Storytelling with the Flickr API
Topics: Experiments, Featured, Interactive Storytelling, Live Web, Photography, Things I do
Today I experimented with the Flicrk API. An API is an external programmable interface that connects to a database, it allows external developers to access the content in the database. In this case I can access the photos on Flickr by using a free license (API-key).
2.269.526.982 photos
Everyday millions of photos are uploaded to Flickr. While writing this post 4.871 pictures are uploaded every minute and the total of photos uploaded to Flickr is 2.269.526.982. Most of these photos are tagged with meta information, like a title, description, user generated tags and device generated (shutter speed, type of camera, coordinates). That’s a lot of information.
Slideshow experiment
For this first experiment I use thirteen slides to tell something general about myself. Every slide loads the most recent images from the Flickr database based on a tag that corresponds to the slide.
The slideshow plays by itself and has no interaction, it’s linear, but not static. Every time you play the slideshow the content can be different, the story won’t.
How would you combine live data feeds with storytelling?
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February 17 2008 @ 10:09 am
And I turned it into a widget using Clearspring
Read more about the widget.
February 17 2008 @ 5:34 pm
I love Flickr story telling :) I’ve been experimenting with it my self, more random generative then recency generated. You can find some examples here:
‘Visual Haiku 1′ and ’smile’, Visual Haiku 2, and Interpretations of Alice by Flickr.
February 17 2008 @ 8:18 pm
Wow, nice projects. Subscribed to your blog :)
February 17 2008 @ 9:44 pm
Hi Wilbert not sure how I stumbled upon your blog – I find hypernarrative constsnatly fascinating and thought provoking.
Keep up the great work
February 17 2008 @ 10:50 pm
That’s great to read. Thank you very much :)
February 18 2008 @ 9:54 pm
Thick! :) Very nice to look at, especially while listening to ambient to provoke an atmosphere of confusion.
It would be great if the mashup could also incorporate music on the basis of a tag. One could imagine that each session triggers one of the used tags for Flickr to search for music (for instance on elbo.ws), pick one random mp3 that connects to that tag, and plays it as background music. I recall that music makes more than half of the sensation while watching a movie, so that would be a great way to enhance the feeling that accompanies the narrative.
February 20 2008 @ 2:05 pm
I’m experimenting with a second version of the Flickr storytelling concept. Same technique, different story.
coming up soon
Uploaded with plasq’s Skitch!
February 20 2008 @ 3:58 pm
ben benieuwd :)
February 22 2008 @ 10:24 am
[...] Renier And it’s a winner: http://3voor12.vpro.nl/artikelen/artikel/... Erik Borra ben benieuwd :)… Wilbert I’m experimenting with a second version of the Flickr storyt… Inge Thick! :) Very nice to look at, especially while listening t… Wilbert That’s great to read. Thank you very much :)… Alasdair Hi Wilbert not sure how I stumbled upon your blog – I find h… [...]
February 22 2008 @ 10:30 am
Voila: Interactive Storytelling #2
& http://www.wilbertbaan.nl/flickrcities/
August 22 2008 @ 12:53 pm
that`s cool. i also did some experiments and tried to add some cheesy sound. you can see it here:
http://wasteyourtimebot.com/