Category: Reviews

If you’re feeling ready for your close-up or you’re a film buff, then you’re likely to enjoy the latest region design by Lotus Mastroianni and frecoi (who have been responsible for A Little Havana, The Missing Whale, Kun-Tei-Ner, Hope, and most recently ChatuChak (read here, here, here, here and here for more).

Replacing the last of that list – ChatuChak – is RioSisco Studio Pictures, a homage to the great American film studios complete with nods to a range of films, genres and periods – and with multiple opportunities for photography and to be immersed in the magic of film-making. It is a setting that reproduces all the major elements of a film studio and studio tour, and presents some outstanding opportunities for geeting involved with all that is on offer – as the region’s Flickr stream already reveals.

Set out as a studio lot, the region features everything from prop warehouses to back lot façades to green screen sets and miniatures, all the way through to a studio’s public commissary to offices and a screening room. With it comes some of the bustle of a working studio – a set under construction, visitors touring and eating, and studio execs keeping an eye on things. Even the name of the region carries with it echoes of the silver screen: “RioSisco” offers a suggestion of the Cisco Kid, a film series made in the early decades of motion pictures through until the immediate post-World War 2 period.

The attention to detail poured into the region is astonishing; the nods to films and franchises are both large and small and numerous – and so are the touches of humour. Literally everywhere you look, there is something of a homage to be found. The treats start right next to the landing point, which sits outside sound stage 25. Look inside the building and you’ll see a city backdrop, a short street façade and a marvellous miniature of a street scene in which you can make yourself feel like a latter-day Gulliver visiting a modern-day Lilliput.

However, this is easy to overlook simply because, just down the road from the landing point Godzilla is out for a stroll among the buildings – and tend to capture the attention as a result. He’s passing a rooftop billboard celebrating the Star Trek franchise’s first foray onto the silver screen (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 1979), and is apparently in pursuit of Ecto-1 (disguised as a MadPea prop). The block of buildings to the right of both Godzilla and Ecto-1 reveals one of the more famous aspects of outdoor film lots: the building façade – the entire block is little more that plywood supported by scaffold – as visitors can see when they step inside or peep through the windows.

The centre of the region is where a new set is under construction, and some of the humour can be found. I’m not entirely sure how much protection a paper hat gives against falling timber, but the chap wearing it seems happy enough!

It is the inclusion of these construction figures and others throughout the region that give life to the region and the feel of it being a living studio that encourages visitors – just step into the commissary on the ground floor of the building across the construction site from Godzilla to see what I mean. And while there, be sure to take-in the various nods to a range of famous films along the back wall. Or you can pop across you Stage 34 and participated in a small stage / green screen shoot.

Take the steps to the upper floor of the building next door to the commissary and more treats await. Here can be found characters from the original Star Wars films, together with concept art and storyboards from a number of films – how many can you recognise?

Nor is this all; echoes of the Jurassic Park franchise abound throughout the location, and have already offered multiple opportunities for photography. Off to the south of the lot sits a homage to another franchise and the Universal Studios ride it gave birth to, while another iconic character from Hollywood’s monster movies pounds his chest from a rooftop.

Be sure, as well, to check out the warehouse in Stage 38, which has a range of props and vehicles, including some that might again be recognised by film fans, with one in particular likely to raise a smile; where else might you come across Chucky piloting a Mech walker from (I think) Avatar?

From an opportunity to stage your own version of Singing in the Rain or a scene from Blade Runner’s wet alleyways to getting chased by zombies or simply kicking back in the viewing room, RioSisco Studio Pictures offers a great visit with plenty to see and appreciate. Definitely one not to miss.

SLurl Details

• RioSisco Studio Pictures (Dfine Island, rated Adult)

 

 

Currently open for group members to enjoy, and shortly to open to the general public, are the 2019 Calas Christmas regions. Once again, Ty Tenk and Truck Meredith and the Calas team bring a Christmas winter delight for all Second Life residents to enjoy, spend across two regions of snow-bound fun.

The regions once again feature all that we’ve come to love about a Calas Christmas: the Christmas Pavilion, entertainment, sleigh rides, skating, and balloon and reindeer tours. However, this year introduces some new twists to things.

Rather than being at the ground level, the landing point is located high over the regions., on an icy, snowbound plain where polar bear play with their young and a snowman dances in greeting. Follow the candy striped arrows to where the mouth of a tunnel beckons (be sure to pick up a note card of landmarks from the candy cane at the cave entrance – you can use them to return directly to points of interest in the regions). The tunnel leads the way down to what might seem to be a shallow cavern – but be careful as you step forward into it; the floor is not what it seems!

The cavern is in fact the entrance to a series of tunnel s that lead you through (and past) other caverns (including Santa’s grotto) and, in reflection to past Calas holiday builds, to a portal that will deliver you to the ground level of the regions. This sits with a snowy tunnel of rock, the traditional automated sleigh rides to one side. These offer a choice of rides for couples or for up to four people to share, and we thoroughly recommend them, as they provide an easy way to discover the sights of the regions, which can then be visited on foot or via horseback.

If you prefer not to take the sleigh rides, you can either opt to follow the path they take  northwards out of the tunnel, and thus around the northernmost of the two regions, or they can take the southern exit from the tunnel, and a more direct path to the Christmas Pavilion and the ice skating.

Those who have wearable horses might want to wear them when exploring the northern region – although there are horse rezzers to be found that will provide you with a marvellous Shire horse to ride, and with kit in keeping with the season; just click the sign, accept the attachments, and you’ll be ready to go – use your usual movement keys to direct the horse (turn off your own AO!), and use double taps on your forward key to cycle through the walk, trot, canter and gallop option (your “backwards” key will step down through them).

