My work for the Second Life machinima community, and MoM (Month of Machinima).

When I rezzed in Second Life, on January 8 2007, I had no idea.
I explored, met many people, and ended up working as a host in TJice danceclub, where i made 100 lindendollars an hour for chatting to people. My favorite way of spending time in SL and it paid too!

In rl I worked for a Dutch TV station, a stressful job with lots of ego’s around me. I produced, filmed and edited pretty much around the clock, and spending time in a virtual world was very relaxing.
No filming for me there – but that didnt last for very long. On 06-28-2007 TJice was sold and we were told to pack our virtual bags and leave before midnight.
At that time there was a camera embedded in the SL viewer menu, I experimented with it and made my very first machinima that day, never having heard of that word or genre. All I wanted was to preserve that club, where so many fun hours were spend.
I left that first machinima “thingy” online, its makes me cringe to watch it now, but it is how I started.

I never stopped filming since.
I did leave my tv job behind, and now focus on machinima.

Having made over 200 productions, in every possible genre, I realise how much Second Life has done for me. And, me for them.

I found the perfect way of overcoming the lonelyness that machinima people encounter.
I reached out and started organising community events, emphasysing on film, fun and growth.
I created the MaMachinima Int. Festival, providing filmers from all 3D games and virtual worlds with a cross-media platform to show their best work. (http://MMIF.org)
I started working as the machinima producer for the 48 Hour Film Project. (http://48hourfilm.com/machinima)
Together with Toxic Menges and Phaylen Fairchild I started the MachinimaMondays Group in SecondLife, with weekly meetings it is now called the most active machinima group in SL, connecting people and welcoming all. Filmers, writers, artists, poets, musicians, we work together.

Many projects followed, and I discovered that the more I gave, the more I got back.
The machinima community is a growing, open minded, sharing group of people with different cultures and backgrounds, and often a strong vision (and enough sillyness to be fun too). We learn from each other and show support.
I am proud to be a part of that!

Recently I helped organise a new initiative for the LEA.(http://alturl.com/io5zr)
Remembering the showcase for machinima on Secondlife.com - which is greatly missed by machinimatographers ever since it was abandoned, and we came up with the idea of an inworld showcase on the LEA sims.
So, we launched the Month of Machinima festival.(http://alturl.com/m96x6) Yay!

Every month, we will set a different theme, and a new maximum lenght for the machinima’s.
Deadline for submitting is the 10th, and the films change every first wednesday of the month.
The showcased machinima’s go on a playlist on youtube, so once a film is shown at MoM, it will be part of its history.

Werner Kurosawa built the LEA theater, of which I will give you a glimps now (the real thing is much better!):



































LEA kicks off on May 4th 2011 - at 10 am SL time, with the grand opening of MoM.
For the opening event, 12 3-minute machinima's have been selected out of many submissions. If yours is not chosen for the May showcase, I want you to know that we appreciate every film, we hope you will submit again and will keep your film on hand for future events.

MoM overview

* MoM applications can be submitted through the 10th of each month for consideration in the following month.
* MoM screenings take place in world every first Wednesday of each month.
* You will be notified if your film is chosen.
* Films that are not chosen for one month may be selected to be screened in the future.
* Length of your film is 3 minutes max (unless when stated otherwise)
* Find all of the information and link to the application to submit your machinima information here:

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Month_of_Machinima

MoM Themes for 2011:

* June: Mixed Reality (SL machinima has to be part of your mix) --- 6 minutes max runtime
* July: Games in SL
* August: Design and Architecture
* September: Seasons (in your life, the 4 seasons, or ?)
* October: The 4 Elements
* November: SL Events
* December: Endings, conclusion

Your guideline is SL Art, and about the themes ... be creative, and do take care of copyrights.

The LEA committee members:
Bryn Oh
Chantal Harvey
Dancoyote Antonelli
Dekka Raymaker
Dizzy Banjo
Jayjay Zifanwe
L1Aura Loire
Rez Menoptra
Sasun Steinbeck
Werner Kurosawa
Courtney Linden

Linden Lab is recognising the importance of machinima, and is giving back to the community.
They are supporting and recognising our machinima efforts, and there is more to come.

