NSS Machinima Showcase and Award Ceremony
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SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2010
2 PM SLT
University of Western Australia’s BOSL Amphitheater
http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20of%20WA/72/72/1646
The National Space Society is pleased to present the first “NSS in SL” machinima contestant exhibition showing and award ceremony. Please join us for this wonderful event that combines Second Life arts and sciences. Celebrating the mission of the NSS for space exploration and the technical and artistic expertise of machinima artists is what this event is about. If you are interested in space, science fiction, animated films, music in Second Life, or filmmaking in a virtual world, please join us for this event! One winner will walk away with 100,000 lindens! There is plenty of room at the UWA’s BOSL Amphitheater—I’m told it seats 200 with no lag—so bring a friend!
This unprecedented machinima event sees the teaming up of two Linden Prize Finalists (Archivist Llewellyn of the Library and Archive at NASA CoLab (NASA JPL/Caltech), and Taralyn Gravois and Jayjay Zifanwe of the The University of Western Australia, along with with Archivist Llewellyn and Ariel Miranda of the National Space Society. This partnership is another exercise in serendipity as the NSS Machinima event was inspired by UWA's own Machinima Challenge which completed early this year.
The winner of the 2010 NSS in SL Machinima Contest was selected by the Executive Director of the National Space Society, Gary Barnhard. The event and videos will be featured on the NSS website, the NSS magazine AdAstra, the Society's newsletter and other media outlets.
CraigLyons Writer, who graciously permitted his music to be used in the videos, will be performing LIVE during the event. Craig is a professional musician whose music has been featured on national television programs in the United States (So You Think You Can Dance, The Real World) and on Japanese television. He has licensed music with Universal Music, FOX TV and MTV. Recently, Craig's performances in Second Life received coverage in the LA Times.
Website: http://www.craiglyons.net/
LA Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/09/entertainment/la-et-secondlife-concerts-20100609
Guest speaker, Rysan Fall, has made some real *waves* in the machinima community. He will be speaking about the upcoming U2 Concert in RL (Glastonbury, England) which will show his video, followed by a showing of what First Life Audiences will see at the U2 concert.
Fall Films: http://www.youtube.com/user/FallFilms
Glastonbury Concert: http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/news/u2-confirmed-for-glastonbury-2010
Today's venue is sponsored by the University of Western Australia & BOSL Group. We are grateful to LaPiscean Liberty & Aview TV for his technical expertise and assistance and all of the contestants who participated.
Questions about the event?
Please IM or drop a note card to Archivist Llewellyn.
EVENT SUMMARY
(Minor editing changes were made to improve readability)
Archivist Llewellyn
Introduction:
Welcome to the first “NSS in SL” machinima contestant exhibition showing and award ceremony. Thank you for participating today in what is an unprecedented machinima event--two Linden Prize finalists, four linked sims, 200 seats, and 11 amazing videos! If you enjoy space, science fiction, animated or scifi films, music in Second Life, or just want to learn more about filmmaking in a virtual world, this event will not disappoint. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the significance of this year, 2010, and science fiction film making. With today’s technology, and a virtual world environment like Second Life, average people can bring their vision for the future of space travel to life on the big screen, just as they can imagine and build them in Second Life. Filmed at the National Space Society island and other locations, the machinamatographers featured today have successfully combined the art and science of virtual film making to show us their visions of the future of human spaceflight. The imagination, curiosity, and desire to explore the universe underlies the heart of the National Space Society’s mission. If you or your organization would like to learn more about machinima, I will be giving a talk on this topic at the United States Air Force’s “Lunch and Learn” at Huffman Prairie (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Huffman%20Prairie%20Delta/69/61/28) on August 6th. I am also available to give presentations to groups about science education in Second Life and the Neil A. Armstrong Library and Archives at NASA CoLab as well as tours of the library. I’d like to thank the University of Western Australia and LaPiscean Liberty and Aview TV for providing this wonderful venue and the technology behind today’s event. Please stay until the end, where one winner will walk away with 100,000 lindens! We will also have a meet and greet “after party” at NSS where you can meet the people here today and ask questions. For those of you who are looking for voice, no it is in text due to the 4 sim regions. We will use video to show the videos of course, and it is compatible with both Viewer 1 and Viewer 2.
I would like now to introduce Ariel Miranda from the National Space Society who will say a few words.
Ariel Miranda
Hello everyone and thanks for joining us today! The National Space Society is a grass-roots, International organization (despite the name) dedicated to promoting the exploration and development of space. We're really excited about our presence here in the virtual world, and now we're pleased to have this opportunity to showcase our efforts and look to the future. Thanks to all the entrants who have participated. We have some great stuff here for us today!
