One of the adventures I’ve been working on using NotebookLM is creating videos about the history of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Rhode Island Ring Number 44. Let me just walk you through the process.
Approaching the 100-Year Anniversary
Our ring is approaching its 100-year anniversary. It was formed in 1930. So I have been working on ways to gather the information so I can actually create a book around it. One thing led to another, and I have some additional products from that writing initiative. You too can share your organization’s history.
Researching the Archives
I began by researching the archives of The Linking Ring, the trade publication of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. I curated information about our particular ring. Typically, each issue of the Linking Ring has monthly reports of ring meetings and activities. It also includes other articles about ring members. Additionally, there are other reports on other gatherings, such as conferences. Our members were also creators. They created and sold magic effects. The stories of our magic club have been fascinating.
Organizing the Material in NotebookLM
I searched the Linking Ring on the term “Rhode Island” and saved information related to our ring and anything tied to Rhode Island. I then uploaded that material into NotebookLM by year.
When I first started working with the material, I just asked it questions and had NotebookLM summarize the content. I recognized right away that NotebookLM could help me craft a book much more easily than taking all the notes by hand.
Experimenting With Studio Tools
I also experimented with the NotebookLM’s Studio tools. First, I had NotebookLM create an infographic. As you can see, the results were quite amazing.
I also experimented with the mind maps and audio files.
Adding Historical Context
Once again, NotebookLM produced an absolutely fascinating product that not only covered the history of that particular year but also added color commentary on what was happening at the time—for example, the Great Depression.
The AI interview also discussed traveling from Rhode Island to the national convention in Ohio before the Interstate Highway System. This is a lot of commentary that you don’t normally get, absolutely fantastic and quite impressive.
From Assets to Video and Podcast
I then combined the infographic and audio file into a video using DaVinci Resolve.
This first video was the start of a podcast that I created on YouTube. The series will be a year-by-year account of IBM Rhode Island Ring 44. I’m thrilled with the results. It’s coming out quite well. I am equally pleased with how easy it was to create each episode.
Publishing and Promotion
The podcast is basically a YouTube playlist. As part of the upload process, I had to create a title and add a description. The description included information about the project and invitations to both the International Brotherhood of Magicians website and the Rhode Island Societies of Magicians Facebook page. We’ll see if we start garnering traffic over time.
Sharing Through Social Channels
I am sharing each episode through our Facebook page. It is also available on YouTube.
If you are looking to showcase your organization’s history and have archives of historical reports, this is an easy way.
Photo by Juan Gomez.
