Archive for the 'Identity' category
Love Makes the Worlds Go Round - The Soul of Icarus Video
August 21, 2008 2:47 pm
A two world machinima I did this week exploring the themes of a cross-world quest for love, mixed-reality and online game relationships. The song ‘The Soul of Icarus” was composed and sung by Gary Hayes © Cubrisound 2004 and a special thanks to my co-star, SilkCharm for her patience and WoW’ness. There are some nice Flickr film stills here too! and I am really spoiling you now a selection of video sites with the film on here - YouTube, Metacafe, Google and Blip.tv
“Come to the edge. We can’t. We’re afraid. Come to the edge. We can’t. We will fall! Come to the edge. And they came. And he pushed them. And they flew”. - Guillaume Appollinaire
Credits:
- Filmed in World of Warcraft and Second Life sims:
- CityScape from NBC and Marni created by Gary Hazlitt.
- Medium rez download (85MB MP4) available here.
- Machinimatography and editing by Gary Hazlitt © JustVirtual 2008
“And once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return…” - Leonardo Da Vinci
Hiding and Seeking in Second Life, Cyborg Style
March 23, 2008 12:45 pmDC Spensley’s SkyDancer’s “Second Spring” into Life
January 8, 2008 11:28 amAs official documenter/machinimatographer for the SkyDancers I was lucky to have been at the dress rehearsal and premier of this groundbreaking new show by DanCoyote’s troupe and created this trailer to help get those virtual bums on seats.
You can download a 15MB medium rez MP4 here. It was fantastic to experience this next generation performance and witness a new layer, a narrative across the three musical movements in addition to what has been visually more abstract in the past. Other exciting elements included the movement by the dancers around the volumous space triggering elements of the soundscape and the long prim cascades they are wearing integrating seamlessly with the more static set elements. A show well worth going to (if you can get tickets) and yes, I know, my little trailer and previous well received captures of the shows only gets half way there in terms of capturing the essence (see bottom of post)…but you who are not in this world are watching/reading this 
75 still photos on flickr here. Here is the official blurb
New Media Consortium (NMC) proudly presents:
DanCoyote’s ZeroG SkyDancers Third Production:
“Second Spring”.Second Spring is a completely LIVE story performance. SkyDancers perform in-flight choreography without the benefit of animations or gestures of any kind following cues given in REAL TIME on a private IM channel. DanCoyote “calls” the show to keep time with the score written and performed by ZeroOne Paz.
DanCoyote and Technical Director ZenMondo Wormser have pulled out all the stops this time and created the most dynamic stage set ever. Set pieces will evolve, vanish and change position as the story plays out.
Production Designer Queue Marlowe has created an incredible array of SkyDancer costumes called “cascades” that are change many times over the hour long show.
Set pieces have been created by venerable Second Life artists Jopsy Pendragon and Nand Nerd. Expect the unexpected!
To be our guest at this performance please send a message to DanCoyote Antonelli. DanCoyote will invite you to join the tickets group. Seating is very limited so only members of the tickets group will be admitted to the performance space.
Please contribute generously to the donation kiosk. A production of this quality and depth takes many hundreds of hours to prepare as well as tens of thousands of Linden dollars to produce. Suggested donation is $3000 Lindens with a sliding scale from $1000 up.
Cheers!
DanCoyote Antonelli, Producer Director, ZeroG SkyDancers
=========Press Release=========
For Immediate ReleaseNew Media Consortium Presents
ZeroG SkyDancers III - Virtual Flight ChoreographyPioneering Performing Arts Soar in the Metaverse - Again - Under the Direction of DanCoyote Antonelli
January 1, 2008, (Second Life) - Avatar DanCoyote Antonelli is accustomed to breaking new ground. Even in virtual worlds he is considered avant guarde. The real man controlling that avatar, DC Spensley, has been wowing virtual audiences since 2006 with art installations that would not be possible in real life, but perhaps the most coveted ticket in all of Second Life is one to a performance by his ZeroG SkyDancers. On January 6, 2008, the premiere of the highly anticipated, third, completely redesigned production of ZeroG SkyDancers will debut.
