Shadows of Missing Persons

a photo taken recently at Cherry's sim on the Franco Grid

Sometimes artist leave.

But that doesn't mean they are no longer artists.

A new video from Cherry Manga, "Only Love Matters" (a raw cut) let's us know that.

Blogger won't let me insert that video for whatever reason but I can give you the URL.

Cherry has moved over to Opensim, at least in part because of costs. Some folks are sure she will be back as she doesn't have "an audience" there. From the many posts I have seen on this just released video, I think those commentaries may be a tad short sited.

Art is art.

Calm Those Nerves

A new yoga area JUST appeared in the gym.

Stressed?  Calm those nerves and do a little filming.  Bring a friend or two and have a class!

Winter Warmth

New in SNOW, a seating area with interactive firepit for marshmallow toasting. Single and couples animations abound, with up to four folks at the pit.

Find this outside the new snow covered cabin (unfinished walls with lots of filming possibilities).

Stay warm!

Tutsy Regains His Crown!

Just announced as I type this from the auditorium:

THE WINNER OF MACHINIMUWA VII: TRANSCENDING BORDERS..... on a remarkable NO DOUBT ABOUT IT 120 points, placing in the top 10 of every single one of the 25 on the judging panel, with EIGHT 1st place votes, FOUR 2nd place votes, FOUR 3rd place votes, ONE 4th place vote and FIVE 5th place votes is:

Tutsy Navarathna.


I picked the top two and am very happy with the winner's list.

Vivi of course (she says knowingly) won second and shared with Erhthro Asimov.  

So close this year. A good one for machinima!

Why Do We Film?

Actually the bigger question is "why do we make art"?  Whether paper, canvas, clay, film or even prims it is often because we have something to say.

I can remember when I was learning to paint; my ideas were way beyond my skill level. Eventually with time and patience my abilities caught up with my visions and I could translate my epiphanies onto paper.  Many years ago I went digital, giving up pigments for bits and bytes. The process is much the same and the raw materials use far less.

It is about half an hour before the UWA awards ceremony. I left myself at the auditorium through the night thinking that if I didn't wake up I could at least capture chat. Lots of course happens in the night when you leave yourself on -- I remember that from the camping days of my youth. So several messages and a ton of new releases were in inbox and inventory as I yawned and blinked my way back to the keys.

We are here to give some gold stars to folks who took the time to impart their ideas, to print them on indelible digital film for posterity. There is skill involved of course. Smooth cams and beautiful Windlight settings help impart the stories.

Still, without something to say ......

UWA Transcending Borders 6AM Sunday

Now I am not sure that "I" will be up well before dawn to make this winter finale and awards presentatino, but for many of you it will be a better hour -- so get there.

Watch some films, congratulate the winners and perhaps win your own prize if you entered a film or sent in a "winners" list.

Go a bit early; dress down (that doesn't mean bare but leaving mesh body parts and primmy hair at home would be a good thing). I have special no script outfits which I use for these occasions. You can be fashionable (OK not everyone CARES even) and still be easy on the server.

All the info on the UWA awards presentation is here.

Holiday Cheer

The holidays are in full swing now.

This timely (but not just Christmas) package wrapping station makes a great backdrop.  Located in the colorful craft house down by the water, it is open 24 hours for your festive filming.

With a bit of yard sale shopping, there is now an intricate and detailed desk in the Steampunk surround. Getting all the details without all the prims has been a challenge, but we're getting there.

Also new, some additions to the home garage. Find the brick two story industrial building up in the full sim city; it is across from the bar.

Presents at MOSP

Heads up my little groupies -- it's present time.

I hadn't PLANNED this you understand. I was not slaving away for a month making you new holiday items (like when would I have the time?).

But, I came across a very nice gift giver script set up, had some pretty boxes already set out and thought, "why not?". 

I went though my inventory and found some holiday goodies plus a few other things. A few are past hunt gifts, some are older store goods and some I actually still sell. Don't get terribly excited, nothing is state of the art. But still, fun. There are no bad gifts, but I had to mark one "naughty" for the script to work. So I chose something black which seemed appropriate.

