This is a submission for the Hacktoberfest Open-Source AI Challenge Week 4: Ghost in the Machine.
What I Built
I built Ghost Reel, a mobile documentary production workspace designed to help creators transform ideas and research into structured documentary projects.
The inspiration behind Ghost Reel came from a simple observation: creating a documentary involves many different steps. You need to research a subject, organise information, identify important facts, develop a compelling story, write a script, prepare narration, plan scenes, and eventually bring everything together into a finished video.
These activities are often spread across multiple applications and services. Moving between them can make the creative process unnecessarily complicated.
I wanted to bring the early stages of this entire process into one place.
Ghost Reel is designed to make documentary production feel like a connected workflow. Instead of starting with an empty video editor, creators can begin with a topic, develop their research, generate and refine a script, prepare narration, and organise the documentary scene by scene.
It is not intended to be just another AI chat interface. It is a dedicated workspace for documentary projects.
Getting started
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later
-
npm 10+ (ships with Node 18) — the project uses
package-lock.json - Expo Go app on your iOS or Android device (App Store · Google Play)
You do not need Xcode or Android Studio to run Ghost Reel. Expo Go handles everything.
1 — Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/maisamabbas0323/ghostreel.git
cd ghostreel
2 — Install dependencies
npx expo install
Always use
npx expo install(notnpm installdirectly) — it resolves package versions that are compatible with the installed Expo SDK.
3 — Start the development server
npx expo start
Expo will print a QR code in the terminal.
4 — Open on your device
- Open Expo Go on your phone.
- Scan the QR code with your camera (iOS) or the Expo Go in-app scanner (Android).
- Ghost Reel will bundle and open on your device.
Make sure your phone and computer are on the same Wi-Fi network. If the QR scan fails, press
win the terminal to open the web version, ora/ito open an Android/iOS simulator if you have one installed.
The workflow
A documentary project in Ghost Reel follows a structured process:
- Create a documentary project.
- Choose a topic and provide an optional research URL.
- Gather information and research the subject.
- Generate a structured documentary script.
- Edit, revise, and approve the script.
- Generate narration for individual scenes.
- Organise the scenes using the storyboard.
- Configure captions and export preferences.
- Continue toward the final video-production stage.
Each stage has a specific purpose, helping creators keep their research, writing, and production planning organised.
1. Project Management
Ghost Reel provides a project-based workspace.
Creators can create new documentary projects, organise their work, revisit existing projects, and archive projects they no longer need.
Rather than treating every interaction as a separate conversation, Ghost Reel keeps the work connected to a documentary project.
This makes it easier to return to an earlier idea and continue developing it without starting over.
2. Research and Information Gathering
Good documentaries need more than interesting writing. They need research.
Ghost Reel includes a research workflow that can fetch and parse web pages, gather information, and extract factual claims from source material.
The purpose is to establish a research foundation before writing the documentary.
This helps separate the information gathered during research from the storytelling decisions made during script development.
The research stage is particularly important because documentary writing should not simply invent events or present unsupported statements as facts.
3. AI-Assisted Script Generation
Once the research is ready, Ghost Reel can generate a structured documentary script using Google AI Studio.
The script is organised into multiple scenes rather than delivered as one long block of text.
This structure helps creators think about the documentary visually and narratively.
A documentary needs a beginning that establishes the subject, a middle that develops the story, and an ending that gives the audience something meaningful to take away.
The goal is to use AI to assist with this process while keeping the creator involved in reviewing and shaping the final story.
4. Script Editing and Revision
Generated content should not automatically become the final documentary.
Ghost Reel includes a script-editing workflow where creators can revise the generated material, make changes, approve scenes, and track revision history.
This is an important part of the application because the creator should remain responsible for the documentary's direction.
AI can help organise ideas and produce a first draft, but the final decisions about accuracy, tone, structure, and storytelling belong to the person making the documentary.
