🧬 kbird.ai

PREPARATION_GUIDE

2 min read

RECORDING SCRIPT PREPARATION

Converting Manuscripts to Voice Clone Format

STEP 1: Clean Markdown

Remove all markdown formatting:

  • # headers → plain text or [CHAPTER X: TITLE]
  • **bold** → plain text (emphasize in performance)
  • *italics* → plain text (emphasize in performance)
  • --- → [PAUSE] or remove
  • Links → remove or spell out

STEP 2: Add Performance Notes

Insert emotional/directional cues:

[CHAPTER 1: THE ROW BARGE]

[THE PLAY - neutral, cinematic]

A Tuesday. October rain slicks the windows. 
[PAUSE 1 SEC]
The pub smells of malt vinegar and overheated radiator.
[SLOWER, INTIMATE]
Helena Voss sits alone at a corner table...

STEP 3: Pronunciation Helpers

For difficult words, add phonetic guides:

Cryptophyte [KRIP-toe-fite] algae...
Fenna-Matthews-Olson [F-M-O] complex...

STEP 4: Segment Breakdown

Each perspective is one recording session:

INV_WF_C01P01_ThePlay.txt
INV_WF_C01P02_HelenaJournal.txt
INV_WF_C01P03_Institutional.txt
INV_WF_C01P04_Frame.txt
INV_WF_C01P05_Network.txt

AUTOMATED PREP SCRIPT

A Python script could:

  1. Read markdown files
  2. Strip formatting
  3. Add performance notes based on perspective type
  4. Output clean text files
  5. Generate recording queue

SAMPLE CONVERSION

INPUT (Markdown):

# CHAPTER 1: THE ROW BARGE
 
### 1. THE PLAY
 
**INT. THE ROW BARGE PUB - NIGHT**
 
A Tuesday. October rain slicks the windows. The pub smells of malt vinegar and overheated radiator. **Helena Voss** (28) sits alone...

OUTPUT (Recording Script):

[CHAPTER 1: THE ROW BARGE]
[SECTION: THE PLAY]
[SETTING: Interior, The Row Barge Pub, Night]
[MOOD: Neutral, observational, cinematic]

A Tuesday. October rain slicks the windows. 
[PAUSE]
The pub smells of malt vinegar and overheated radiator. 
[PAUSE]
Helena Voss sits alone at a corner table, laptop open, scrolling through protein folding simulations...

PERSPECTIVE PERFORMANCE GUIDES

THE PLAY (Screenplay format)

  • [TONE: Neutral, cinematic, present-tense]
  • [PACE: Moderate, visual description]
  • [EMOTION: Observational, let events speak]

Character Interior (Journal/Letter)

  • [TONE: Intimate, first-person, emotional]
  • [PACE: Varies with character’s state]
  • [EMOTION: Character-specific]

Institutional (Reports/Memos)

  • [TONE: Formal, bureaucratic, detached]
  • [PACE: Steady, official]
  • [EMOTION: Neutral to ominous]

Frame (Nick’s narration)

  • [TONE: Reflective, melancholic, warm]
  • [PACE: Slower, storytelling rhythm]
  • [EMOTION: Nostalgic, loving, sad]

The Network (Quantum/Pattern voice)

  • [TONE: Otherworldly, prophetic, detached]
  • [PACE: Measured, oracular]
  • [EMOTION: Beyond human emotion]

BATCH PROCESSING COMMANDS

Using pandoc to strip markdown:

pandoc -f markdown -t plain input.md -o output.txt

Using sed to add performance notes:

sed 's/^# \(.*\)/[CHAPTER: \1]\n[TONE: Set appropriately]/' input.txt

Ready to begin script preparation!

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