Machinima is ART and ready to conquer the World!

MMIF update - http://MMIF.org

MaMachinima International Festival is an annual social mixed media event, that intends to provide a platform for the very best machinima of our era. The MMIF is a festival for the art of machinima. Not a contest, no awards, but an excellent way of sharing your machinima with a global community.

Machinimatographers of all virtual world platforms, games and engines are invited to submit their best work. Instructions for participating by submmiting your machinima here: http://SUBMIT.MMIF.org

Deadline for machinima submissions is: MAY 1st, 2011.

The MMIF was initiated in 2009 by Dutch machinimatographer Chantal Harvey, aiming to create a community of machinimatographers around the world.
The festival is screened simultanuously in Amsterdam, The Neterlands), virtual world Second Life® and live on the web.

Machinimatographers are invited to come to Amsterdam and/or to Second Life®, and will be provided with the opportunity to answer questions, to talk about their work, with a worldwide audience.


http://MMIF.org

MachinimaMondays - March 21, 2011 - Codebastard Redgrave

On March 21 2011, I invited Codebasterd Redgrave to come over and talk about the new update on her MachinimaCam. Thanks Codie, for doing this, on such short notice!




CodeBastard Redgrave: MachinimaCam is the only machinima oriented scripted camera that can be 100% operated without any visible interface. It is a kind of spinoff of regular scripted cameras, in the sense that it makes 2 types of effects; follow cams or mathematical or motion cams I upgraded it recently and it offers around 15 different effects, i believe. it is entirely operated through some gestures that acts as hotkeys.
The camera gets commands this way and executes the effects, after letting you browsing them https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/MachinimaCam-HUD/255166
I got it into a bundle with FilterCam too, which i will explain subsequently.
Anyways. MachinimaCam is just a normal HUD, which automatically hides in order to be clear from your shots. You click it once, the menu pops for effect selection, then it hides like a good boy. We got 2 pages of effects now, almost. I recently added 3 laggy camera effects, LagCam, DecayCam and SlowCam, plus a few more.

CodeBastard Redgrave: i also fixed a "chat spam" issue, which chatted the commands in openchat. now it's all on a secure channel.
Arthur Ashland: may I ask, are the triggers modifiable?
CodeBastard Redgrave: of course, when installing the gestures, make sure they don't conflict
Graycon Sonata: so it won't record the local and ims?
CodeBastard Redgrave: Arthur: of course you can, bind them to anything you want. Graycon Sonata: can turn them off more easily?
Arthur Ashland: thank you
CodeBastard Redgrave: Graycon: it still requires your interface hidden, but it will at least you give you one step less to do (hide the HUDs for example)

Takoda Toxx: Mac and PC friendly? I'm a Mac.
CodeBastard Redgrave: of course, it's a HUD and runs on any SL™ version/platform
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): i use it on a mac.. but haven't figured the hotkeys out with it
CodeBastard Redgrave: it's using the sim's computational power
CodeBastard Redgrave: Miles: the mappings could be different on a mac, but you can re-assign them to something more convenient for you Graycon Sonata: still having issues getting the command to turn the chat off
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): it's ok..i dont need the hotkeys
Arthur Ashland: that's why I asked, because the MAC F keys perform different functions, I am MAC also CodeBastard Redgrave: Graycon: not sure if you got the latest version, which is silent by default, we can update you up
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): upgrade me baby
Graycon Sonata: I don't think I have
CodeBastard Redgrave: Arthur: that's entirely possible. you could for example bind ALT+function keys instead of regular function keys Arthur Ashland: ok, thanks CodeBastard Redgrave: i'll check it out with everyone of you, no worries.