Second Life’s history making, critically acclaimed world performance group, the ZeroG SkyDancers is a new form of ensemble performance that uses the airspace of this virtual world, resulting in a cross between water ballet and aerial acrobatics, in ways that would not be possible in the physical world. Wearing spectacular, flowing costumes called cascades - that are many times larger than their avatars - the SkyDancers move through space, and become part of the stage themselves. Altering and evolving, their flight triggers audio samples, which provide a unique layer to the original musical score commissioned for the production.††
The production, sponsored by the New Media Consortium (NMC), will introduce an all-new reactive-interactive stage set that is repeatedly and dramatically transformed over the hour long performance. The ZeroG SkyDancers III will formally debut at 9PM Pacific Standard Time, Sunday, January 6, 2008 in the virtual world of Second Life. Seating is limited, but the show will run every week during the first 90 days of 2008, to accommodate the most guests possible. Tickets will cost $10 US ($3000 Lindens) a piece. For ticket information, please contact Spensley directly at dc@spensley.com.
Those with tickets will need to complete a 5 minute registration process with Second Life, http://www.secondlife.com , in order to access the ZeroG SkyDancers III performance.† A basic account is absolutely free, includes unlimited access to Second Life’s tools, events and communities.†Spensley recommends that audience members spend a minimum of 15 minutes learning the basic skills of the Second Life world prior to attending the performance. “Familiarizing yourself with basic navigation of Second Life will add even more enjoyment to the show,” said Spensley.
Gary Hazlitt’s video’s of two previous ZeroG SkyDancers II performances are available at YouTube and have received nearly 15 thousand views. “It’s difficult to convey the dramatic and immersive effects of the Second Life virtual world in a 2-D web environment, however the videos do convey the overall concept of the performance,” said Spensley.
Haunted Goth Dreams, a Halloween 2007 Second Life Machinima
October 16, 2007 9:51 pmExperience the Drama of the ‘Human Mind’ in Second Life
September 2, 2007 12:41 pmor a quick case study of my role as SL designer, producer and builder in moving a film/book/stage ‘idea’, Thursday’s Fictions into the metaverse of Second Life. First, to give you a taste, a short video of my friend Kylie (who has gone a bit goth) walking through the environment. (note: An important thing missing on the video is Richard James Allen’s meditative texts that appear all around as you explore and of course visitations are usually at a much more relaxed pace.)
I have noticed that this blog is turning into mostly things I have created in Second Life or close friends, not a bad thing I suppose as long as those creations are worth singing about. I believe this one certainly is. I was lucky to work with Richard James Allen and Karen Pearlman (of Physical TV) who are the drivers behind an ‘idea’ called Thursday’s Fictions. This idea has been manifest in film, book, theatre and my task was to be the designer, producer, builder etc: in Second Life. It was only a small project compared with many of the multi sim creations I have done and are currently working on, but it excelled in being a worthy, experimental, artistic and aesthetic statement. It fell strongly into something I call Story Environments - spaces that have narrative embedded in them at varying degrees, more on that later.
The basic premise of the story is a woman who lives for one day only is trying to take her most valued creative possession (her dancers in a trunk she carries with her) between various reincarnations. There is more to it than that of course and the themes of death, love, life, mind, body, spirit all intermingle to create a fascinating pot pourii of philosophy, psychology and self awareness.
My challenge was to find appropriateness in Second Life which is itself an allegory of the themes of the piece from the outset. In other words, as I mentioned in this panel interview on SLCN.tv, (yes I talk!), SL is a space that is already routed in parallel existance, new incarnation and so on. It was about trying to find something that was different enough from quite a few existing ’spiritual’ areas in SL but also providing links back to ‘real world’ perceptions of spiritual architecture.
I haven’t time in this blog post to go into vast detail but to say the build was done very rapidly and I worked iteratively with the writers (that included script consultant Rock Sonic - SL name) who are all relatively new to the true creative potential of this world. Some of the techniques used to deliver the narrative elements included invisible sensors that talked to you randomly, spirit ’spheres’ that whisper as they pass through you, moving and still texts of various forms on the walls, objects and nature that chats residual and direct thoughts, sound and embedded gate-keeper questions.