With that, I'll shut up and return the floor to Archivist.
Archivist Llewellyn
Next, I'd like to introduce CraigLyons Writer, who graciously permitted his music to be used in the videos.
Craig is a professional musician whose music has been featured on national television programs in the United States (So You Think You Can Dance, The Real World) and on Japanese television. He has licensed music with Universal Music, FOX TV and MTV. Recently, Craig's performances in Second Life received coverage in the LA Times.
Website: http://www.craiglyons.net/
LA Times:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/09/entertainment/la-et-secondlife-concerts-20100609
CraigLyons Writer
Hi everyone! I'm so glad to see you all here! Let me start by saying what a huge honor it is to be involved in this event at all, let alone the extent that I am. Machinima is the future, and I'm so excited about this contest. As far as I'm concerned, everyone is already a winner—The attention on low-impact filming, space exploration, and music is amazing! I should point out quickly – I was supposed to perform today, but I'm traveling and wasn't able to get my stream working remotely. I am happy to announce I will be performing soon in celebration of this event though. Furthermore, I'm here meeting in RL with Rysan Fall, the director/producer of my Across The Universe video! This is just an indication of the power behind everything that's happening here today. I won't take up any more time, but I'm so proud of everyone involved here, and I'm so excited about all the videos I've seen. This is the future, and you all are on the edge of making great positive change to our world and beyond. Thank you!
Archivist Llewellyn
Yes, but please tell us about your tour!
CraigLyons Writer
Oh, I'd love to! I'm in the process of putting together my ECOnection tour. Many of you know me as an environmentalist. This summer, I will begin a low-impact RL tour to help educate the world at large about virtual performances, telecommuting, and machinima. These RL performances will be broadcast into SL so I can continue my quest to make mixed reality events a staple in the future. Please check out my new LA Times article as posted above to see the press that's already rolling in . . . and everyone involved today will undoubdetly be recognized too! And please visit my Across the Universe music video on youtube to see my exploration into space and machinima. Rysan is sitting here next to me in RL, and he says thank you all so much! Time for me to have a seat and enjoy the show!
Thank you so much Archivist and everyone!
Archivist Llewellyn
Thank you so much Craig! Next up is Ian Pahute. Ian is going to introduce his video.
Ian Pahute
As an artist, I am fascinated by the notion, ‘What defines me?’ And virtual worlds–such as Second Life–present a really exciting medium for creative practice . . . I believe that as technology blurs the boundaries of our perceived reality, we have to make it part of ourselves. But as in the real world, we need balance. Technology can so easily become an onslaught of the novel and we need more than this. My aspiration as an artist is to create virtual spaces where—like in the ancient, sacred, hidden and secret places in the real world—we can stop and just be. I'm also completely fascinated by the space program. And have followed it avidly since childhood. Although, my biggest childhood regret is that my mother and father sent me to bed while Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon. To be fair to Mum and Dad, I was only nine at the time and here in the UK it was something like two o'clock in the morning! So I thank NSSinSL and this competition for presenting an opportunity to create space inspired art! My machinima takes a very human angle on the realities of space exploration. And is, I think, a little different to some of the others you will see here tonight. And I am REALLY relieved to be up first--so as not to interrupt the dancing! But before the dancing starts, I offer you an opportunity to reflect . . . To take a moment and imagine yourself as a little, technology-cocooned bubble of humanity, somewhere distant from our home planet Earth . . . And in that moment—in a space between the formal structures of mission communication—to stand back and be with yourself and contemplate the enormity of just where you are and to take a moment to reflect on the history that has helped you/us get there . . .
Ladies and gentlemen, I present A Reflection . . . Over to Archivist . . . Enjoy!
Archivist Llewellyn
Ok, so the next video is by Aiden Witrial.
Aiden Witrial
Hello everyone. I will say a few words about how and why I make videos "machinimalike." Many years ago i was working with oil on canvas and painted pictures in a way that nothing was planned and it was intuitive. Working with what came out of my mind in the moment I was painting. Since I started to make videos in secondlife over a year ago (I made over 150 videos here and you can watch them at http://www.youtube.com/aidenwitrial), I noticed one day that I do it the same way as the paintings before: intuitive and not planned, on one hand are the pictures I record from the moment and location and how I feel the scenery and then on the other hand. I use the music and let the music control the pictures when I cut and edit. I do that over and over until music and pictures of the movie go together to one new thing called a "machinimalike" music video with its own soul. So every video is like a catched moment. Also, it's animated. I see it more as a painting what is alive in a way. A last word to the Craig Lyons - Far Away—It’s about an astronaut who is outsite his spaceship and remembering the far away station on the planet he was living and working before and his dreams when he entered his way to be an astronaut. This video is inspired by the music and its title Spinning Slowly. The fast music and the title "slowly spinning" let me see the fast spinning possibility in camera movement and antigravity.