As well as the sleigh rides, there are also flying reindeer tours (located along the trail of the sleigh tours) and a balloon ride (located to one side of the Christmas pavilion, just above the ice skating lake). All of the tours drop people off at the Calas Polar Express, where a meal and drinks can be had within the carriages – but don’t expect a ride home – not until “sometime after Christmas”, at least!.

A brisk walk down the slopes from the station will bring you to the lake and the pavilion. The latter is perhaps the most noticeable change from previous years, being of a new design for the regions.  The main hall offers a stage and dance floor (look for the golden deer on two of the pillars for dances), while the two wings offer the traditional lounges and Christmas tree, but in a brighter finish than past years. I believe the Pavilion will be home to this year’s entertainment within the regions. Nor is this the only place to enjoy a dance – a smaller pavilion sits on the far side of the lake, also waiting for visitors.

As is always the way with the Calas holiday regions, there are a lot of little details to be discovered: a nativity scene here, penguins sliding and skating on the ice, reindeer awaiting riders  – look far enough, and you might even spot a yeti / abominable snowman and a nod towards the Calas Halloween region designs! Group members should also keep an eye out for the group gifts (one per avatar).

The Calas team always bring us visual treats to enjoy through December to the New Year, and have done so again for 2019. However, when visiting, there are some rules and notes to keep in mind:

• To help lighten the load on resources, it is requested that active scripts are kept below 100Kb. So please, do remove unnecessary HUDs and accessories.
• The regions can get very popular – and avatars can place the heaviest load on the viewer – so your own experience may be affected in terms of performance, by the number of other visitors in the regions (there is also a lot within the regions to render, so other than for photos, you may want to reduce your Draw Distance and turn off render-heavy options like shadows.
• Given there can be a lot of people wanting to visit, be aware that if you go afk for more than a few minutes while visiting the regions and one is particularly busy, you may be asked to make your way to the other, or sent home if there is no response.

SLurl Details

• Calas Galadhon Christmas 2019 (Sea Myst, rated: Moderate)

Souls of Dreams is a Homestead region we were pointed towards by Shawn Shakespeare. Largely designed by Loly Hallison, with the main house and other structures placed and furnished by region holder Xana Newall, the region is a peaceful setting, caught between offering signs of summer and winter snows.

Split into a series of four islands of varying sizes, Souls of Dreams has a little something for almost every Second Life explorer and photographer. The landing point resides on the southern end of one of the two large islands in the group, close by a low-place bridge linking it to one of the smaller islands. A sign – And So The Adventure Begins – greets new arrivals, who have the choice crossing the low bridge to the smaller island or wandering over a more humpbacked bridge to explore the rest of the larger island.

The smaller island, dominated by the huge bulk of an old brick-and-stone lighthouse, has something of the promise of the holiday season about it. A giant toy soldier of the kind that gets associated with the season stands guard at the door, while firs trees and lights sprout from the rocky table to the side of the lighthouse and a Citroen van is parked on the sand has its roof rack piled with presents. Inside, a blazing fire in the stove casts a warm glow and a decorated tree and a table set for dinner offer the promise of celebrations to come.

This wintry / seasonal theme continues on the main island where, over the humpbacked bridge that spans a bubbling, tumbling brook, the hills are topped with snow. The brook tumbles down from the hills and past frozen pines and oaks and trees denuded of their leaves while a rutted track follows the brook’s curve to reach the large house standing in the lea of the hills.

Divided into two by an intervening conservatory, the house has the comforting warmth of a lived-in look. Bric-a-brac lies scattered throughout, what looks like the making (or remnants?) of a breakfast clutter the kitchen, an unmade bed commands the bedroom – and a cat, presumably satisfied it has been fed, is curled asleep on the floor. It is, in a word, a homely place, rich in the suggestion of welcoming visitors.

A hop and a skip across the stream sits a zip line connecting house and isle to the long east-to-west curve of the second of the large islands. This has a far more summery look and feel to it: the trees are heavy with green leaves, the grass long and the rough beach on the island’s outward sweep offers parasoled places to sit along its length. A little more inland, a picnic basket and blanket under the boughs offers a more shaded place to rest, as does the inner curve of a cinder beach.

Follow the island’s beaches far enough, and they’ll bring you fist the signs of more celebrations – in this case what appears to be a birthday party setting with cakes galore and set within a glass-sided pavilion, and out to a rocky headland where a path of stepping stones snakes southwards to the final island.

A rough, flat-topped brick of an island, this is home to an old fortified house. Getting up to it is a little bit of a scramble – and not all of the rocks are physical – but it is well worth the effort. With inner doors taking the form of framed mirrors, the house offers a network of rooms and a treasure trove of furnishings that await discovery.  At the same time, the rest of the island offer s series of vignettes that are ideal for photography.

Nor are the stepping stones are the only way to get between this island and the others in the chain. Depending on where it is located at the time of a visit, a swan boat can be used to travel over the waters of the region and between the four islands. It also makes for a pleasant way to take in the region from different angles.

With multiples places to sit, plenty of detail large and small, Souls of Dreams is an elegant setting, and a fee of L$250 will provide group rights for rezzing props. However, as auto-return is off, please do make sure you pick up afterwards. Now, if you’ll excuse me, a little plate of doughnuts and hot chocolate is waiting by a pallet sofa overlooking the brook, and I’m sure they could use some company!

SLurl Details

• Soul of Dreams (Python Point, rated Moderate)