- BBC Master has launched a writing course posthumously taught by a version of AI of Agatha Christie
- The author’s recreated version was made with the voice reconstruction of AI and visual effects
- The action combines AI’s assets with the performance of a real actress and is based completely on Christie’s real recordings and writings
In a turn worthy of his own novels, Agatha Christie has returned almost half a century after his death to teach a class on writing mysteries.
The BBC teacher has achieved the most theatrical literary return in recent memory by resuscitating the queen of crime to teach a writing course from beyond the tomb. The new offer, titled simply “Agatha Christie: Writing”, is part of the growing list of master classes led by platform celebrities. But unlike the other living instructors of 40 and so many years, this required a little more reconstruction.
The agatha Christie resurrected digitally is a carefully elaborate performance, built from a mosaic of recordings, cards and interviews with original Christie, along with the physical incarnation of actress Vivien Keene.
He studied the limited appearances in the author’s chamber and physically conducted the segments based on Christie’s true advice. Then, as a digital corset, the artists of visual effects in layers of the facial characteristics generated by AI in Keene’s face, sculpting a younger and more friendly version for Christie’s camera.
The result is amazing but relatively based compared to some creations of the Deepfake. It is more like a high -end historical dramatization, except to use AI instead of makeup and prostheses. The particular voice stands out thanks to the synthetic voice developer AI respect.
Using Christie recordings, replied digitally reconstructed and cloned his voice. The result is not Frankenstein his voice clips, but imitates how he spoke with words he really said.
Ai Agatha
Despite being a trick, the videos do not seem tricks, but they land as a tribute too loving. This is how Keene and the producers throw the class. They want students to think about it as a high -end theater with AI assistance for special effects.
That could save them from some of the reactions that other productions feel that bring back the faces or voices of the people who have died. Many were upset when hearing Anthony Bourdain’s voice in a documentary after death, and Gabby Petito’s voice in a documentary about his own murder.
Getting permission from Christie’s family will probably mitigate that. It is like James Earl Jones assured a deal with Disney before death, allowing them to use their voice for Darth Vader in certain circumstances. Or how Elevenlabs signed that he deals with the farms of James Dean, Burt Reynolds, Judy Garland and Sir Laurence Olivier to let him add versions of AI of his voices to his application of reader. On the other hand, Robert Downey Jr. has promised that AI will never replicate it on the screen.
That the voice AI only use Christie’s real words was commanded by the grandson and albacea of Christie of her heritage, James Prichard. To obtain permission for the project, BBC Maetro had to accept not to invent new opinions in his voice. Each advice comes directly from their own writings, author notes and correspondence.
Gathering more than 100 people to produce an online class when it usually only requires a handful of technical production and crew seems very indulgent. But the teacher clearly felt worth the investment of resources and time to offer a class taught by the replica of the best -selling novelist in history, covering 11 video modules and 12 writing exercises. If you succeed, the next mystery will be whose spirit of AI will be summoned for the next class.