Archivist Llewellyn
Rocksea Renegade is the fourth entry. Rocksea would you like to say a few words?
Rocksea Renegade
Ok. This film is entitled Dreamer's Journey. This film is a metaphor of a person's need for self-discovery and exploration of their own beliefs. The famous phrase 'The Sky's the Limit' is a rule that's meant to be broken in order to achieve one's dreams. The film begins innocently enough in an observatory. The woman, as seen in the observatory, seems like an ordinary everyday worker. Deep down she harbours dreams of being outside the confines of her own world--being shown life outside and beyond her telescope's glass eye, to be able to view the Universe with her own eyes. Her romantic encounter with the spaceman, in her dreams, demonstrates her love and passion for exploring and discovering her subconscious desire to be more than what she is. We meanwhile see the spaceman in cutaway shots searching for the woman. As if we see his earlier attempts to locate her, before finally discovering her having danced alone—waiting for someone or something to finally show her the way to her heart. Thank you.
Archivist Llewellyn
Entry number five is also by Rocksea.
Rocksea Renegade
This one is called The Trip. Inspired by Stanley Kubrick's famous film 2001: A Space Odyssey, we journey through space and time to meet an alien race whilst recapping on some instances of man's technological advances in space exploration. This is actually intended as a tribute to man's ability to achieve the seemingly impossible, bringing with it the hope that one day humans will traverse far across the stars and make alliances with other races—for the betterment of humankind. Thank you. Thank you.
Archivist Llewellyn
Our next film maker is Chenin Anabuki. Unfortunately Chenin could not be here . . .
LaPiscean Liberty
In Thrust We Trust
LaPiscean Liberty
From Rysan Fall, U2in SL. This video was selected to play behind Real Life U2 at Glastonbury's 40th anniversary.
Archivist Llewellyn
Welcome Rysan, and what a great video! Rysan has been a great friend and mentor in the machinima venue. He has also collaborated on Craig Lyons video. Rysan worked on the Across the Universe video for about 8 months or so before its official release. We at NSS were just very pleased to have a pre-release showing not long ago. Rysan Fall's video is not part of this contest, but hopefully he will say a few words to us about machinima and his video.
Rysan Fall
Hello everyone. It is a pleasure to be here. I understand that you just saw my video. I am so sorry I am late. I also understand that we have a room full of great film makers here today. It is an honor to be here to speak to you all. Machinima is an art form that's time has come to be recognized by the main stream media as a legitimate art form and I believe that all of us as artists have a responsibility to continue with this art form of ours, to push it to the forefront. Machinima has been recognized in many other game engines. But SL machinima, to me, hasn’t been given the proper light. We create our content as well as story and try not to rely on engines to produce content. One of my videos, entitled U2 in SL was chosen by the actual band to play behind them during the Glastonbury Music Festival. Unfortunately Bono suffered a spinal injury, and had to cancel their tour dates including the Glastonbury Festival. But when he recovers, I’m sure they still plan to use the video in some capacity their song, “Even Better Than the Real Thing." But that just just goes to show the posibilities for machinima and what it can be used for. Thank you so much for watching my video. So glad you liked it!
Archivist Llewellyn
Thanks Rysan for coming and sharing your video.
Next up is Flurry Fargis . . . Please give her a warm welcome.
Flurry Fargis
Hi all. Blow Into is the title of my machinima. Blow Into is a representation of the breath of life that goes through SL beyond the pretense of the pixel to blow within in this world, that pushes us toward the future, toward the exploration of unknown worlds, worlds that are inside and out of us, SL and RL. Thank you, master lute, who has allowed me to compose this music, liuto Karu.
Archivist Llewellyn
Up next is Al Peretz . . . Please welcome AL to the stage.
Al Peretz
Hello to all. Explore the universe with your feet on the ground. The idea I express in my work is this: “It is very important to understand the universe, explore the secrets of the wilderness, and seek new worlds.” We work to discover the source in the video and understand the existence of man in the universe. All with his feet firmly on this wonderful world we live in, and with the greatest respect for the planet Earth. Since the beginning of our existence we were explorers, curious and thirsty for knowledge. This is the nature of the human species. Through our history we have made great discoveries and scientific and technological achievements. From the invention of the wheel, to sending a human into space, we have shown that we are great artists. We look into the vastness of space, from the earliest of civilizations. We decided to discover that He was up there. We represent space with drawings; we gave the stars the representation of God, and found time, with his steps into the horizons. As we wake up from our naps, we leave our home, and begin to discover the outdoors and we are the explorers of the universe. Explore the area with their feet on the ground, means that we must continue our search for new worlds, but the starting point should be the maximum care of natural resources, prepare to live on earth in the most green, take care of our planet and love above all things. Browse space as a need to satisfy our curiosity and thirst for knowledge, not that one day we get to explore space that destroyed our home. Love of the Earth means understanding the nature of the universe. Which in some wonderful way and with the intelligence God gave us, as the planet is the most beautiful gift of the universe we know. Care for our planet and explore the universe, so that mankind can live in harmony, peace and happiness. Special thanks to all the crew who participated in this film and especially to Pondy Loopen who made the music. There are two versions; they are each different. Thanks.