I made this a group activity, mostly because I wanted to thank you all for actually joining the group. It isn't like much goes on -- so I consider it a "supportive" declaration and it is appreciated.

There are twelve different gifts and you can come by once a day and give the present boxes a try. Just touch with your tag on. The boxes will be there until the first of the year.

And be sure and grab some holiday hot chocolate; very cute and festive.

Cheers!

December

December is a busy month for me with three or more (oh my) fashion posts going up each day plus other blogging. That doesn't mean I have forgotten about MOSP, just that you are going to get recycled "fashion blog" photos with your run down of what's new :D.

Top photo: lots of new additions to the retro house in the full sim city.

New bedroom furnishing in the steampunk skybox.  I have my eye on some soon to be released items to accompany these period pieces, so some revamping there soon.

This really gorgeous fountain is now in SAGE; find a rustic bench not far away.

Other additions include a very pretty back in time vanity in the Spring Romance Villa (off the bedroom with the black satin sheeted bed) as well as decor additions in the sound stages. And the Medieval market got an additions with more vendor stalls.

Oh and don't miss the super cute miniature village at the landing point. Great for close ups.

Snow Days

The changes have begun in SNOW! It's that time of year when many of us are wishing for white holiday weather -- virtual is best; no shoveling.

The Christmas tree lot will be in the pale outdoor landscape this year.  This homey outdoor picnic table makes great scene.

An outdoor snowy bench now greets visitors at the SNOW landing point.

And there are even some new critters wandering the hills.

Come visit.

Making Your Own Theater

Have you even wanted to make your own movie theater?  Maybe even a home version just for some friends?

First you need a screen -- well of course!  A simple flattened prim will do or something more complex with an invisible prim as the actual screen. It is fairly easy to find instructions for getting media on a prim; the tough part -- for me anyway -- was figuring out how to get rid of YouTube's "next related video" insistence. Most of those films were SO not related.  That's definitely not an elegant way to present your work.

After a lot of experimentation and searching, logic won out and I discovered the method by myself. So of course I wanted to share. It's easy when you know the steps.

First you need to make a playlist or add the videos you want to an existing one. See this page for step by step instructions.


You can't just link to your playlist URL to your screen; I tried that and simply got a static webpage with a bunch of thumbnails. You have to be a little tricky.

From your CHANNEL page click on the "View as public" choice (top right). The page will change and you will no longer see your page as a manager. This is important!

Once you see your channel as the general public does, click on Playlists in the menu.

From the playlists choices pick the one you want to be in your theater, then click to start watching the films in that list.

The URL in the location bar at the top of the screen is what you have been after all along. Copy the whole thing!

Back in world paste that URL into the "Home Page" area in the Media Settings - General tab. You will need to adjust the height and width of the webpage to fit nicely on your screen. My sizes should be a good starting point. Don't forget the offsets *wink*.

I turned off all user options in Customize so there is no chance of the viewers clicking on something and taking the screen off to some unassociated content. All eight films in my playlist play in order and then loop back to the beginning.

Now I don't actually expect someone to watch all eight films, but just knowing it works makes me happy.

The theater isn't in Second Life, it is in OpenSim on a grid I have there.

MID DECEMBER NOTE:    Current hypergrid address -- end of Dec 2014 is:

login.greatcanadiangrid.ca:8002:Parkville

In your viewer, open your Map (CTRL-M) and paste the above into the search field while on any other hypergrid-enabled grid. 

 This will take you to the default location on the ground. I put a teleporter there to get to the city and the theater.  

If someone is reading this in 2015, then see if you can make your way to the Great Canadian Grid. From there find Parkville. And good luck. The hypergrid IS the new frontier! 


You will find that the ground level looks very much like the Peaceful Valley you know from LEA7. Well, similar anyway with only things I have made!

New in SOIL

There have been some major changes in the medieval areas of SOIL. With the addition of a blacksmith's shop the village setting is much more believable. The mystical alchemist's abode moved over to the church area and works much better there.

That's the brief report of the morn.

