# Gonzalo Project Report Template

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## Preliminary MK/MW Notes

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## Project Description

### Project/Tool Overview
**Project Name:** Creative Coding in Literature
**Associated Harvard Course:** COMPLIT 200: Computing Fantasy
**Collaborators**: josefina, jōsh

**Summary:**
Gonzalo's project involves the development of an interactive learning environment that supports "COMPLIT 200: Computing Fantasy." The course is experimental, focusing on the intersection of literary theory, history, and computer-assisted creation using generative AI tools for storytelling. Gonzalo's work, particularly through code blocks similar to Scratch, aims to enable students to engage creatively with the course's objective of crafting an illustrated volume of AI-generated folktales. This aligns with the course's emphasis on the history and theory of generative storytelling, from structuralist theories to practical applications in narrative construction.

**Technology Stack:** Python, OpenAI API, Google Colab, base64 for image encoding, and additional generative AI tools for textual and visual creation.

### Learning Objectives and Benefits
**Objectives:**
- To create "single" colab functions with APIs and python, that can be "stacked" to build larger, literature-generating machines
- To contribute to the course's final project of an edited volume of illustrated AI folktales by enabling easy and creative technological integration.

**Benefits:**
This tool will empower students to creatively apply computational practices to literary creation, enhancing their understanding of narrative theory and the practical use of generative AI in storytelling.

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## Bi-Weekly Update
**Date:** 20240216


### Interesting Developments
_Describe any interesting occurrences, breakthroughs, or anecdotes from the past two weeks._

### Resource Requests
_Identify any additional resources or support needed._

### Best Practices & Learnings
_Share best practices discovered or lessons learned during the project implementation._

## Collaboration and Feedback

### Staff Collaboration
_How have you collaborated with course heads or teaching staff in the past two weeks?_

### Feedback Implementation
_How has feedback been utilized to iterate on the project/tool?_

## IV. Future Directions

### Next Steps
_What are the immediate next steps for the project?_

### Long-Term Vision
_Where do you see this project going in the future?_

## VI. Additional Notes

### Miscellaneous Information
_Any other information or personal notes that may be relevant to the project._

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## GAICA mk check-in
**Date:** 20240301

**Participants**:
* Gonzalo (GAICA)
* Marlon (Staff Member)
* Madeleine (Staff Member)

**Key Points**:
Riding Hood Generator Concept:

* Marlon introduces the Riding Hood generator, which generates stories based on the pattern of varying color themes like "Little Red Riding Hood", inspired by experimental Italian authors.
* The goal is to translate this concept into an AI-powered framework, creating AI-generated stories with images and text as final projects in a course.

Technology and Tools Discussion:
* Discussion on using Gemini for image generation, although it might be temporarily unavailable. Alternatives like OpenAI’s DALL-E may be used.
* The project will involve using Google Colabs to make these generators more accessible to those with limited coding expertise.

Physical and Digital Media Integration:
* Marlon and Gonzalo explore how to integrate physical elements like Pantone colors and blank spaces using computer vision into the digital narratives.
* Potential for printing and compiling these stories into physical formats like PDFs using Python.

Educational and Creative Exploration:
* The workshop aims to encourage students to creatively engage with technology, pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling by integrating AI and programming.
* Marlon mentions the use of HTML and CSS for styling and discusses the practical challenges of integrating various technologies.

Collaboration and Development:
* Gonzalo is encouraged to experiment and iterate on these concepts, sharing results and insights with the team.
* Discussion about maintaining collaborative tools and documentation to support ongoing development.

Action Items:
* Gonzalo:
* To start working on the Riding Hood generator using the available tools and check the availability of Gemini.
* To experiment with generating and saving visual and textual content programmatically.
* Marlon and Madeleine:
* To provide ongoing support and coordination among team members working on similar projects.