The Black Rock Desert is colder than you might expect this time of year. A lot colder. Overnight temperatures in Nevada’s high mountain desert have hit record lows. But now, after dumping a load of fresh snow, the clouds are gone. The moon reflects brightly off the smooth, frigid, white desert. The sky is awash with stars.
It’s been a long, lonely drive from Reno. Up ahead, a brilliant light glows. You rub your eyes, puzzled by the anomaly. Nothing lives out here. What could it be? You stop your pickup and step out to get a better view, standing on your running boards. All of a sudden, something seems to be pulling you…teleporting you…to ICE PLANET on the playa!
So reads the opening of the Press Release for the BURN2 seasonal event, Santalarity, which this year has the theme of Ice Planet: The Turning of Time, and kicks-off at 10:00 on Saturday 14th December at 10:00 SLT, running through until 22:00.
Santalarity sees the playa transformed into an ice planet where aliens have come to “help restore peace and hope and celebrate a renewed planet”. The event will feature art, music, dancing, skating, fire and fun, and will include content contributions from:
UltraViolet Alter
Leroy Horten
Barbs Kurka
Bryn Oh (with permissions)
TheDove Rhode
Eifachfilm Vacirca
Zorch Voom
Ub Yifu
Jedda Zenovka
Nathan Zetkin
“and more”.
The scheduled events will kick-off at 10:00 SLT with a procession by the Lamplighters, and the music entertainment will start at 12:00 noon with Ultraviolet Alter, with DJs changing on the hour through until 21:00, when DJ Astro-X will present the final set of the evening.
Friday 13th December sees the The Dickens Project re-open its gates for a two-week long celebration of Charles Dickens and his work, which is centred on A Christmas Carol, but features so much more as well.
The Dickens Project is presented by Storyfests SL and will take place on land provided for the project through the generosity of Thinkerer Melville at the Greek Archon Theatre in Cookie. It will comprise daily presentations (in Voice) of Dickens’ seasonal classic, A Christmas Carol, together with a special presentation of the story by the Avatar Repertory Theatre, as well as encompassing elements of his other works in an inateractive, immersive setting.
The project first opened its doors over Christmas 2012, as a part of global celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth. Over the course of two weeks, thousands of visitors passed through the project’s gates, explored the life and times of Charles Dickens and attended presentations of A Christmas Carol and other works by the author. This year marks the next steps in the dream of creating a totally immersive environment for the enjoyment of live readings from the vast Dickens canon of works.
Caledonia Skytower, Shandon Loring (centre) and Kayden Oconnell in an evocative shot of the virtual / live performance by Bear Silvershade
At the start of December, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a very special presentation of A Christmas Carol which featured the talents of Caledonia Skytower, (who has conceived, directed and produced The Dickens Project), Kayden Oconnell and Shandon Loring. “Special”, because the event featured audiences in both the real and virtual worlds, as Caledonia Skytower (Judith Cullen in real life) sat before an audience in Tacoma, Washington. As such, I can very thoroughly, and at first hand, recommend at least one visit to the Project this year for anyone with a love of Dickens’ work or for the telling of wonderful tales through the medium of voice.
The Schedule
The following presents the performance schedule as it stood on Thursday December 12th; however, as both the real and virtual worlds can be unpredictable, please be sure to check with the Storyfests SL blog for any revisions or additions to events or timings.
The main readings of A Christmas Carol will take place twice daily to offer audiences a choice of times to attend. Additional events are as currently indicated. As ever, all times are SLT.
All performances are free, but donations will be accepted on behalf of War Child North America.
Friday December 13th, 2013
12:00 noon – Dickens’ Christmas Short Stories – Caledonia Skytower in Dickens Square
17:00 – A Christmas Carol(an adaptation by Ada Radius) – Avatar Repertory Theatre.
Sunday, December 15th
Noon – Other Works of Dickens: Chapter Ten fromLittle Dorrit“Containing the Whole Science of Government” with Klannex Northmead.
Monday, December 16th: A Christmas Carol: Stave One, “Marley’s Ghost”
13:00 – Dubhna Rhiadra
17:00 – Kayden Oconnell.
Tuesday, December 17th: A Christmas Carol: Stave Two, “The First of Three Spirits”
Opening of “Christmas Past” to guests
13:00 – Corwyn Allen
18:00 – Caledonia Skytower.
Wednesday, December 18th: A Christmas Carol: Stave Three, “The Second of Three Spirits”
Opening of “Christmas Present” to guests
14:00 – Ixmal Supermarine
18:00 – Kayden Oconnell.
Thursday, December 19th: A Christmas Carol: Stave Four, “The Last of the Spirits”
Opening of “Christmas Yet to Come” to guests
13:00 – Dubhna Rhiadra
17:00 – Corwyn Allen
21:00 – Dickens Late Night with Caledonia Skytower, Shandon Loring and Finn Zeddmore.
