The original ad that I saw in TikTok for the iOS app, Captions, was about how it’s an AI influencer tool. Yes, you could use it like that. But the simplest way to describe this app is that it’s like choosing a character with a fixed background to read your script. Of course, it won’t provide you with the thousands of followers that a real influencer has achieved.
I took the free trial version of Captions for a spin.
The character’s enunciation and phrasing can be tweaked a bit with punctuation, but it’s still rather locked into the persona’s sample style. You’re not going to make the characters cry, break a sweat, get a wardrobe change, pull back their hair or get into a giggle fit.
For certain characters, the lips and mouth movements weren’t matching the words, like a 70s Kung Fu film.
As with the app name, Captions creates beautiful captions, giving specific words more emphasis and providing many animation styles that are downright hypnotic and provide an easy read. Branded font colors available? Yep, you can do that.
You can also supply several photos for the character to appear in front of. The character can appear at various sized scales, which makes for a more exciting watch.
Here’s an example. (Of course, I had this character promote one of my books.):
@genxdada Blizzard 96 is a funny yet suspenseful college buddy novel packed with 90s nostalgia. Set in Berks County, Pennsylvania. #kutztown #kutztownuniversity #fictionalcharacters #novelasmexicanas ♬ original sound – Carl Franke
Here’s another example:
@genxdada Check out “Blizzard 96” for your next summer read. It’s a suspenseful story that’s packed with 90s nostalgia. #summerreading #fictionalcharacters #kutztown #bookstore #booktok ♬ Jacob and the Stone (Slowed) – Emile Mosseri & sped up + slowed
Also, here’s an example where I do a joke interview:
@genxdada AI influencer discussion. #ai #socialmediamarketing #iosapps #videomarketing ♬ original sound – Carl Franke