5. Narration with ElevenLabs
A documentary is not only about what appears on screen. Narration plays an important role in how the audience understands the story.
Ghost Reel integrates ElevenLabs for scene-based narration generation.
Creators can generate narration audio for individual scenes and prepare those audio files as part of the documentary project.
Instead of treating narration as one large audio file, the workflow connects narration to the individual scenes.
This creates a more organised foundation for future editing and video production.
6. Storyboard and Scene Organisation
The storyboard provides a scene-by-scene view of the documentary.
Each scene can be considered in terms of its narrative purpose, visual concept, and transition to the next part of the story.
This helps creators move from written storytelling toward visual planning.
The storyboard is especially useful because a documentary script and a finished documentary are not the same thing. A script explains what should be communicated, while a storyboard helps plan how that information could be presented visually.
7. Captions and Presentation Settings
Ghost Reel also includes caption configuration.
Creators can configure caption typography, positioning, and language.
These settings help establish a consistent presentation style across the documentary.
Captions are an important part of video accessibility and can also help viewers follow narration when watching without sound.
8. Export Preferences
The application includes export settings for preferences such as aspect ratio, resolution, and audio mix.
These settings establish the intended output requirements for the future video-production stage.
The complete rendering pipeline is still part of the roadmap, but the export configuration provides a foundation for it.
The Technology Behind Ghost Reel
Ghost Reel is built using a modern mobile development stack.
| Technology | How it is used |
|---|---|
| Expo SDK 58 | Mobile application foundation |
| React Native 0.88 | Cross-platform application interface |
| TypeScript | Application logic and type safety |
| Expo Router | Navigation and routing |
| SQLite | Local project and application data |
| Expo SecureStore | Secure storage for provider credentials |
| React Hook Form | Form state and input management |
| Zod | Data validation |
| Google AI Studio | AI-assisted documentary script generation |
| Gemma | Open-weight model technology targeted for the AI workflow |
| ElevenLabs | Documentary narration generation |
The application uses a local-first approach for project management.
SQLite provides on-device persistence, while Expo SecureStore is used for API credentials.
For supported provider workflows, requests are made directly to the relevant services rather than being routed through a custom intermediary backend.
This architecture was chosen to keep the application focused and avoid introducing infrastructure that the current workflow does not need.
It also means that Ghost Reel depends on the availability and requirements of its connected providers. Direct API integration does not mean the application works entirely offline.
Architecture and Development Decisions
One of the important decisions in building Ghost Reel was to treat documentary projects as persistent application data.
A documentary project contains more than a title. It has research, scripts, revisions, scenes, narration, captions, and production preferences.
Keeping these elements organised locally gives the application a foundation for more advanced editing and production features.
Another important decision was to separate provider integrations from the main application experience.
The application should provide a consistent workspace even when different services are responsible for different tasks.
Google AI Studio supports the script-generation workflow, while ElevenLabs provides narration capabilities.
The application also uses secure device storage for API credentials rather than placing them directly into ordinary project records.
The broader architectural goal is to make Ghost Reel extensible without making the application unnecessarily complicated.
Why Does Open Innovation Matter?
Open innovation matters because the future of technology should not be limited to a small number of companies, platforms, or closed ecosystems.
Developers should be able to experiment with different models, tools, libraries, and services. They should have the freedom to combine technologies and create products that solve real problems.
Open-source software makes this possible by allowing people to learn from existing work, contribute improvements, and build on shared foundations.
Open-weight AI models also create new opportunities. They allow developers to explore how models can be used, adapted, and integrated into different applications.
For Ghost Reel, this is particularly relevant.
Documentary production is a creative process, and creators should not be forced into one fixed AI provider or one particular workflow.
I want Ghost Reel to remain flexible enough to support different technologies as the project develops.
There is also an important distinction between open innovation and simply using an API. A service being accessible through an API does not automatically make it open source, and using an open-weight model does not make every component of an application open.
The goal is to use open technologies where they make sense while maintaining a clear understanding of the responsibilities and limitations of every integrated service.
