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Cinemassively: vBusiness Expo
Nick Wilson, also known as 57 Miles in Second Life, has provided consistent coverage of virtual worlds through commentary and events. However, he decided to do something about business in SL from in-world. Enter Clever Zebra, a "business in a box" that provides open source buildings for companies and residents. Companies would only pay for additional services.Nick is taking it a step further with the introduction of the vBusiness Expo, which will be held in April. In this video, he explains more about virtual businesses and the resources that they can use. This also marks the second time that Nick has utilized talented SL Machinimators, with this one showcasing Kronos Kirkorian, and the first featuring Skribe Forti.[Thanks, Tateru!]
Cinemassively: La Reve Island in Second Life
Amalthea Blanc, along with Candide LeMay, created this Machinima about La Reve island in Second Life. La Reve showcases artwork created by Lash Xevious. An interesting tidbit to note is that the background music is by Dreamaiden, who premiered her album in SL!Amalthea is a former blogger for Second Life Insider, a Machinima enthusiast, and contributor to pioneer Machinimator Paul Marino's blog, Thinking Machinima. She has followed along with the trends of this video form for quite some time, but has not released much yet. I look forward to seeing more of her work in the future!
Cinemassively: Keiko Takamura takes a Sugar Pill
Second Life music darling Keiko Takamura has performed frequently in-world for years. Her charming personality and her performance style have built her a solid fanbase. She arrives to her locations and sets up a table full of free goodies, such as a Keiko doll, for fans to take as souvenirs. This even led to an appearance on MTV!Now she's taking her craft to another level, with music videos. French Machinimator Dav Barbosa has created a series of Machinimas for Keiko. Be sure to check out the behind the scenes pictures of the shoot on Dav's website!
Cinemassively: Second Life Golf, Lesson One
It's hard to believe that golfing is over a year and a half old in SL. Second Life Insider covered the phenomenon that was sweeping the grid back in July 2006. Rumor has it that even Philip Linden enjoyed a game or two!However, there is a bit of a learning curve to golfing. It requires a HUD, golf balls, a club, and a working knowledge of all three. It looks like MarkTwain White is aiming to solve that problem by releasing a series of tutorials on Second Life golf. Lesson one focuses on how to get started. If you dug the tutorial and think you might like to give it a try, you can check it out in Hollywood.
Cinemassively: Azerothian Super Villains
I know what you're thinking. "Moo, this is Episode 1, and they're up to Episode 5!" However, in order to see the fifth episode, I need to start you off at the beginning. Trust me when I say that it's worth it.Azerothian Super Villains is an award winning Machinima series, set in World of Warcraft, that is written and produced by Ian Beckman. It is about a group of sinister individuals whose evil plots don't always go the way they're planned. If you're into well-timed comedy, then this is the series for you! [Via Warcraftmovies.com]Read on to see the rest of the series ...
Cinemassively: The Artopolis Beta Project
Hotspur O'Toole blogged about a private beta test going on for a light and sound show in the Artopolis sim. Apparently three musicians, MoKo LoCo, MoShang Zhao, and Komuso Tokugawa, performed live simultaneously from three different continents! Judging by the pictures, it looks like they put Windlight and particles to good use for special effects.I'm not sure exactly what I'm supposed to see in the video and pictures, but it sure is pretty. I wonder when it will be available to the public?[Via Hotspur O'Toole]
Cinemassively: Duran Duran song zooms in on Second Life
After all of the hype about Duran Duran coming to Second Life, I don't think they ever actually performed. For months, Duran Duran fans, Duranies, piled into Second Life hoping to be there for the arrival of their favorite group. One couple even had time to meet, fall in love, and get married in real life while they waited. However, the virtual world must have left an impression on them. Their latest CD, Red Carpet Massacre, has a track, Zoom In, that is all about SL! Does anyone else think it's funny that Timbaland produced the song? The Machinima itself isn't much to look at. I'm pretty sure that Teknosapien just combined footage from an old video, by Phaylen Fairchild, with real footage of the band. However, it does a decent job of illustrating the song.Read on after the jump for the lyrics ...