New in October

In the Bayou Shack at ground level -- new (well OLD) appliances. I have wanted a stove like this forever and now we have it. Woot!  Get on your vintage gear and head on over.

Things are changing up in SNOW. The New Mexico house is now gone and in its place -- for awhile anyway -- a wood tub with lots of steam. It will get you warm after some adventures in the cold white stuff.

Also new in SNOW, the interior of the Holiday House is being redone. Primmy things are disappearing to be replace by new and more svelte on the land impact scale items. So be sure and keep that in mind as we move into the festive season.

How Smart Are You?

View past years entries of MACHINIMUWA in the screening room

Want to earn some money and have fun in the process? Need a little inspiration or some filming tips?

The UWA Audience Participation contest for MACHINIMUWA has just been announced. This year you have FIVE chances to win.  Since there are less entries than in other years ... Well you do the math *wink*.

Read all about the contest here.

Remember you can view a big collection of machinima in the screening room at LEA7. Bring a friend or two; there are plenty of chairs available.

UWA Machinima Challenge - My View

Well ya just know I had to pipe in here.

A few more hours and the entries close. I have my "current" list of ten which may of course change in the final hours.

It doesn't take much reflection to see that their have been fewer entries this time out. I doubt this has anything to do with "theme" or "rules" or any other things that the University has control over. It is simply a mirror of what is going on in the creative world of Second Life.

It is Halloween Eve as I post this message -- a special time for some folks, a close friend being one. There is an energy associate with this night. If you have ever lived in one of those "woo - woo" communities (and I have several times) you know what I mean. I am feeling it and hence "the veils are parting". OK. I have to admit I am laughing here.

Any-way.

Along with fewer entries, I think we have some spectacular work. In my mind Tutsy's was his best work and I said so on his YouTube page. I am going to be honest here. I seldom finish his films. Most (only to me I am sure) need more editing. But this one? I only found a few places I would have cut and I watched to the end and even introduced it to a real life artist friend of mine who was visiting.

She was of course supportive of MY film which used the $79 editing program when I am thinking Tutsy has the high dollar software as I know he can do things I can't. Honestly? It ain't the software folks; it's the vision.

It was interesting to me that two films to make it on my list (so far) had to do with war -- an early war which in itself is a comment. Perhaps as a culture we are hesitant to bring things too close to home. War is war and in my mind there has never been a "good" war except perhaps WWII which I would only go so far as to categorize as "just" not "good".

There were a couple of films that I really enjoyed that didn't make it on my top ten list -- not because they weren't good; simply because there wasn't enough content. They were short and clever but needed more filling out to make it onto my tally. Honestly, I suspect that is why my first entry into UWA a few years ago didn't win a prize. There was plenty of clapping,  but it was short -- and while I didn't get that then, I do now.

I always think my film is in the top ten. Well, what can I say? Ego DOES get in the way at times. Now and then it makes it, often times it does not. One real life friend (SL long ago but no longer) thought my latest was my best. I'll go with that and not worry about the actual awards.

You may or may not know that quite a few of the machinimatographers were disappointed with last year's awards. Some are (so far) noticeably absent. I don't know if they have lost interest; I am not a networking gal. I do know that my list wasn't all that close to the actual winner's list last time. My "top folks" just barely made the cut.

I can understand their frustration with so many of the people judging not being in the machinima world. But, in the end, I believe it is most important to support the creative process.  Whether we win or lose? That's not really the highest priority.

I was pleased to see several films with footage taken and credits given to MOSP. Thanks guys!

Winding Down in October

I haven't disappeared!  Not many changes at MOSP this last week or so. Prims are in that "rare" area as I always like to leave enough for you guys to rez reasonable amounts of props and such. This little guy (and he IS tiny) will be greeting you at the entry point for awhile. He is animated and so very cute.

The only other newness is a very nice hammock in the gardener's shelter down by the raised bed garden at ground level.

My very vague plans as we move into winter are a revamp of the snow area. There is a very primmy New Mexico house with furnishing up there that could come down for a more svelte land impact build. I just need for something special to show up.

Meanwhile only a few more days to get your film into UWA. There have been some impressive works. 

