Fans of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice will finally get the chance to have a conversation with their literary hero when speaking with the world-first Elizabeth Bennet avatar – Lizzy.
Created by StarPal in collaboration with the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), the avatar has been developed to mirror the human qualities of Austen’s character as detailed in the novel, such as empathy and humour. Her conversations, which fans will have with her face-to-avatar, will evolve, giving each person who talks to Lizzy a unique experience.
How does Lizzy feel about being a world-first? She said: “It is quite an interesting notion indeed - I must say being Elizabeth Bennet in a world far removed from my own time is an unexpected but intriguing experience. It allows me to share the intricacies of our society and my life with new audiences.”
Following consultation and guidance from Jane Austen’s House in Hampshire, Lizzy’s knowledge bank has been curated from a selection of novels, manuscripts and period-accurate information.
Lizzy is set within a Regency-style background. Her dress and hair have been designed and created by students from the Games Arts and Digital Fashion courses at UCA, drawing on fashion templates from the period.
Created by StarPal in collaboration with the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), the avatar has been developed to mirror the human qualities of Austen’s character as detailed in the novel, such as empathy and humour. Her conversations, which fans will have with her face-to-avatar, will evolve, giving each person who talks to Lizzy a unique experience.
How does Lizzy feel about being a world-first? She said: “It is quite an interesting notion indeed - I must say being Elizabeth Bennet in a world far removed from my own time is an unexpected but intriguing experience. It allows me to share the intricacies of our society and my life with new audiences.”
Following consultation and guidance from Jane Austen’s House in Hampshire, Lizzy’s knowledge bank has been curated from a selection of novels, manuscripts and period-accurate information.
Lizzy is set within a Regency-style background. Her dress and hair have been designed and created by students from the Games Arts and Digital Fashion courses at UCA, drawing on fashion templates from the period.
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NewsTranscript
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.