Cinemassively: Rock Rockin' Tha Spot
(Warning: The management has asked me to make it clear that this video is Not Safe For Work (NSFW). If pixel nudity, language, or Olibith offend your delicate Victorian sensibilities, do not click after the jump.)When I heard that Baron Soosdon was making a new music video, I chased him down only to find out that it might not be suitable for our audience. Awful things immediately ran through my head, so I was pleasantly surprised that Rock Rockin' Tha Spot wasn't that bad. Yes, there's some unsavory moments, but you'd really be missing out if you didn't watch.Baron is a Machinima master, skilled at making World of Warcraft look like an MTV video with a million dollar budget. He was able to finish this video much sooner because he used more in-game footage versus model viewer characters. However, with the way he blends colors and light, you can hardly even tell it's WoW anymore.[Via BaronSoosdon]View Rock Rockin' Tha Spot (NSFW) after the jump ...
Cinemassively: In for a Penny Prologue
Selserene is going to be the "IT" girl of 2008. She took fifth place with her first Machinima during the Warcraftmovies Christmas Spirit Contest, then she got right back to work on her epic film noir, In for a Penny. It is going to be released in two parts, with the first being the Prologue. The second part has no scheduled release date yet, despite the poster in the movie showing Spring 2008. If you enjoyed the video, you can download the high quality version.The Prologue focuses on a lost girl that stumbles into a shady club. What she witnesses transports her into a black and white world where all is not what it seems. It looks like sex, lies, and murder are on the menu of IFAP. I can't wait![Via Warcraftmovies.com]
Cinemassively: The Biggest Grief of All
When an evil resident plots to overtake the grid with the help of some pink flamingos, can Super Lippy stop him? Cecil Hirvi has created a bizarre, and quite twisted film, but it's certainly a unique take on griefing in SL. The Biggest Griefer of All is just one of many videos that Cecil has produced in the last year, and I'm sure it won't be the last!There are some obvious flaws that could easily be improved upon, though. For example, I could see the recording watermark in one of the scenes. In another, there are two layers of video, but one doesn't have the proper aspect ratio. It is important to review your work many times for inconsistencies before uploading. My last gripe comes from the voice acting, which just doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the movie.
Cinemassively: The Dumb Man
Fresh off the success of Sand, Trace Sanderson, aka Lainy Voom, already has another hit on his hands! The Dumb Man is a spoken word tale that is a visual masterpiece. Using Telltale Weekly and the Spoken Alexandria Project, he makes the narration come to life.Words meld into avatars, while doors in the sea lead to nowhere. The first scene is just as surreal as the last, as each part tells the story of the mute narrator who wants to tell it, but can't. I'm thankful that Trace was able to do it for him! If you enjoyed the Machinima, you can download the high resolution version on Vimeo.
Cinemassively: DiVAS, Episode 3
When Phaylen woke up in the morning, things seemed to be looking up for her. However, as nature has a way of taking its course, the day progressively gets worse. In fact, it got quite an early start.DiVAS: Episode 3 is just another great example of the comedic timing of Phaylen and her cast. They effectively use expressions and animations, instead of dialogue, to get the point of the story across. This has led them to develop quite a following in the Second Life community. I look forward to seeing more episodes!