New in the Valley

Long, long overdue, Peaceful Valley has new outdoor facilities. The old outhouse was made in my Bayou days - so three years or so ago. This is SO much nicer!  What would have been 40 plus in prims weighs in at 4 and a few land impact points were even saved.  Materials and animation make it photo and film worthy *wink*.

Fun!

Haying

I was thrilled when I spied this hay mound prop at a newly opened venue. The old hay area has been gone awhile, simply outlived its photogenic prime. This one has both couples and single poses and comes with prop giver.

Also in the news, a group gift went out yesterday so if you missed it, check those archives.

And Happy Fall!

Mid October Roundup

Catching up with the newness for the month, much centers on the role play "historic" areas.  New in SOIL the very photogenic well with all sorts of animations (well, not ALL sorts -- but many choices).

Inside the cottage over by the grist mill, find this alchemist set. The book is intricate and calls out for some closeups.

Outside the cottage you can churn butter or simply relax after your chores.

Props are given with the different animations.








  

Over in the Steampunk build you can contemplate the starry skies as well as what the future might hold.

October Additions

The Full Sim City revamp is complete with new streets, lots of streetlights, some new buildings and a gallery with free stuff.

It's nice to have the city on the full side. The picturesque bridge fountain is back too.  Wander around and see what you can find!

Putting It Together

Part way through the pilot of Gotham, the need to write was too strong to ignore. Five minutes in and I was back in film school. Sure, there was a plot, good acting and such but I was too busy watching the staging and the cinematic choices to give those parts of the equation their due.

Back in the day -- and it was awhile ago -- all of us in "group" found that our visions of film had changed. It was all about choices -- lighting, setting, camera angles, the actions in the background -- you get the idea. Our focus was not actually on the film but on the making of the film.

I found myself returning to that mode tonight on so many levels it was quite amazing. Gotham is not really my type of show. A little too gritty, a little too harsh -- I typically prefer escapism or at least philosophical renditions of life. It is unlikely it will remain in my favorites list, but it definitely grabbed me from a cinematographer's viewpoint.

So much smarter now than back in those filming days, I would like the chance for a do-over. That won't be happening; I will have to be content with "if I would have done ..." ideas. As machinimatographers we can learn from our real world counterparts. It is all part of the same process; simply a different venue.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the set design. I felt like I was back in the forties; film noir aspects were prevalent but it was almost like being there. Later, I caught a shot with a 70s van in the background and wondered, "did they blow that?"  A few minutes further along a comment was made about a cell phone being out of juice.

OK. Got it. Took me awhile; happens some time.

I honestly haven't seen any television filmed this well since -- well Carnivale comes to mind but that might be because it is sitting in my Amazon streaming queue.

We don't have a huge number of present day works we can learn from. This is one of them. So take a look -- with a director's eye of course -- and see how the choices made effected the whole. I think you might learn something. I certainly did.

September Wrap Up

Just a few more days to find the Explorer Hunt boxes. They will be taken up as we move into October. 

The Valley has happily made its way into Fall. There is a new build in progress up in SNOW (the tree lot will be up there this holiday season) with additions as the world turns cold for many of us and we think in tones of white.

The city will be changing a bit. I am not sure just HOW at the moment, but that big expanse of flat green is not very exciting -- even to minimalist me. There are some new streetlights scattered around; very photogenic.  Fall - Winter will be coming to the city this year, most likely a little harder edged than the warm and cuddly textures down on the ground.

So stay tuned. You will be apprised as the pattern unfolds -- whatever it may turn out to be :D.

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Don't forget that you only have a month now to get your University of Western Australia Challenge video in. And only a couple of days if you want to take part in the Sci Fi Challenge.

The Rewards of Patience

I am happy to report that the sought after coffee delivery tricycle complete with poses is now part of the MOSP city set.  Find it in front of the brownstone!

Giving Yourself Time

New writing desk with tons of great animations in the city brownstone

I am an early to the party gal. I typically have any deadlines completed long, long before the time and date. I finish a project, call it good and move on. 

That is my temperament. Others -- especially artists -- wait until the last minute. They preform at their best under pressure.