There are effectively two longer form experiences at the moment. Purgatory, a series of halls and alcoves exploring a range of ideas mostly routed in one word ‘choice’. What life to go to next, what to take, decide what happened in the previous one, choose a state of mind and so on. The second experience is one life you inhabit, the ‘fractured’ mind of one of the characters. For the latter I created something that was slightly unnerving and disorientating yet also welcoming and familiar. It was loosely based on the sets of the film but I injected some play and elements of confusion. Go see and you will understand. The first main area purgatory is populated by Richard’s a range of texts, my favourite being the ’self-destructive’ lines (in the floating spirits in the main hall) from his book Kamikaze Mind. I also wanted Purgatory to show how music, sound and visual effects, text, signs, places to explore and architecture create a new kind of experience in SL that becomes very cinematic. There were many compromises that had to be taken but happily they are all easily overcome in future experiences I will create in this and many other properties. I/we also wanted this experience to be as social as possible. In a full 3D social space anything that doesn’t allow a shared user journey through it is doomed so it has been great watching couples and small groups exploring.
There are many more elements planned for this ‘idea’ of Richards and these will include another 6 or 7 more life journeys that will attempt to cover a broader spectrum of the ‘human drama’. To go to this experience now here is a link to the starting grove - SLURL.
Posted by © Gary Hazlitt from inside Second Life
The Virtual Wedding, The Plan, The Charity and The SLUV
August 6, 2007 2:17 amAs a belated follow on from the previous article you may recall Polly and Steve about to get married. Well a couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of committing the event to video and subsequently editing it and adding some of my music. The YouTube embed I think captures the key moments of the three hour event as two people give their vows of love and commitment in front of friends and family. I copy below some textual elements from the video (which deliberately scrolls past or is on screen for too short a time - you are encouraged to hit pause on the first three busy text screens). This opening statement is from Annie Barnard who ran the proceedings
Greetings to all of you that have gathered here today to acknowledge and celebrate the love and joining of the hearts of Scubasteve and Pollyanneke. They have invited all of you, friends and family, to witness their declaration of love and commitment. They have asked me to pass you a message today … They would like you to know that their friends are a big part of second life. They know that you are all here for them and helped keeping them together in the hard times. Second Life is never easy for relationships but with good friends like you they know they will make it. I am sure that you, dear family and friends know far better than I do just how strong their love for one other is.
Often people feel that when they meet it is by chance. However, I do not feel this way and for Scubasteve and Pollyanneke meeting was not by chance. They met each other in a pond building area in April 2007. together they like to laugh, explore second life, find places to ride their horses and making a nice home at Vero Beach. Alone Scuba likes to come up with surprises for Polly and Polly like to find cozy spots for them to come back together to visit. Polly likes to call scuba ghost and subca like to call Polly Muse. Their persistence and determination to not be over come the forces from within and outside SL that would otherwise stop them from seeing each other had made the relationship resilient and magical in every sense of the word. One day they will even find the answer to the ultimate question in every avies mind can sluv conquer lag? Only time will tell.
This text is the actual statements and vows during the actual ceremony, again captured in the video, but may be too fast for some to read as it crawls across the screen in the romantic middle section.
Steve: Pol.. from the moment we met my sluv for u has grown and grown and together we have overcome so many hurdles together and now that we have a beautiful son together, my life is truly fulfilled, u are and always will be my sl babe we are synergy and u are truly wat sluv is all about. Everytime i see u it takes my breath away and leaving u each day is so so hard ur my angel, my ladyhawke and i’ll be ur Navarre together forever… eternally aprt. I so sluv u Pol
Polly: Oh Scuba i so sluv and adore you. You are so patient and kind especially when i am trying to build
You make me laugh all the time… more than anyone I have ever met sl or rl. I adore every single second i have with u and i want to be with u forever. I so so sluv u
Annie: Scubastive and Pollyanneke, as you slip on your rings, notice that they are a never-ending circle, as your love is for each other. The rings have no beginning and no end. They come together as a symbol of your love for each other. Polly, please repeat after me…
Polly: I, Polly. take you Scuba, to be my husband. I promise to love and support you, to honour and respect you, to make you laugh, and to explore with you not only the beauty of this world around us but the beauty that lies within your heart as well
Steve: I, Scuba, take you, Polly, to be my wife. I promise to love you and support you, to honor and respect you, to make you laugh, and to explore with you not only the beauty of this world around us, but also the beauty that lies within your heart as well.
and the final decree from Annie telling the SL world that these two are now a couple…
Annie: Scubasteve and Pollyanneke, you have declared your love and commitment in front of your friends and family today. If you agree with this union of your hearts please respond by saying I do.