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 3.5
At last, we have a conclusion to the Sand series. Episode 3.5, also directed by PG Provenzano, while short, answers all the questions from earlier episodes.While two of the Colonists are struggling for control of the weapon that was previously aimed at Gwen, the third works on releasing her. As she is freed from her sleep state, the weapon goes off, killing one of the explorers. With another knocked out, the third searches for something on his body. Read on for more about the story conclusion ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 3
We're down to the last two episodes of the Sand saga. In Episode 3, directed by PG Provenzano, we learn that the mysterious lady's name is Gwen. The Colonists find her in a sleep chamber, but she communicates with them through a video screen nearby. She explains that the war for sunlight saw many victims, including her family.As a scientist, she knew how to solve the problem, but she misjudged. Scion City's water crystallized and turned to sand. When one of the Colonists decides to avenge the death of the citizens, the others attempt to take him down. Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion to the story!Read on for more tidbits about the filming of the series ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 2
The plot thickens as Episode 2, directed by Trace Sanderson, of the series sheds more light on the downfall of Scion City. The citizens relied on the sun for power, but when a great darkness came over the island, they only had one hour of it per day. Some colonists fled to the outer asteroids, which is where the group of explorers, whom we now know to be part of the founding Interstellar Colonists, came from. This led to two factions being formed in order to horde the energy. The Augmentationists, or Auggies, converted their cars into armor, and the Immersionists, or Mershers, became human machines that merged their bodies with SciTek. However, neither side won, as they lost all sunlight.One of the colonists is still having a sense of deja vu and is determined to rescue the mysterious lady. With their vehicle destroyed, the only thing they can do is go further down ...Read on for more facts about the series ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 1.5
Episode 1.5, also directed by Michael Verdi, was originally part of Episode 1, but they broke it up in order to keep them short. So far, the story has taken us to a hatch, which they've attempted to open with the vehicle that they found. As they peer down the now open hatch, another transmission from the mysterious lady comes through. She is apparently the last remaining citizen and is in some kind of sleep state. One of the explorers believes that he has seen her before, but he can't place her face. After some contemplation, they decide to go down ...What's in the hatch? Will Scion City be waiting for them if they go down there? Have you found any clues yet?
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 1
If you're just tuning in, we've been following the storyline of Scion City in Second Life. So far, they've discovered a vehicle that allowed them to uncover a transmission device. A mysterious woman transmits a message to them, but it is not yet clear what she wants ...Episode 1, directed by Michael Verdi, sees one of the explorers doubting that any life could exist below the sand. The transmission device begins playing the commercial for Scion City, which gives them the idea that if they unearth the structure, they'll have enough power to save their colony. After a bit of digging, they find a vehicle with a skeleton in it, and a hatch that leads to something. When they struggle to open it, an explorer decides to use the vehicle they found in Episode 0 to help. Did they survive the crash? What's inside the hatch? Tune in tomorrow for more of the story!Read on for more trivia about the films ...
Cinemassively: Sand, Episode 0
Yesterday on Cinemassively, we introduced you to Scion City. Today, we're showing the first episode of Sand, a Second Life series that looks deeper into the mystery of the island. In this clip, directed by Douglas Gayeton, a group of, what I can only assume are, treasure hunters discover a strange vehicle buried in the sand. One of them takes the others on a joyride, but they crash into some kind of pole. It is there that they uncover a transmission device that tells them of Scion City. Well, readers of Massively, it's time to put our thinking caps on and dig for clues in Scion City! If you've seen anything out of the ordinary, leave a comment, or let us know that you submitted a video of your findings. If you're interested in learning more about what they're looking for, visit their website.Read on to find out how the lipsyncing was done ...
Cinemassively: The Patchie Chronicles
When an orc suddenly finds himself unfrozen after years of being trapped in his icy dungeon, he has plenty of questions for his accidental rescuer, Patchie,an enterprising goblin. Starting at patch 1.05, Patchie attempts to catch the orc up to speed on everything that's happened, while simultaneously putting him to work. As their stories unfold, we find out how the orc came to be frozen, and about Patchie's ethics, which are questionable at best.The AFK Pl@yers created The Patchie Chronicles in December to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of World of Warcraft launching in Taiwan. Despite Patchie's flaws, I was so taken by the character that I suggested they base a whole series around him! Is there a character in a Machinima that you'd like to see a series about?[Via Warcraftmovies.com]
Cinemassively: Moonlit Sonata
Dimitrio Lewis creates a haunting tale of love and loss, in Moonlit Sonata. Combining stunning visuals and powerful transitions, he introduces us to a woman playing away her pain on the piano. While I'm not clear as to whether she is mourning the death of a loved one, or she is playing her own death march, it is beautiful nonetheless. If you enjoyed the film, you can also download the high resolution version.While the movie is lovely, I have to complain about the intro, claiming he is "Second Life's Machinima Studio." It would have been just fine if he left off the possession, but it makes him seem like the only Machinimator out there. There are plenty, and you can be sure that the good ones will be featured here on Cinemassively![Thanks, Geuis!]
