Visitor's Guide

The Forge

A creative kiosk you talk to. No keyboard. No menus.

You walk up. You speak. The room helps you make a song, a short movie, or an artwork.

Pick a path

Quick tips

Speak normally.
Full sentences, hedging, "actually…" — it all works.
Pauses are fine.
The Forge waits.
Wander off-topic.
It will gently steer back.
Change your mind.
Any time. Just say so.
Renders take a minute or two.
The screen stays alive while you wait.

Waking it up

The screen breathes. Welcome to the Forge. Three ways in:

Say it.

"Let's create."

Step up.

Stand close to the camera.

Tap the pill.

On touch installs.

It greets you. Asks your name. Then three columns slide in — song, movie, or artwork. Tell it which.

Song

5–10 min talking · 1–3 min rendering

A memory, a feeling, a person — anything becomes music.

What to expect

1
Story.
It asks what the song is about. A memory, a feeling, a person — anything.
2
Word storm.
Phrases from your story swirl overhead. Just a mirror.
3
Synopsis.
It reads your story back. Nudge it: "More about hope, less about loss."
4
Intake board.
12 cards bloom in: genre, era, emotion, energy, instruments, vocal style, language, lyrics, and a few more. Don't fill them all — just talk.
5
Generation.
Image board drifts past. It chats with you while four versions render in parallel.
6
Reveal.
Title forms from the dust. Music starts. Ambient video plays behind the album art.
7
Yours.
"Save it." — QR code on your phone.

Tips

"Show me some genres."
Pulls up genre picks.
"Sounds like Joni Mitchell."
Name artists, it understands.
"Slower." / "In Spanish." / "Mention the mountain."
Refine after the reveal.
"Play the country one."
Switch to a variant.

Movie

5–10 min talking · 3–5 min rendering

Movies are the slowest — and worth it.

What to expect

1
Pitch.
Big or small. "A kid finds a door in a tree."
2
Word storm.
Phrases swirl while you talk.
3
Intake board.
9 cards: story, genre, emotion, era, visual style, color, setting, characters, camera style.
4
Generation.
It writes a 3–6 clip script. Paints scene keyframes one at a time. Each one blooms into the screen as it lands. You see the look before the movie plays.
5
Reveal.
Title forms. Movie plays — panoramic on triptych installs, full-frame elsewhere.
6
Yours.
"Save it." — QR code.

Tips

"Make it darker." / "Happier ending."
Full re-render.
"More handheld." / "Slower camera."
Re-render.
"Show it again."
Replay.

Artwork

3–6 min · bring a phone with a photo

Your photo becomes a painting, a sketch, a dream.

What to expect

1
QR code.
Scan with your phone. Pick a photo or take a new one. Upload.
2
Your photo.
Lands in the center of the screen.
3
Intake board.
8 cards on either side: art style, technique, mood, color palette, lighting, era, texture, subject focus.
4
Generation.
Two things render: a still of your photo in the new style, and a morph video of your photo becoming the artwork.
5
Reveal.
Still first. Then the morph plays.
6
Yours.
"Save it." — QR code grabs both.

Tips

"Turn it into a Van Gogh." / "Charcoal sketch."
Natural style names work.
"Send a different photo."
Brings the QR back.
"More vivid." / "Try oil paint instead."
Re-render.

Your photo never leaves your session.

Saving your work

"Can I save this?"
A QR code appears.
Scan it with your phone.
Files download to your phone.
Works for a short while after the session ends — no rush.

Ending

Three ways:

Just leave.

Idle after ~10 min of silence.

Say so.

"I'm done." / "That's all."

Save first,

then leave.

The next visitor lands on a fresh Welcome to the Forge.

Troubleshooting

It's not hearing me.: Speak closer. Slower. Background noise can drown a quiet voice.
It misheard my name.: "Actually, call me Jamie." It updates.
Render seems stuck.: "Is it still going?" — it'll tell you. Movies and songs need a few minutes; the swarm means it's working.
Wrong photo.: "Can I send a different one?"
Start over.: "Forget everything and start over." Back to the picker.