Polly: I do
Steve: i do babe
Polly:
Annie: Scubastive and Pollyanneke, as you have declared your love and promises today, and by the powers vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. Fill each day with love, laughter and light. Dear friends and family, I am honored and pleased to introduce for the first time as Husband and Wife, Scubastive and Pollyanneke.
It was a great celebratory event for all concerned and since then Steve and Polly have been contacting me with more information on their plans to use Second Life as a force for change in many worlds. The text below is from both of them detailing how one area, namely SL couples adopting Real Life children will work and some scripting help they will need. Good luck to them and this initiative.
As a couple in SL, Pollyanneke Pera and Scubasteve Canning decided to have an SL baby.
what we deicided to do though was to make a real life difference in the third world
by sponsoring a child through World Vision. In this was, we share the joy of having
a virtual baby together, but also are making a real life difference to a boy in India.We want to share that experience with other couples in SL who are thinking about having
a SL baby together. That way, thousands of needy children will benefit as a direct
result of couples in SL. Here’s what we are proposing; Couples in SL who want to have a baby (and there are thousands of them) currently can do so through a couple of options….
- they can get a scripted object that comes with an hud to interact with the mother the object will whisper phrases such as need changing or feeding etc.
- they can ‘adopt’ a child which is an adult who role plays as a child for a couple which a monthly fee is paid to the ‘adopted child’.
The concept of an SL child is a means for a couple to share their ’sluv’ for each other
on a higher level. However, our thoughts are that this could be better served by
making a difference in the real world. Hence we felt that a donation to a children’s charity
would go that step further in making a difference. In that same vain we wanted to give
something back to the couple in return for their donation. The best way is a symbolic
gesture such as a scripted object not unlike the scripted SL babies that currently exist.Specifically, it would work like this.
- Couple goes to a SL ‘maternity hospital’ and chooses a baby. the amount would be the equivalant of $40 US. when the couple touches the object to pay, the money is transferred to the charity via a URL link. The charity can then convert the Lindons into US currency or if possible the money is automatically converted via a Lindon exchange and the US dollars deposited directly to the charity. The URL for the donation is http://www.christianchildrensfund.org/donate/donate.aspx more specifically, we have chosen the Child Alert Emergency Fund from Christian Childrens Fund.
- When the donation is made, the couple recieve a scripted baby object as a symbol of their genoristy and sluv.
- The couple can choose to go back to the ‘hospital’ in a few months for a ‘check up’ this would give the couple more options for their child such as being a bit older, the ability to walk etc. this would require another donation to the charity to occur.
Therefore, we need some scripting help with this project. firstly to provide a scripted baby object, then the URL link to convert the payment into US dollars which would automatically go direct to the Christian Childrens fund. Finally to provide additional scripts for the growth and walking etc.
This is the organisation that we would like the money to go to.
- Christian Childrens Fund. More about this charity at http://www.christianchildrensfund.org/content.aspx?id=104 The specific fund within the organisation would be;
- Child Alert Emergency Fund. Wars and natural disasters create emergency situations that put already vulnerable children in grave danger. The ChildAlert Emergency Fund helps CCF act quickly to provide for the immediate needs and long-term recovery of children in emergency situations, whether natural or manmade. Recently, our Child Alert Emergency Fund has provided resources to help thousands of children affected by the Asian tsunami, the India earthquake, Sudanese refugees living in Chad, and other emergencies in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Afghanistan.
This is purely non-profit but a way in which thousand of children can be saved through scripting in SL. IM Pollyanneke Pera or Scubasteve Canning if u can help us to help thousands of needy children.
Posted by Gary Hazlitt inside Second Life © 2007
When the 3rd World Is Adopted by the Virtual World
July 12, 2007 12:48 am
I have the good fortune of meeting and getting friendly with a wide range of people in my capacity of creating many large ‘environments’ across the Second Life grid. I often get invited to engagements, weddings, parties and a couple of funerals. A few months ago I noticed a couple riding horses around the Pond cobble lanes and then befriended Pollyanneke and scubasteve. They have many friends and are about to get married in Second Life (a 2nd attempt - story below) which I will video for them next week. To demonstrate and be more committed in world they are doing a potential world first - sponsoring a real world (read: developing or troubled world) child as a virtual couple inside Second Life. I interviewed them at their large mansion house inworld to understand their motivations and how significant this could be.