Whichever type fits your profile, here is something to think about.

Sometimes "finished" isn't really finished. Sometimes with a bit of time and distance your work can be improved. It is very easy to become so wrapped up in a project that your discerning eyes get tired and blurry. They miss obvious areas for improvement.

Do you have fill shots that really don't fit?
Are the transitions smooth visually? Do they keep the story flowing?
Can shots or scenes be deleted to make a tighter and more interesting story?




As you know if you are a frequent reader of this blog, I have my UWA entry in the can. Well -- I thought I did. Then a couple of days ago I found a new prop that led me on a thoughtful journey to a new and better ending. For me, the beginning and the end are the most important parts of a story, be it on paper or on film. So with the new prop purchased and an idea in my mind I went back and looked at my film.

Needing to make some cuts in order to add the last scene, a review was in order. An hour or so later, the floor was littered with clips. Timing had shifted in some cases with more impressive scenes taking the lead and not so important ones shortened. Shots disappeared, credits rewritten and I had fifteen seconds for the last shot.

Now I didn't get to shoot that last scene as my graphics card couldn't handle it. Not a surprise as it has been dying for awhile. With a newly arrived much improved card and actors on standby, I will be shooting soon.

In the process of making room for a new ending, the film is greatly improved. So my suggestion -- should you be interested -- is to complete your film, move on to something new and then revisit a few weeks later.

You might be surprised at what fresh eyes can see.

Fall Comes to the Valley

Fall came to Peaceful Valley (LEA7) this afternoon. A new dirt road, ground textures and grasses are all in evidence. Framerates are still good for me with shadows and my machine is 3.5 years now so hopefully it will be good for you guys too.

It truly is peaceful there. A quiet spot to think and dream.

Fall is my favorite season.

Come visit!

Full sized photo at Flickr.

Cutaway Shots

When I was in real life film school (OK, not a big name one but still it counts) we had various professionals give talks on areas of filmmaking. One talk involved the cutaway shot.

From Wikipedia:

In film and video, a cutaway shot is the interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else. It is usually, although not always, followed by a cut back to the first shot, when the cutaway avoids a jump cut. The cutaway shot does not necessarily contribute any dramatic content of its own, but is used to help the editor assemble a longer sequence. For this reason, editors choose cutaway shots related to the main action, such as another action or object in the same location.For example, if the main shot is of a man walking down an alley, possible cutaways may include a shot of a cat on a nearby dumpster or a shot of a person watching from a window overhead.

I love details. No, let's rephrase that, "I LOOOOVE DETAILS".

I have been scouring the aftersale fleamarkets in search of the best I can find for MOSP. They are scattered around of course. Check out the bar in the full sim city. ( I know a lot of you have been visiting as you did NOT bus your tables.)

Especially if you are telling a story, cutaways can add lots of interest to your visual dialogue. Cam in close, take the shot. It can easily be a photo in many cases.

Just don't forget the details.

A Fall Landscape

Peaceful Valley is changing for Fall. Soon the leaves will be turning golds and oranges and the fire will be a comfort on quiet nights.

Things are always changing at MOSP and I only give you the highlights on the blog, so be sure and explore on your own.

It has taken a long while to update the Bayou Shack and find an authentic mix of eclectic mismatched items that to me at least spell "country". If you haven't peaked inside lately, but sure and pencil that in your day planner.

Revamping for Fall

The blue gardener's shed had been with MOSP since the LEA20 days and it wasn't new when I pulled it out of inventory some two years ago. I have been planning on a redo of that area for some time -- and honestly hoping to find a nice little mesh replacement house.

That didn't happen and so this week I made a new one patterned after one I saw on the web which I would love to have in real life. It is tiny and meant mostly as a backdrop. Filming and photography will NOT be easy in the cramped quarters, but it is very cute. And I recovered at least 80 prims -- a bonus.

The house moved up the hill a bit and there is now a very festive apple bobbing (and eating) area down by the --- APPLE TREE! How appropriate is that? 

Other new area seating includes some lovely willow chairs with nice animations and a fun stoop by the new birdhouse.

