Category: Reviews

A Noble isle and Beatrix Potter

Posted on by Inara Pey

Isle of Myrth is the home of The Noble Storybook, an homage to the tales of Beatrix Potter and the work of members of the Noble Family group in Second Life.

The Noble Storybook
The Noble Storybook

Now, while it may draw its share of hisses and boos my way, I have to confess that the tales of Beatrix Potter are not – and never were – a favourite read; either as a child or in reading bedtime stories to my godchildren. However, when it comes to The Noble Storybook, such a lack doesn’t really matter; this is quite simply a stunning and beautiful build from which nothing is lost if you’re unfamiliar with Peter Rabbit et al, and which richly rewards the Second Life explorer.

Superlatives tend to get used a lot when it comes to SL builds – but this really is one which is deserving of them; everything has been put together with an eye for detail and placement, making the entire region a delight to explore and photograph. Just be aware that the house atop the hill is a private residence and home to the Noble Family – so please respect their privacy.

The Noble Storybook
The Noble Storybook

The rest of the region, however, is open to meandering explorers and camera-happy snappers, and there is more than enough here to keep the most addicted snapper clicking away contentedly for hours.

The initial arrival point for visitors is some way up in the air. Here you get a hint of the region’s theme before teleporting down to the ground itself. There are no greeters passing out notecards, so it’s best to read the description in the Destination Guide if you want to get a feel for the place – not that it really takes much; as I’ve said, this is a beautiful sim which will enchant right from the time you pop-up outside the lighthouse above the beach.

The Noble Storybook
The Noble Storybook

Wooden steps lead down from the cozy lighthouse to the bach and the more “public” areas of the region – the Noble Cafe, a little quay and boat, shops and deck chairs. Footpaths and wooden bridges also lead around, over and along the hillside, offering shaded walks under trees and across open fields.

As you wander, you may well come across characters and creations from Potter’s books; you’ll also come across some stunning scenery. I’m not always a fan of sim surrounds – or at least my GPU isn’t; a combination of sim surround and active shadows tends to send it into paroxysms of flashing and stern NOT RESPONDING messages. However, I have to say that the surrounds used here are used to great effect and add enormous ambience to the region.

The Noble Storybook
The Noble Storybook

The real problem with a region of this kind is that words aren’t enough. There is only one way to really appreciate it – and that’s to go visit it for yourself.

So don’t let me keep you – go! 🙂

SLurl Details

Happiness is liberty

Posted on by Inara Pey

Update, August 4th: This region appears to be under new ownership, and Happiness is Liberty no longer exists.

The Photogenic Spots section of the Destination guide recently received a boost with 6 new entries into the category. It’s one I keep an eye on, so seeing it rise from 21 to 27 of late has caused an eyebrow to perk up at what might be waiting.

The first entry at the moment is Happiness is Liberty, a build occupying the Homestead region of Our Souls and which has an interesting description:

Where the problems are forgot and the relax begins, enjoy the view of a cold beach, or drink a cup of coffee while you see airplanes take off and land, get lost in a majestic forest or just lay in  the vast green landscape …

Happiness is Liberty
Happiness is Liberty

Teleporting brings you to a coastal scene on a foggy morning. A carousel turns on the boardwalk (or in this case, perhaps broadwalk might be more appropriate!), waves wash the beach and a lighthouse stands sentinel over the bay.  It’s a place that has clearly gone through something of a rebuild since the promotional picture for the Destination Guide was taken, and it appears that the shops atop the hill are perhaps designed for renting-out.

Designed by Senna (ndyv), Happiness is Liberty is an interesting mixture of themes – the holiday-like beachfront, complete with pier and boardwalk, carousel and Ferris wheel, he open fields and vistas of hills-across-the-water and the deep woodland setting – all of which blend together and offer something to everyone who enjoys exploring Second Life.  The sky may be overcast, the morning foggy – but the wonders of windlight mean it doesn’t take much to tweak things if you want to get a more summer-like feel to your snaps.

Happiness is Liberty
Happiness is Liberty

This is the kind of region I tend to like – there’s both a good amount to see and the opportunity to wander freely and see what ideas and tales might take shape when framing photos. I’m not entirely convinced as to the style of the shops (which tend to dominate the view from some angles in a most unflattering way), but the rest of the region offers a lot with which I can indulge myself.

“Indulge” because over the last several months – if not over the course of the last year – I’ve become somewhat more insular in my SL life. I’m not entirely sure why this is – and I certainly don’t want to upset friends and acquaintances – but the fact is, I tend to enjoy Second Life and find myself relaxing within it a lot more when I’m simply on my own.

Happiness is Liberty
Happiness is Liberty

It’s not that I feel antisocial or anything like that; I suppose it’s a case that just like real life, there are times in SL when it is good to be alone with one’s thoughts; to get away from things and feel you have the freedom to simply ignore the chiclets (or the flashing Chat button in the case of CHUI), and just lose yourself in the digital moments.

Which is not to say that happiness is Liberty must be enjoyed alone – the carousel, the cafe and the woodland walks offer more than enough for couples and groups to enjoy if they so wish.