Archivist Llewellyn
There are two very different versions of the same footage, an excellent example of how editing plays an important role in the final product.
LaPiscean Liberty
Explorers, versions A & B by Al Peretz.
Archivist Llewellyn
Earth Primbee could not be here but he asked me to say these words for him:
"When I was a child I dreamed of space. Virtual worlds help me analyze what space is and how I relate to it. In this way I draw a deeper understanding of our place in the universe. I made this machinima to spread the goals of the National Space Society in that magic way that the web can deliver. I believe in the NSS's mission and I hope the world will too. Thank you for the chance and motivation to create this machinima and I hope you enjoy. Thank you."
LaPiscean Liberty
From the Surface of the Earth by Earth Primbee
Archivist Llewellyn
Next up is Cisko Vandeverre. Please give a warm welcome to Cisko.
Cisko Vandeverre
Hi all. First I’d like to say thanks for accepting my film for this competion. I wish i had a bit more time to produce this. Watching space travel I am always astonished by the blast-off. That these giant spacecraft weighing tons of steel are able to lift off into orbit is the most amazing feat of engineering. It’s visually and acoustically spectacular. The story idea came directly out of the word Lift-Off. My main goal is to build a story with my characters rather than going for a documentary style. Visiting the NSS sim I discovered a great Lift/Elevator among many other interesting objects. That's when I decided to combine the story concept of "Lift" and "Lift-Off." After receiving an invitation to take part in this contest, I knew it was a good opportunity to send my two main characters off on another adventure. After all, they're at home in space. Filming the intense shaking inside of the lift cabin gave me a good example of what the Astronauts must be feeling during the Start. I merged real film and NSS sim footage for some impressions for both orbit and earth-based scenes. The acoustic atmosphere came about through hours of watching and listening to nss.org moviefiles, especially the recorded conversations between the Control Tower and the Cockpit. I recorded some of the more striking passages and composed it together to the final soundtrack. The entire composition was complemented with music from my Sample Library. Hope everybody enjoys watching it.
LaPiscean Liberty
OFF LIFT by Cisko Vandeverre
Archivist Llewellyn
Conclusion:
I would like to thank each and every contestant for their submission. Frankly I am glad I did not have to be the judge of such a difficult competition. Each of the contestants provided superior examples of machinimatography. In both technical and creative aspects I can say the videos we received were some of the best I’ve seen. So, I’d like to thank Executive Director of the NSS, Gary Barnhard for taking this decision off my hands, I mean . . . making this decision . . .
And the winner is . . . .
Ariel Miranda
Drumroll!
Archivist Llewellyn
Rocksea Renegade for Dreamer's Journey! Congratulations Rocksea! Rocksea, can you say a few words?
Rocksea Renegade
**!!Passes out!!** Sure when I get up off the flooor!
Thank you so much for this award. I am privileged to have been part of such a brilliant competition! So many wonderful entries to this contest, it has been an honour to have my work showcased amongst theirs. I would also like to say a special thanks to Archivist Llewellyn, NSS and really the entire team behind organising the contest! I am deeply fascinated with the idea of space exploration, I champion people's efforts to further our knowledge as well as attempts to expand our presence in the Universe. I well and truly believe we are not alone in the Universe, with such a massive expanse of space it is impossible to believe we are the only intelligent beings around. I hope that, one day, our dreams of being amongst the stars will become a reality. So here's to the future! Thank you all!
Archivist Llewellyn
I would like to thank the audience for attending today’s event! All of the videos can be seen on the National Space Society’s Website: http://www.nss.org/contests/2ndlifevideos.html.
They can also be seen on AView TV. LaPiscean, can you give the url?
LaPiscean Liberty
http://aview.tv/?page_id=1213
Archivist Llewellyn
In addition, the National Space Society will be having an after party. If you want to attend, Ariel has the SLurl.
Ariel Miranda
Everyone, when we're done here, you're all welcome to join us at the National Space Society sim for our afterparty:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/National%20Space%20Society/152/59/301
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