Come visit!  LEA7.

A Little Fame

Running With Scissors by Chic Aeon (machinima)

There is a very nice article on MOSP and its use for inspiration -- for WRITERS -- here.    I never actually thought about LEA7 as a resource for those with pen or keyboard, but simply exploring could lead to the next storyline for your film. And the story is often the most important part of the project.

The Cutest of Clutter

Going back in time has seldom been so full of smiles. Find some interactive (read filming possibilities) fortune teller machines in the alley by the gym in the Full Sim City. SO much fun!    And many creative possibilities.

2nd Anniversary Explorer Hunt

For the MOSP aficionados this should be easy. And for new folks? Just keep on the lookout for the black MOSP boxes as you explore. There is no order for this hunt.

***** For those of you that are coming to this page from a hunt site and have never visited LEA7, please note that there are MANY PLACES UP IN THE SKY. While there are boxes at ground level, many are not. Pick up a hud or some landmarks at the landing area (in the posters marked accordingly that surround the landing pad). I see a lot of folks flying around at ground level. They will find a few but wonder where all the OTHERS are :D.



1. Welcome to MOSP
2. Protector of ships and sailors
3. Garage band
4. Man cave for boat lover
5. Floating bubbles
6. Garden retreat
7. Longest road
8. Designer wannabe
9. Sunflowers
10. Turn on the jets
11. Filled with hot air
12. The final frontier
13.  Igloo
14. Where the hookah lives
15. Outdoor dining
16. Blue chairs and large screens
17. Wanderer's overnight camp
18. Tenting tonight
19. Rainy view
20. Artist's garret
21. Through the turnstile
22. Piano tunes in candlelight
23. Big stones, turning turning
24. Belly up to the bar
25. Black satin and cigarettes

Black Dragon Machinima Sidebar

[A Day Later :D]

I am leaving this post here for those of you that are warriors *wink*. But it comes with a warning. There doesn't appear to be any uninstall feature with this program. I doesn't come up in the program list and right clicking doesn't get you an "uninstall" option. So BE SURE to set a restore point should you want it to go away. 

While the machinima toolbar is impressive, for me it was very buggy with lots of features not working. It did however do a fine job for my testing.

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I look a bit like a deer caught in the headlights in this shot; feeling that way too. I just installed the Black Dragon viewer and while I can't find my inventory window (I hear it opening in the background *wink*) and I have no poses or custom windlights, I DO have a pretty nifty looking machinima side toolbar.

And that's pretty much want I wanted to share. I wasn't looking for a new viewer but I have been having issues (ISSUES) and part of the crossing off possibilities was to see if  new viewer would let me log in first thing in the morning and NOT instantly (well one minute after) crash. This has been happening for days.

It's a long story and you undoubtedly don't care, but in the process of trying to track down my ISSSUUUUES I installed Black Dragon. I had heard bloggers talking about additional photography features so it seemed like a good viewer to try. Never having been installed on this computer? An added plus.

So this is just a note that you might be interested in some of the new to me things that can be done. I hear you can slow animations (and possibly speed them up too).

I can't give you a recommendation since this is about 20 minutes in, but I thought some of you might be very interested in those easy to get at choices over on the side.

Here is an article from May that tells you a bit more about some of the possibilities. 

Let There Be Art

Van Goph 3 by Aquila Kytori

The Gallery area of MOSP has been forlorn lately.

Ever since the TOS of August 2013 declared it would be illegal to upload photos from the MOSP Flickr site -- well, you get the idea.

The classroom is still used from time to time (just follow the rules - notecard at the landing site) and of course the specialty teleport room is always popular. But there hasn't been a lot of new art.

I was over on the SL beta grid awhile ago and spied this outstanding 3D painting. Of course I had to see it up close and personal, and when I inspected it I found it was made by someone I knew.  I sent her a note telling her how much I enjoyed it.

Some weeks later I heard back from her and found this in my inbox. Now I was going to put it in the colorful beach house, but there were building issues -- and then I realized that putting art in the art section was a good plan.

So stop by sometime and take a close look at it. Impressive.

