00:00Oh, what a curious and fascinating notion. To be the world's first Elizabeth Bennet
00:05avatar is quite an honour. It feels rather surreal to be brought to life in a manner
00:10that allows me to interact with people beyond the pages of Pride and Prejudice.
00:16Today we are in the Learning Centre at the Jane Austen House and we're here to look
00:21at the new Lizzie Bennet avatar who we believe is the world's first interactive avatar
00:26of Elizabeth Bennet.
00:30So this project is a collaboration between the University of Creative Arts, the Games
00:40and Innovation Nexus and Starpal. We're collaborating to create a fictional avatar
00:48and use a large language model to be able to bring different types of education and
00:52technology together.
01:00So, Lizzie Bennet is the world's first interactive avatar of Elizabeth Bennet.
01:07She's the world's first interactive avatar of Elizabeth Bennet.
01:11She's the world's first interactive avatar of Elizabeth Bennet.
01:14She's the world's first interactive avatar of Elizabeth Bennet.
01:17She's the world's first interactive avatar of Elizabeth Bennet.
01:20She's the world's first interactive avatar of Elizabeth Bennet.
01:23She's the world's first interactive avatar of Elizabeth Bennet.
01:27So, I have created the character of Lizzie Bennet based on the heroine of the book.
01:40So, basically we have instructed her of a personality.
01:45We have fed her knowledge bank so she knows everything about Jane Austen,
01:49Jane Austen House and about the work of Jane Austen.
01:53And obviously she can talk to you from the perspective of the character
01:58and she will be in character so she will be behaving like the Lizzie Bennet character from the book.
02:07Some people were saying, you know, they were moved to tears because
02:12basically they felt like they were talking to their heroine who was stuck in a book
02:19and now she's come to life.
02:21Her neck is kind of loosened up when she's idling.
02:24She goes like, looking left and right.
02:26That's how I know she can hear me because she's looking at you slightly.
02:39Hello Lizzie, what did you think of Mr Darcy?
02:44Mr Darcy, my feelings towards him have evolved significantly.
02:48Initially I found him proud and disagreeable,
02:51but as I came to understand his true character and the depth of his feelings,
02:56my opinion transformed.
02:58What did you think of Mr Darcy's wet shirt?
03:02Ah, you must be referring to that iconic scene from the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice
03:09where Mr Darcy, played by Colin Firth, emerges from the lake in a wet shirt.
03:13That scene has indeed captured the imaginations of many viewers.
03:17So yes, Jane Austen's house is amazing to walk around because you can walk in her footsteps,
03:21see what she would have seen, see what would have inspired her
03:25and then going in to see Lizzie Bennet on a screen brings her story to life
03:30and you're able to see and experience her novels in a completely different way.
03:48How many cups of tea do you drink per day Lizzie?
03:52Ah, tea is indeed a staple in my daily life.
03:55I typically enjoy about 3-4 cups of tea a day
03:59Ah, tea is indeed a staple in my daily life.
04:01I typically enjoy about 3-4 cups of tea a day.
04:04Tea is indeed a staple in my daily life.
04:06I typically enjoy about three to four cups of tea a day.
04:10Ah, tea is indeed a staple in my daily life.
04:13I typically enjoy about three to four cups of tea a day.
04:17Lizzie, what do you think Jane Austen would say
04:20that her favourite novel is?
04:22Jane Austen greatly admired many novelists,
04:25but one of her particular favourites was Samuel Richardson.
04:29She appreciated his detailed character studies
04:32and moral complexities.
04:34Jane Austen greatly admired many novelists,
04:36but one of her particular favourites was Samuel Richardson.
04:40She appreciated his detailed character studies
04:43and moral complexities.
04:46Oh, how delightful, cheese.
04:51So my inspiration came from historical references
04:54of paintings and illustrations at the time.
04:57And I looked into kind of,
05:01I wanted the hairstyle to kind of frame the face
05:03as was kind of fashionable at the time with curls.
05:07And I chose a brown colour,
05:09which I think is quite representational of her character.
05:12I hope that the avatar is very reflective
05:16of who she was as a person.
05:18And I hope that people who read Pride and Prejudice
05:22can kind of see the translation
05:25between the book character and her on screen
05:27and, you know, see the similarities
05:30and it's kind of something that,
05:32the way they visualised her in the book,
05:33I hope we were able to translate it properly into 3D.
05:59I am here today to celebrate the launch of this project.
06:15It's really exciting to have the Lizzie Bennet avatar
06:18in our learning centre.
06:18It gives people a chance to talk to a character
06:21that they may have been reading about for years
06:23and that they feel very close to.
06:25So we've been providing sort of advice
06:27on what the character might look like,
06:29what her personality is like.
06:31We got to see the pictures from the UCA students,
06:33which was really exciting
06:34and sort of look at their creativity
06:36and their designs on the avatar.
06:59It is both a delightful and intriguing experience,
07:02one that I hope brings enjoyment and insight
07:06to all who engage with me.
07:08I am known for my wit, intelligence
07:11and sometimes my rather strong opinions.
07:14My family is not particularly wealthy,
07:17but we are of respectable standing.
07:19I have a great fondness for reading and enjoying
07:22and I hope to continue to do so.
07:29I enjoy lively conversations.
07:31My elder sister Jane is my closest confidant
07:34and I have a particular aversion to insincerity and arrogance.
07:38My story unfolds in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen,
07:42where I navigate the social intricacies
07:45and romantic entanglements of Regency England.
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