Could you tell me a little about how you met
scubasteve Canning: We never planned to meet, I was learning to build and Pol came up to me and asked me to teach her.
Pollyanneke Pera: It was a rainy day for me in real life and thought why not for a day. He kept tp’ing (teleporting) me to teach me. I had zero interest really.
scubasteve Canning: Yeah no intention of ever getting together but we had so much in common and we know each other so well.
Pollyanneke Pera: But…the pull. We are an odd couple as it has turned out.
So you dated or just grew to know each other through buiilding
Pollyanneke Pera: Not through building, he would’ve ditched me. We found at we had a lot in common, like horses and causes.
scubasteve Canning: We both have horses in real life.
So how long exactly have you known each other
scubasteve Canning: We met in March 2007
Pollyanneke Pera: I think I met scuba his first day (rez day), he was such a cute shy newb.
And how long after SL dating did you connect in real life
scubasteve Canning: Well probably after a month, but we have never met, just on phone.
Pollyanneke Pera: We shared photos too he has a great voice though.
scubasteve Canning: But we are together forever.. eternally apart
Pollyanneke Pera: It’s weird when u know someone in one medium and then you get to talk, the voice will be different.
scubasteve Canning: But we know each others voices and I love talking to her at work and trying to make her laugh.
Why did you decide to get married in Second Life
Pollyanneke Pera: Scuba asked as a joke initially and it butterflied from there
scubasteve Canning: Just a crazy idea at the time lol
Pollyanneke Pera: He likes a challenge, must be a build thing?
scubasteve Canning: For me its was after the first time Pol left me in Second Life and then I felt that I really like this girl. I took a pic of her that nite and we will always remember that nite she went away.
Pollyanneke Pera:
scubasteve Canning: We will always be locked apart, we will always be together in Second Life. Together forever.. eternally apart.. thats us.
So how do you think your relationship will change after the wedding next week. Also how big is the wedding? How many people coming to it?
Pollyanneke Pera: we already are committed
scubasteve Canning: as hard as it is we can never meet in real life
Pollyanneke Pera: well we can, but we won’t!, too perfect as it is. Sluv is a word scuba created… best word to describe how I feel about him.
scubasteve Canning: we got at least 100 that i know of coming to the wedding and the list keeps getting bigger
So you have taken a big step of adopting a real world child from within Second Life. Whose idea was this?
Pollyanneke Pera: Well not really it was not a big step. It was a very easy one…
scubasteve Canning: it just made sense to us to do this. We had to find a way to declare our sluv for each other
Pollyanneke Pera: i saw the posters of madeleine mcann and I thought wow, what a medium for lost children. Then World Vision was having their 10000 appeal for one month and i thought hang on.
scubasteve Canning: we so hope that others will follow us and show their sluv for each other as we have done
Pollyanneke Pera: World Vision are one three aid based Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in Second Life at the moment I believe. They need to look at Second Life in a big way I think. So many great people and from fairly secure lives.
So do you think you are the first to do this? And how will the child be made aware that he/she is adopted by virtual couple!
scubasteve Canning: yeah.. Pol had this great idea.. never been done before
Pollyanneke Pera: hmmm, another good question… Oh I have had World Vision children for years and no I don’t do that its seems so patriarchal somehow. Scuba and I just want to start this we are not an organization but we are so committed
scubasteve Canning: We are two kindred souls who wanted to make a difference because we so care about each other and want to use our feelings for each other to help others
Pollyanneke Pera: My 1st sponsored child was from West Bank in Gaza. Her name is Abeer Mahmoud. She sent me one card that totally changed me last Xmas, it said ‘I love yo\u forever’” - and she doesn’t know me, she doesn’t need to.
scubasteve Canning: we shall have a pic in the house here of our child
A little bigger picture. What is your opinion of the virtual world sponsoring the 3rd world
scubasteve Canning: We hope to get tip jars that can transfer money direct to World Vision and we have hundreds of friends in Second Life
Pollyanneke Pera: yes
NOTICE: Second Life: Second Life will be closing for a scheduled update at 6am PDT. Watch the blog for details.