CodeBastard Redgrave: let's start by a video, it's worth 1000 words

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/MachinimaCam-HUD/255166

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll4Vkj5nRJ0

CodeBastard Redgrave: that's for MachinimaCam, not filtercam
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): oh..where's that then...?
CodeBastard Redgrave: http://vimeo.com/3401209

2 different gadgets, but indeed, that's the old old MachinimaCam video.. a new one is on the way.
I want to show you about FilterCam, MachinimaCam's little brother FilterCam is a full screen camera overlay HUD made for SecondLife http://vimeo.com/3401209 that's the FilterCam video

Georgianna Blackburn: so filtercam is sold separately, correct?
Takoda Toxx: wow very nice
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): hmm i could use that...
CodeBastard Redgrave: Georgianna: you can buy it separately, or in a bundle https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/ML-Camera-Bundle-BOXED/1718388
Georgianna Blackburn: kk
CodeBastard Redgrave: this is the bundle, but check below in Related items for individual versions

So, i'm quite proud of FilterCam as a creative tool



Georgianna Blackburn: offer ends 2001 LOL
CodeBastard Redgrave: it's got 4 layers with individual controls
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): cool think about machinima hud for me is..it's transferable CodeBastard Redgrave: oops, yeah that was a typo hahaha
Takoda Toxx: u should be
Takoda Toxx: it is nice

CodeBastard Redgrave: there's 85 premade effects using 45 different alpha layers you can make your own of course, and extend the device it is even made so you can make your own texture+preset cards and sell expansions for it, if you'd like If you can do an alpha in photoshop, you can do them. also tons of awesome tutorials have been made, search Ryker's tutorials for it she practically made all of the filter masks contained within



CodeBastard Redgrave: next step i wanna do is animate textures when wanted, but it's a bit harder than i expected
Georgianna Blackburn: sweet
CodeBastard Redgrave: a short click on the HUD does minimize or maximize so you can take your shot, cam, etc..
CodeBastard Redgrave: and a long click gives you the preset menu, working in banks like we made like 7 or 8 default banks of presets, classified by type frames, masks, holidays, blah
Graycon Sonata: it comes with a manual for it right?

FilterCam 1, only had 1 single level with all presets. now it's in banks.
Arthur Ashland: those filters can be used for still photography also I'm assuming CodeBastard Redgrave: Arthur: absolutely, all of our documentations are on http://mechanizedlife.com/
check in Documentations, its up to date and in as many languages as we could afford to translate them.
You: even in dutch?
CodeBastard Redgrave: no, sorry Chantal only German for filtercam, i think but if you wanna indulge in a translation?
You: i think i speak english.

Arthur Ashland: too bad I missed the 2 for 1 deal, lol
CodeBastard Redgrave: yeah but deals comes and go.. now if i can invent something new okay, as for updates...
CodeBastard Redgrave: what i suggest is that you just IM me right now and give me your current MachinimaCam version number. i will know if you are updated or not, and send you an update if not. how does that sound?
Arthur Ashland: if we haven't purchased yet, the newest version is on Marketplace? CodeBastard Redgrave: oh, PS, upgrades are free for as long as i will upgrade those scripts.
CodeBastard Redgrave: Arthur: absolutely, it's all fresh versions on Marketplace Arthur Ashland: thank you
CodeBastard Redgrave: or inworld at my store for that matter, if anyone needs the landmark, just let me know in IM so i can drop it on you easy

CodeBastard Redgrave: feel free to use my sim as a filming location anytime
You: ;o)



CodeBastard Redgrave: I wish i could just give it all away but then i couldn't keep Rouge running
And tbh, i worked so hard on them.. and more to come i can tell you that, MachinimaCam 2 will be... insane
You: that s fine, it helps us improve our films, so i am pretty grateful you invented this
Georgianna Blackburn: hey we all do enough for free Code... I bought the package off marketplace, can't wait to try it out
CodeBastard Redgrave: just doing my best =) awesome Georgianna, thank you so much.. i really hope it will be super useful to you
Georgianna Blackburn: I'm sure it will be

CodeBastard Redgrave: tbh, i only got awesome feedbacks especially on FilterCam, im sad i took so long to upgrade MachinimaCam but it's finally done, now i can really concentrate on the new generation
Georgianna Blackburn: cool
CodeBastard Redgrave: the biggest complain about MachinimaCam was the chat spam.. and it's sorted
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): cant wait to check out the new features

CodeBastard Redgrave: obviously if anyone knows a friend complaining about it, you can suggest they contact me for a free upgrade, would be my pleasure to get the earth rid of the old version.