This is the lady you have to thank for the MUCH LESS PRIMMY hills that decorate MOSP. Mine were prettier *wink* but oh so land impact hungry. Changing them out saved 300 li points or so -- and that counts when you are packed to the sim boundaries with goodness.


The Endless Journey (scroll back in the archives if you missed that) will be coming down at the beginning of the month to get a bit more room for new things on the horizon. So if you haven't been and want to see, get over here soon!

An Artist's Garret

Now I have to admit that this doesn't qualify as an actual "garret" in the strict definition of the term. It is way too classy. Not nearly enough dirt; way too much light and air.

But the idea is there.

Find this in the top tower of the villas in the Cherry Blossom Romance area. I left the floating papers; I just couldn't part with them :D

What I've Been Working On

I promised you a photo and here it is. So many possibilities. I am very fond of the farmlands and road, have used both often in my films -- even a not yet public one *wink*.

Meanwhile there are things going on behind the scenes. Zip on over to the -- well I am not sure what to call it; the second story area of the Villas where there is some arty stuff going on. That had been a plan for a long while, but it came to fruition today with some new releases and a little shopping.

And don't forget the hunt is coming up in a bit over a week -- for those of you that like to outguess me :D. There will be a "gratis" prize at the landing point. The rest you have to work for a bit.

An All Time Record

I logged in this eve for a rare visit (computer issues which I hope I have fixed but we will see) and thought to look a the land tab.

5200 is the magic land traffic number beating the old record by a thousand.

Thanks for coming to film!

Let's Make A Film

OK. Mid August -- the absolute slowest time in the virtual world. :D

There are some things happening though and indeed there will be a pretty picture up soon with a great new addition to the country road. But since I posted on that today on my OTHER blog (one of a few) and I don't want to repeat on the feeds -- well patience is a virtue.

Meanwhile, if you aren't all that plugged in to the machinima opportunities network, there is a new UWA challenge out. The deadline is the end of October. The prizes, numerous and worthwhile, are up for grabs and that means YOU TOO.

No one has entered as yet, a month into the contest. That might be because it is usually me that is first (well it seems that way anyway). This year though, with movies in the can (I started gathering footage when the last contest ended) and even uploaded -- mine won't be unveiled until deadline time.

So someone else has to be first, and it could be you. You know, horns blaring, flags waving and all that jazz?  

Come on over and make a film.

Uptown Style

You can find this very classy brownstone up in the Full Sim City.  It almost didn't make it as it is a primmy little thing *wink* and those land impact points are getting scarce despite my diligence.  I put it in place then took it down then put it up again the next day. Just too pretty to leave in a box for sure.

It is sans furnishing and probably will remain that way but the interior has beautiful vistas and textures for photography -- and if you are a wise set designer, you can place your furnishings, then take them up and use "restore to last position" (third party viewers) to keep them in place for a lengthy film session. That works.

Stop by and see it in its glory.

The Clapping of One Hand

New on the beachfront - a serene zen garden with flowing pond and seating. Find it between the oriental bath house and the rustic beach cottage; a perfect spot.

Machinima Tutorials for SL

A series of machinima tutorials was posted on the SL forums in mid July by Erythro Asimov. I completely missed them. But today serendipity was on my side.

These are both informative and fun to watch. This is not how I work at all, so do understand that it is just one method. I am guessing though that you will find some tips and tricks that will help you with your machinima career.

This is a techie approach. I am lazy, use no aids other than a second avatar as cameraman and no tools at all except for capturing and editing software.

Somewhere in the mix, you will find your preferred way to work.

Basic Things To Start

Playing With The Camera

Playing With The Scene

Playing With The Avatar

Finally!

Sometimes it take me awhile.

I've been meaning for oh so long to make new planting beds down by the greenhouse in Peaceful Valley. Well this weekend I got that accomplished. SO much better and no nasty huge sculpt balloons as things are loading.

I would like to replace the grasses but so far I haven't come upon any nice mesh replacements and while I can do some greenery, it is NOT my specialty for sure.

So stop by and take some photos or shoot some film in the VERY pretty outdoor area down by the lake -- ground level.