspeople are in awe.
The digital storytelling booth, where people can interact with the AI to hear stories. Amina, after much thought, decides to share one of her stories.
The end of the festival, as people are gathered around the storytelling booth, sharing their experiences.
Characters:
Kwame, – a young African mad scientist character using AI to solve any problem he can find
Amina – a middle-aged woman that is conservative and true to her cultural heritage
Tunde- a young man destined for great adventures.
Story:
Scene 1: Introduction
Setting: A quaint town square decorated with colorful lanterns and bustling with activity as townspeople prepare for the Festival of Lights.
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) Every year, our small town of Bahari comes alive with the Festival of Lights. It’s a time of joy, unity, and celebration. This year, we decided to blend tradition with innovation, introducing AI to create an unforgettable experience.
Scene 2: Meet Kwame and Amina
Setting: Kwame’s workshop, cluttered with gadgets and tech projects. Amina walks in, curious but wary.
Kwame: (Excitedly) Amina, you’ve got to see this! I’ve programmed the AI to design interactive light displays for the festival. Imagine the possibilities!
Amina: (Frustrated) Kwame, don’t you see? Technology is great, but what if it takes away from the human touch? Stories and art are meant to be personal, not automated by some machine!
Kwame: (Defensive) But Amina, this isn’t about replacing people. It’s about enhancing our experience, making the festival more magical than ever before!
Amina: (Angry) Magic? You think a machine can understand the soul of our stories? Our art? You’re missing the point, Kwame. This festival is about our community, our traditions, not some flashy tech gimmick!
Kwame: (Hurt) Amina, I’m not trying to erase our traditions. I just want to show that we can move forward without losing who we are.
Amina: (Softening slightly) I know you mean well, Kwame. But I’m scared that in our rush to embrace the future, we’ll forget what makes our past so special.
Scene 3: Festival Preparations
Setting: Town square, as volunteers set up booths and decorations. Kwame and Tunde are installing the AI-powered light displays.
Tunde: (Grinning) This is going to be epic! I can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction.
Kwame: (Focused) Me too, Tunde. But I hope Amina comes around. Her stories would add so much to the digital storytelling booth.
Scene 4: The Festival Begins
Setting: The festival is in full swing with music, dancing, and the mesmerizing AI-powered light displays. The townspeople are in awe.
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) The night of the festival arrived, and Bahari was transformed. The AI light displays were a sight to behold, but there was still something missing…
Scene 5: The Twist
Setting: The digital storytelling booth, where people can interact with the AI to hear stories. Amina, after much thought, decides to share one of her stories.
Amina: (Softly) Alright, let’s see what this AI can do. I’ll share my story and see how it brings it to life.
The AI animates Amina’s story with vibrant visuals and dynamic narration, captivating the audience.
Kwame: (Amazed) Amina, this is incredible! Your story combined with the AI… it’s magical.
Scene 6: The Resolution
Setting: The end of the festival, as people are gathered around the storytelling booth, sharing their experiences.
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) That night, we witnessed the perfect blend of tradition and technology. The AI didn’t overshadow human creativity; it enhanced it. Amina’s story, brought to life with AI, showed us that innovation could coexist with our cherished traditions.
Scene 7: Conclusion
Setting: Kwame and Amina stand together, watching the last of the festival lights fade.
Amina: (Smiling) You were right, Kwame. AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to help us tell our stories in new and exciting ways.
Kwame: (Grinning) I knew you’d come around, Amina. Just wait till next year’s festival!
Narrator (Esi): (Voiceover) And so, in Bahari, we learned that by embracing the future, we could honour the past and create something truly special. Until next year’s Festival of Lights…
Fade out with a view of the town, the lights twinkling like stars.
This is what I got:
Scene 1: A Quaint Town Square
Description:
The town square of Bahari is alive with vibrant activity as the townspeople prepare for the annual Festival of Lights. Colourful lanterns hang from strings crisscrossing above, creating a canopy of brilliant hues. Stalls and booths line the cobblestone pathways, selling handmade crafts and traditional foods. Children run about, laughing and playing, while adults decorate and set up for the evening’s festivities. The sky is a deepening twilight, with the first stars beginning to twinkle.
Characters:
Kwame: A young African mad scientist with a passion for using AI to solve problems. He has a lean build, always wears glasses, and is often seen in a slightly dishevelled state due to his constant tinkering with gadgets. His workshop is his sanctuary, filled with tools, half-finished projects, and the hum of AI devices.