At this point the second life grid closed for its bi-monthly update and the interview was sadly cut short. I will try to catch up with Polly and scuba at a later date, perhaps post wedding, to see how things are progressing. For now some information about World Vision.
Change the life of a child
The best way to change a child’s life is to change the world in which they live.
By sponsoring a child, you will help to bring about long-term benefits to the child, their family and community for just $43 per month. Your support will help to fund vital development work in the child’s community, such as digging wells, improving sanitation and building health clinics.
This work ensures that the community will be able to provide the children with the basics they need, which helps them to grow up in a healthy environment and have the chance for a better future.
Posted by Gary Hazlitt from inside Second Life
Intelligence Jim But Not As We Know It
July 1, 2007 1:58 pm
Second Life ABC Bot 02, originally uploaded by Gary Hayes.
Not sure who Jim is but the steel man sitting down is one of many early prototypes of an Artificial Intelligence Chat Bot I am experimenting with. The back-end engine for this one is freely hosted at Pandorabots.com and I am using a mixture of existing libraries across a range of subjects but also creating specific ones to various commercial and non-for profit sim developments.
I have started to use several off the shelf sculpties (single, colour map formed smooth prim) of the human form. On this one you can see I also mapped a 360 scan of one of those bio forms which makes it look a little stupid - especially with the hat. I am also doing a script at the moment that will make his head turn and arms move in synch with his chat, but the easiest way to do this is to log in as an avatar and attach the chat bot ‘object’ to the body of the avie that is kept awake artificially.
The quality of the automatic responses is improving each day and I think we are only a couple of years away from having a chat bot that is unrecognisable (in chat at least) from many, if not most, of the current SL inhabitants.
Posted by Gary Hazlitt from inside Second Life
A Wonderful World
December 26, 2006 8:39 pmI know it has been a long time since the last post, but I have been extremely busy with many exciting developments. As well as the many commissions coming along to design and build islands, trying out some more advanced LSL (scripting) and delivering lots of SL training sessions, I have bought, and am now sharing a WHOLE Island with four friends. Yay! It is wonderful to have such a low lag existence and be close to some extremely talented avies, protected nature and next to all amenities (namely Esperance and other Australiana sims). More to follow on all these cool developments in the next post. Such investment, is of course contrary to the sentiments of this video post as you will see. It is the end of the year and the bio world are celebrating something called Christmas, so it has been pretty quiet in here. I took the opportunity to make a little video on Christmas day called ‘A Wonderful World’, complete with me singing, yes, and arranging the music on my magic white grand piano (where any sound is possible!). Anyway here it is, if you were around the grid on XMas day you may even be in there!
Now for excuses. I only had about five hours to do everything and the frame rate of the video was quite slow on the day for some grid ‘bug’ reason but I went ahead regardless. Half way through the production, which shows some of the magic of this place, I suddenly thought of having some parallel text that gives a perspective of that bio world - how society is unfairly distributing wealth, people are dying and how natural resources are depleting. The statistics I found were very depressing but I put them in as they added an important counter-balance, although you see some of this raised in this, Second Life world.
I think the video really works on four distinct levels:
- A celebration of the world of Second Life
- That this place has the potential to also raise serious issues
- There are many things we should learn and take heed of from the bio world
- That many bios are escaping into this world and letting their own ‘real’ world degrade
I would be interested to see what you think of the video as it was done in a bit of a rush, but I enjoyed all the flying around and of course you get a sneak preview, in many of the scenes, of Marni (our new island) and my new house which I have nearly completed - but the quality of the video doesn’t do it any justice, wait for some great pics in the next post.
For some light entertainment I have been training lots of avies and taking them on tours of the world. We had some fun last week when after various lessons in filming, building, lots of trips we did a short lesson in avatar changing - so a bunch of TV folk posed by the decorative ’seasonal’ tree on Esperance for the obligatory group photo - not a crowd you would want to meet on a dark sim! (I’m the large black dragon BTW)
Posted by Gary Hazlitt from inside Second Life