The Spirit of It: Ghost in the Machine
The theme Ghost in the Machine gave me an opportunity to think about something beyond the technical side of the project.
A documentary is a way of preserving stories.
It can preserve an event, a discovery, a personal experience, a historical moment, or an idea that might otherwise disappear.
Sometimes the most important stories are not the loudest ones. They are the stories that need someone to research them, organise the information, and give them a voice.
That idea connects naturally with Ghost Reel.
The application uses technology to help creators develop stories, but the purpose is not to replace the storyteller.
The technology works behind the scenes. The human creator decides what matters, what should be investigated, what should be included, and how the final story should be told.
In that sense, Ghost Reel is about using modern tools to help preserve and communicate stories.
It is a documentary workspace for turning information into something people can understand, experience, and remember.
Prize Categories
I would like to submit Ghost Reel for consideration in the following categories.
1. Best Overall Project
Ghost Reel is designed as a complete documentary-production workflow rather than a single-purpose AI feature.
Its combination of project management, research, script generation, editing, narration, storyboarding, captions, and export configuration gives it a broader product direction.
The aim is to demonstrate how different technologies can work together inside one useful application.
2. Best Use of Gemma
Gemma is relevant to Ghost Reel's AI-assisted storytelling direction.
The goal is to use an open-weight model to help creators develop structured documentary scripts and organise storytelling ideas.
This category recognises the potential of open-weight AI in a practical creative application rather than treating the model as an isolated demonstration.
3. Best Use of ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs supports the narration side of Ghost Reel.
The application connects narration generation to individual documentary scenes, allowing creators to prepare audio as part of a larger production workflow.
This makes voice generation a meaningful part of the documentary process rather than a separate text-to-speech experiment.
4. Best Use of Browserbase
Browserbase is relevant to the research direction of Ghost Reel.
Research is one of the most important stages of documentary production. Browser-based capabilities can help make research workflows more useful when information is available through web pages that require more advanced browser interaction.
The intended direction is to improve how creators gather and work with information from online sources.
5. Best Use of Ultramarine (Paper Instruments)
Paper Instruments is another technology I would like to highlight in the project.
The goal is to explore how its capabilities can contribute to the documentary workflow and support the wider production experience.
The important idea is to use partner technology as part of a practical product workflow, not simply mention a technology because it is available.
What's Next?
Ghost Reel is an evolving project. The current version focuses on organising the documentary workflow and preparing the materials needed for production.
There are several major areas I want to develop next.
Video Rendering and MP4 Export
The next major step is to turn the prepared documentary materials into an actual video.
This includes combining narration, visuals, captions, scene timing, and transitions into a finished MP4 file.
Visual Asset Acquisition
A documentary needs visuals that support its story.
The next stage is to improve how visual assets are discovered, organised, and associated with individual scenes.
Timeline Editor
A scene-based timeline editor would give creators more control over the final documentary.
It could bring narration, visuals, captions, and transitions into one editing environment.
More Advanced Research
Research can become more powerful through additional integrations and improved source handling.
The aim is to make it easier to work with different types of web sources while keeping the research process organised.
Backup and Portability
Device backup and project portability are also part of the future direction.
Creators should be able to protect their work and continue developing projects across devices.
Final Thoughts
Building Ghost Reel has been an opportunity to bring together mobile development, AI-assisted writing, research, and audio generation into one creative product.
The project is not finished in every possible sense. Video rendering, visual asset acquisition, and the timeline editor are still future development goals.
But the foundation is there: a mobile workspace where a creator can start with an idea, organise research, develop a documentary script, prepare narration, and plan scenes.
My goal is to keep improving Ghost Reel until it becomes a complete documentary-production studio that creators can carry with them.
Project: Ghost Reel
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/maisamabbas0323/ghostreel.git
Built with: Expo, React Native, TypeScript, SQLite, Google AI Studio, and ElevenLabs.
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