Friday, December 20th: A Christmas Carol, Stave Five “The End of It”
13:00– Ixmal Supermarine
17:00 – Kayden Oconnell
21:00 –Dickens Late Night with Caledonia Skytower and Kayden Oconnell.
I blogged recently on the upcoming Drax Files Radio Hour, which launches on January 10th, 2014. At the time, I remarked that the show has a Facebook page and that I hoped it’ll also gain a website as well.
A major element for the new show is that of community involvement – getting input and feedback from all of us who engage with Second Life and virtual worlds and who are active users. As such, the new blog is very much a part of the show, and the first post invites people to drop a note to Drax and Jo on what they might discuss in the inaugural broadcast.
They’ve also done a lot to make it possible to contact them at the show:
You can even contact them via an in-world avatar account, The Drax Files Radio Hour (draxfiles), and leave an IM or voice message. Here’s some more from Drax on the show (also in the show’s initial post):
As regulars here will know, Drax and I regularly discuss matters raised as a result of the highly successful The Drax Files video series. What probably isn’t known is that the discussions are very far-ranging and cover a huge amount which never gets into print. As such, I’m confident that The Drax Files Radio Hour will bring the same breadth and depth – and, most importantly balance to the table and all things to do with Second Life and virtual worlds are discussed, analysed, taken apart and put back together again.
The broadcast time for each episode will be 07:00 SLT every Friday, starting on January 10th, 2014. As mentioned last time, I’ll be following the show closely (if not more than just following 😉 ), and the show’s blog is now listed in my blogroll (right).
The 2013 SL Christmas Expo is underway. While the official Relay For Life Second Life 2013 events season is officially closed, the Expo is in support of RFL SL, and is being held on four regions adjacent to that of the American Cancer Society. Proceeds will be donated directly to the RFL of SL 2014 campaign.
The Expo, which runs through until December 15th, brings together merchants and entertainers from across the grid to help us prepare for the holiday season and get in the mood for Christmas as the New Year, and features a number of special events and activities.
Running alongside of the Expo is the 2013 Magic of Christmas Breedables Fair, which is being held on two regions which are linked to the Expo via the RFL Christmas Festival region, which adjoins the American Cancer Society’s HQ in Second Life.
The 2013 Xmas Expo – click to enlarge
The Expo regions are laid-out so as to be as low-lag as possible, with shops arranged around the outside of each of the four regions to form a continuous street scene with a Victorian feel to it, with cobbled road surfaces and gas lamps providing the light along the footpaths at night. There are 84 content creators with stores along the streets, each of whom has at least one or two RFL vendors selling selected items the proceeds of which go directly to RFL of SL. In addition, scattered through the Expo region are market stalls and also special RFL vendors offering a range of items, the proceeds of which also go directly to RFL of SL.
In the middle of each of the four regions are the special event areas, including a frozen lake for ice skating (free skates available for both Big ‘Uns and Tinies) the event stage, where entertainment will be provided throughout the length of the Expo, and the Expo Theatre, which will, on December 11th and 12th, be hosting a special production of Wit, Margaret Edson’s first play which, in 1999, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (see more below).
Sunday December 1st, 2013, Saw two special premieres take place in Second Life and in the same time-frame. The first was for the opening season two of The Blackened Mirror. The second was a very special presentation of A Christmas Carol, forming the return of The Dickens Project to Second Life – and its first presentation in real life.
The presentation took place at the Greek Archon Theatre in Cookie, where Caledonia Skytower, Shandon Loring and Kayden Oconnell took to the stage before an audience of invited guests to present Dickens’ most popular Christmas tale. At the same time, Caledonia’s real-life persona, Judith Cullen, was seated in the Pythian Lodge in Tacoma, Washington, before an audience who had also gathered to hear the story, and who could watch in-world activities via a large screen. As is the magic of Second Life, Kayden joined her via voice from Minnesota and Shandon from Nebraska.
As with the original run of The Dickens Project, performed over Christmas 2012, the reading took place in a specially created set representing a scene from Dickens’ time and which, when the project re-opens its doors to the public later in the month, will provide a special walk-through of Charles Dickens’ life, works and the times in which he lived. The outdoor stage, sans props, provided a simple and effective focal-point for the reading, with Caledonia and Kayden sharing the role of the story’s narrator and taking on the various supporting roles, while Shandon once again reprised the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Shandon Loring reprises his role as Ebenezer Scrooge
Prior to the reading commencing, the audiences in both worlds were told something of the history of the Knights of Pythia and the lodge in which the real world audience were seated. To help them understand Second Life better, Judith / Caledonia gave a very short overview of the platform, and members of the digital audience were encouraged to interact – if only one-way – with the real-life audience through greetings, etc. Nor was the performance entirely static for the audience in Tacoma; to give them a greater feeling of involvement, the in-world feed was monitored by another SL user, who used the viewer’s camera to show actors, audience and setting.
The performance, using a text adapted and annotated by Dickens himself when he presented the story in person, together with some additional text from the full novella, was presented with aplomb and style by the three artists. From my own perspective, I found it to be as much an engaging and virtuoso performance as the time I saw Sir Patrick Stewart perform A Christmas Carol as a one-man show; so much so that, other than the need to flick away for some 20 minutes to take care of other commitments, the time simply flew by for me.