CodeBastard Redgrave: Lagcam and Slowcam especially, you will like
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): yea..was gonna ask..what are they?
You: yes pls explain
CodeBastard Redgrave: they are 3 effects based solely on 3 LSL camera properties called focus lag, behindess lag, and position lag so, they are slow paced, slowly moving, followcams did you ever use a HUD made by Chouchou? a kind of cinematic HUD? it's playing with the same kind of camera lag effect, one with more focus lag, one with more behindness, and so on
CodeBastard Redgrave: the camera follows you very slowly, hence the term "lag"
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): i think i understand
CodeBastard Redgrave: i can't wait to put the new video online, i could have shown you but it's really what was missing to MachinimaCam, followcams which used those slow effects more extensively

Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): i'd like some of the effects in the cam to be slower..like the spiral effect
CodeBastard Redgrave: that can be ajusted with F11-F12 Mιℒєﻜιιнσця miles.eleventhauer): ahh..the mac thing then...
CodeBastard Redgrave: which is in fact the stepping factor, not really the speed with the old version, you could say "camspeedup" and "camspeeddown" in open chat Now you can still do that with commands like /12345camspeedup (12345) is fictuous, i can't remember what new channel i put it on, honestly
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): i need that

Graycon Sonata: I want to hear more about all of this and i am fasinated
CodeBastard Redgrave: well hopefully the new gestures should work better for you, and if not, bind them to another set of Fkeys like ALT-F2...ALT-F3..
Graycon Sonata: I look forward to the transcipt of this and will probably have a million questions
Georgianna Blackburn: yes, I need to get back to work here, glad I stopped by :)
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): i ll look into that

CodeBastard Redgrave: oh, i give casual lectures for free
Georgianna Blackburn: cool
CodeBastard Redgrave: like FilterCam advanced and basic, MachinimaCam operation, etc... There is a huuuuuge Tumblr full of class transcripts http://codie.tumblr.com/ i believe



CodeBastard Redgrave: All of the presets are stored in the same format So you can set anything you want on the 4 different layers, and use a dump command that allows you to create new presets Each layer allows some settings, like color, transparency, glow (obsolete) + masks, which are usually transparent textures
The dump command spits out a long string that you can copy/paste in any of the Preset files contained within the HUD, and make a new Preset out of it

You: hi ken
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): hey ken
Ken Alphaville: hi Ken Alphaville: whats up miles
Arthur Ashland: hey ken
You: ken, Codie has been presenting his machinimacam for the past hour
CodeBastard Redgrave: welcome!
You: you will have to catch up on the blog, later
Ken Alphaville: oh yeah
Ken Alphaville: what did i miss
CodeBastard Redgrave: hahahaha
You: lol
Arthur Ashland: lol
CodeBastard Redgrave: Chantal will tell you everything
You: codie, can u start again
Ken Alphaville: ahhh ok
You: rofl You: hahahaha
CodeBastard Redgrave: loool
You: pinches codie
CodeBastard Redgrave: *chuckles

CodeBastard Redgrave: ok so, that's typically what the content of FilterCam's inventory looking like, apart things evolved since 1.04.. now we got multiple Presets notecards, and still a huge bunch of textures

CodeBastard Redgrave: but basically, same principle. filters are read from notecards within the inventory. makes it very versatile for creating presets. And that's also my plan for MachinimaCam 2.0, to use the same exact principle i used to build FilterCam 2.0., so you guys will be able to make your very own camera presets
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): now that's cool
Arthur Ashland: yeah that's awesome
You: yes agree, very cool and handy

CodeBastard Redgrave: it will be plugin based as for traditional followcams, motion/scripted cams, etc...
You: but can this be used anywhere? or only in places where scripts are allowed, right?
CodeBastard Redgrave: only where scripts are allowed, unfortunately
CodeBastard Redgrave: it was a colossus task, and i visibly missed lots of people during the upgrade. lesson learned.

CodeBastard Redgrave: i sold over 1500 and i had records for about 600 people
Mιℒєﻜιιнσця (miles.eleventhauer): well..add that to your marketplace listing..maybe the other 900 will see it
CodeBastard Redgrave: Miles: not a bad idea.