Amina: A middle-aged woman who values tradition and cultural heritage. She wears colourful traditional clothing and a headscarf, embodying the spirit of her community. Her expressions are often serious and thoughtful, but she has a warm heart.
Tunde: A young man with an adventurous spirit. He is tall and athletic, with a bright smile and an infectious enthusiasm. He often helps Kwame with his projects, eager to learn and explore new ideas.
Scene 2: Kwame’s Workshop
Description:
Kwame’s workshop is a chaotic but fascinating place, filled with gadgets, tools, and various tech projects in different stages of completion. Shelves are crammed with electronic parts, and the workbench is cluttered with wires and circuit boards. The room is dimly lit, with the soft glow of computer screens and the occasional flicker of a soldering iron.
Characters:
Kwame: Enthusiastically demonstrating his latest AI project, his eyes bright with excitement. His hair is slightly messy, and he wears a lab coat over his casual clothes.
Amina: Standing at the entrance, her posture rigid and arms crossed. She looks around with a mix of curiosity and wariness, her expression showing scepticism about the high-tech surroundings.
Scene 3: Festival Preparations
Description:
The town square is bustling with volunteers setting up booths and decorations for the Festival of Lights. Colourful banners and flags flutter in the breeze, and tables are being arranged with various traditional items and foods. The air is filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement.
Characters:
Kwame: Working diligently with Tunde to install the AI-powered light displays. He is focused and precise, occasionally adjusting his glasses as he works.
Tunde: Grinning broadly as he helps Kwame. His enthusiasm is palpable, and he chats with the other volunteers, sharing his excitement about the upcoming festival.
Scene 4: The Festival Begins
Description:
As night falls, the festival comes to life. Music fills the air, and people dance joyfully in the streets. The AI-powered light displays illuminate the square with stunning patterns and colours, creating a magical atmosphere. The lanterns overhead add to the enchanting scene, casting a warm, festive glow.
Characters:
Kwame: Watching the light displays with a mix of pride and nervousness, hoping that the townspeople will appreciate his efforts.
Amina: Observing the festival with a thoughtful expression, slowly beginning to see the beauty in the combination of tradition and technology.
Scene 5: The Digital Storytelling Booth
Description:
A booth in the town square is dedicated to digital storytelling, where people can interact with an AI to hear and share stories. The booth is decorated with traditional motifs and has a large screen displaying dynamic visuals that accompany the stories being told.
Characters:
Amina: After much hesitation, she steps into the booth and begins to share one of her cherished stories. Her voice is soft but gains confidence as she sees the AI bringing her story to life with vibrant visuals.
Kwame: Standing nearby, watching in awe as Amina’s story captivates the audience. He smiles, realizing that this is the moment he had hoped for.
Scene 6: The Festival’s Climax
Description:
The festival reaches its peak as people gather around the storytelling booth, mesmerized by the AI-animated stories. The atmosphere is filled with a sense of wonder and unity, as the townspeople share their experiences and marvel at the blend of tradition and technology.
Characters:
Amina: Now fully engaged, she interacts with the audience, answering questions and sharing more stories. Her initial scepticism has transformed into appreciation.
Kwame: Radiating pride and joy, knowing that his efforts have helped bring the community together in a new and meaningful way.
Scene 7: The Festival’s Conclusion
Description:
As the festival winds down, the town square is bathed in the soft glow of the remaining lanterns. People linger, chatting and reflecting on the evening’s events. The storytelling booth is still a focal point, with a small crowd sharing their thoughts and stories.
Characters:
Kwame: Standing next to Amina, both of them watching the last of the festival lights fade. Kwame’s expression is one of contentment, knowing that he has made a positive impact.
Amina: Smiling warmly, she looks at Kwame with newfound respect and understanding. She places a hand on his shoulder, acknowledging his vision and the harmony it has brought to their community.
With our image prompts, we now have a visual narrative of the Festival of Lights. Although we used a couple of prompts, they all follow the same principles – “You are a… Do this… in this way… using this context…” We were able to create a story, expand on it, refine it, and prepare it for the next step, creating visuals, only using one tool, the LLM. All within a couple of minutes!
For the most part, most online AI tools are just an LLM and good prompts underneath, so if we use a good prompt, we get the same results for free.
These images will help us convey the story more effectively and set the stage for the next step – creating images for our video. By combining our script with these visuals, we’re one step closer to bringing the festival to life.