The Knights of Pythia Temple, Tacoma, where the performance took place in RL
For Judith / Caledonia, who conceived, directed and produced The Dickens Project, I know that this is very much a personal triumph; she has been working towards The Dickens Project being both a real life and virtual experience for the better part of a year. If the audio feedback was anything to go by for those of us in the virtual world, the performance was very well received in Tacoma and generated a number of questions about the story, the idea and Second Life from the audience there.
While the presentation was, in terms of a combined SL / RL event, a one-off (at least for now!), The Dickens Project will be returning to Second Life for a seasonal run commencing on Friday December 13th. I’ve no details on the schedule at the moment, but will publish them here once confirmed.
Caledonia Skytower, Shandon Loring (centre) and Kayden Oconnell in an evocative shot of the performance by Bear Silvershade
If you’ve not seen a performance of The Dickens Project, I urge you to take the time to do so once the new season opens. Anyone with a love for literature and especially for Dickens’ famous tale of a miserly old man, ghosts, and ethical and emotional transformations, will love this performance. Kudos to Caledonia, Shandon and Kayden and to all those who helped make The Dickens Project a reality once more – and in both the real and digital realms!
Both the real world and SL presentations of A Christmas Carol were free admission. However, audiences at both were offered the opportunity to donate to one of two charities: War Child North America in the case of the SL audience and My Sister’s Pantry for those in the real world audience.
Season 2 of The Blackened Mirror premiered on Sunday December 1st with a special showing to an invited audience at the Crescent Theatre in Seraph City.
As I’ve previously noted, the new season reunites the main stars of the show, Zander Greene (Scott Simpson in RL), Aisling Sinclair and Mavromichali Szondi, together with returning guest stars from the first season and two special guest stars in the form of Peter Jurasik and Gameela Wright (AvaJean Westland in SL), who will be making their presence felt in voice as the season unfolds.
In the first season, hard-boiled PI Harland Quinn, having been hired by Alais Alleyn, found himself drawn into a strange mystery as he attempted to help her to return “home” – a mystery which suddenly turned its focus very sharply upon Quinn himself as he, Alais and Mr. Biggins were confronted by Adam, Quinn’s bespectacled twin, in the season’s cliffhanger.
Gameela Wright and Peter Jurasik will add their voices to the show as the season progresses. Gameela also pupeetered a number of the characters on behalf of those actors unable to be in Second Life for the actual filming
Now we rejoin Quinn to find him a prisoner in some kind of asylum or institution, held there by his strange twin, who both resents Quinn and takes a perverse pleasure in seeing him hurt. Doubtless, if left to his own devices, Adam would quite happily put an end to Quinn’s life. However, the choice is not Adam’s to make, because he answers to someone even more mysterious and potentially threatening – the Doctor.
The Doctor: one of the new characters introduced in the season opener
It’s a taut piece of story-telling, neatly opening-up a list of new questions, introducing new characters and which further and deftly twists the story a little more, a move which serves to both draw an audience already familiar with the story further into it, while also setting-up things such that anyone with only a loose understanding of season one will want to go back and watch it again.
Season two allows the show to make use of a number of additional tools to assist in the filming / production process. One of these is ReScene, an advanced choreographing tool developed for Second Life by Logan Bauer. This can best be thought of as a 3D “timeline” of a live cinematic scene that can be played and replayed with any number of avatars playing different roles, allowing precise control of avatar movement, animations and camera movement to be achieved.
“It gives the actors a chance to focus on things like directed looks, expressions and so forth,” series director Saffia Widdershins told me ahead of the premiere screening. “It’s incredibly hard to hit a mark like that in SL. Either you end up miles away, facing in the wrong direction, or looking in the wrong direction and having to turn awkwardly. Throw into the mix the fact that someone’s lips don’t move, and we have to shoot it all again.”
Operated by season one’s VFx veteran, Terra Volitant, ReScene has allowed the production to aovid many of these time-consuming pitfalls, and has brought a further level of realism to the show.
As a season opener, this episode of The Blackened Mirror has it all: mystery, intrigue, suspense and drama. Just how can Harland Quinn have a brother he does not remember? Are they even brothers by natural birth? The clues are there to suggest they are probably not; but who can tell at this stage? What happened to Alais Alleyn and Mr. Biggins between Adam’s arrival in the bar at the end of season one, and Quinn’s incarceration in the asylum? And who is the malevolent Doctor?
But don’t take my word for it – why not watch the first episode of the new season for yourself? Just make sure you watch it right the way through to after the end credits!
The Black Rock Desert is colder than you might expect this time of year. A lot colder. Overnight temperatures in Nevada’s high mountain desert have hit record lows. But now, after dumping a load of fresh snow, the clouds are gone. The moon reflects brightly off the smooth, frigid, white desert. The sky is awash with stars.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 