Happiness is Liberty
Happiness is Liberty

For the photographer, the region has a lot to offer both in the diversity of the landscape and in the fact that is does lend itself to a wide range of windlight options. There are a couple of nips and tucks required in places – the back of the aforementioned shops, for example plus the woodland hillocks which are floating slightly above ground level – possibly because of whatever recent re-working which might have taken place; but these are minor quibbles in the scheme of things and the hillocks can be easily taken care of (and actually are only noticeable from certain angles).

If you’re looking for a new place to explore or simply somewhere to wander and spend a little “me” time, the a trip over to Our Souls might be just the ticket.  As someone (I’m sure) once said: happiness can be liberating.

Related Links

Happiness is Liberty
Happiness is Liberty

Art on nine immersive planets

Posted on by Inara Pey

Quan Lavender invited me to a preview of Betty Tureaud’s immersive  / interactive installation The 9 Art Planets.

Betty describes the piece thus:

The Art Planets is an art installation where I want to give the visitors 9 different emotional feelings, reflected in their subconscious mind. One level is inspired by Char Davies who I think invented the Immersive Virtual Art. I am using space, colors and sound and some interactive objects to reach my goal in The 9 Art Planets. So turn on your sound and music … The Art Planets have a music stream especially composed for this place, by Ultraviolet Alter. a French composer and good friend of mine. Set your light two midday. Sound should be set to hear sound and music. Media should not be set to autoplay, you will see a note where to switch on.

9 Planets: where something as easy as opening a door can blow you away...
9 Planets: where something as easy as opening a door can blow you away…

Your journey through these nine planets commences on a Mars-like plain, a Geiger counter clicking away somewhere and a building before you. A small case outside the building will provide you with a visitor’s HUD to get around the installation and also an introductory notecard.

As the name implies, there are nine elements to the installation to visit, with the HUD providing easy access to all of them. Whether you go in the suggested left-to-right order suggested by the HUD (the start location being on the left-hand end of the HUD, or whether you pick destinations according to curiosity is up to you.

9 Planets
9 Planets

Despite some resemblance to parts of the solar system, this is not an installation which presents art against a backdrop of the planets orbiting our sun. Rather, as Betty’s introduction states, the aim is to induce an emotional response based on colour, light, sound, music and interaction. This last part is important, as it is easy to pass through sections and miss interactive elements. Some of these may set you flying, others leave you dancing. Some may require a degree of passive observation. Some are also more active than others – such as the maze, in which you place yourself in the role of a “mouse” seeking the “cheese”. Whether you attempt the hard or easy route is agin up to you…

9 Planets
9 Planets

Given the nature of the piece, it is actually hard to quantify; given the immersive / interactive nature of the various elements, it really is something which has to be explored and experienced. For those of a mind to do so, there are little gifts scattered around the various elements, which can be collected along the way. And again, as Betty’s notes explain, be ready with media;  Ultraviolet has produced some wonderful pieces to accompany the installation, and the experience really isn’t the same without them.

All-in-all, very much worth a visit – just even yourself time to explore, experience and enjoy.

The 9 Art Planets opens its doors to the public on Friday, April 19th at 14:00 SLT.

Related Links

9 Planets
9 Planets

Spring waters and a happy bcc

Posted on by Inara Pey

As regular readers will know, I love very natural and / or whimsical regions. I also love to see the amount of artistic expression store owners put into the region / parcel surrounding their store. It’s for this reason I was originally drawn to Cours, the home of Vitamingirl’s “🙂 BCC” – although I’m ashamed to admit that after my first visit, I didn’t actually get around to writing-up a post.

:) BCC at Cours
“🙂 BCC” at Cours

Well, now spring has arrived, and with it Cours has had something of a redesign which again demonstrates Vitamingirl’s creativity. The store now sits at the top of a hill and is reached by stone steps leading up from the arrival point. Heading off across a watery landscape is an old, broken railway track, inviting you to explore the region.

Follow the track across the watery landscape and you’ll find a locomotive, seemingly determined to make its way off across the Linden Sea. Elsewhere is a Romany caravan and a table set for tea where you can sit and chat or simply watch the world go by. Not far from the locomotive sits a windmill.

:) BCC
“🙂 BCC” at Cours

This is a minimalist build which is extraordinarily picturesque. The waterlogged areas, bright with yellow rapeseed-like flowers, both frame and separate the “islands” scattered across the region into a series of linked visual vignettes which beckon to the newly arrived traveller.

As well as the 🙂 BCC store itself, Cours is also home to the three house-like shops of Adelia, ADTL, and Honey Pang, all of which offer the window-shopper even more reason to drop into the region.

:) BCC at Cours
“🙂 BCC” at Cours

All-in-all, 🙂 BCC offers an enjoyable and very photogenic destination.

Related Links

:) BCC at Cours
“🙂 BCC” at Cours

“Lights, camera, action – and take 2!”

Posted on by Inara Pey

Back in October, I looked at the Machinima Open Studio Project (MOSP), a full sim environment on LEA20 created by Chic Aeon as a part of the 2012 Artist-in-Residence series and for use by machinima makers and photographer across Second Life.  As noted at the time, I thought the installation was a superb idea, and was saddened to think it would be vanishing as the new Artist-in-Residence series got underway.

However, rather than vanish, MOSP has been moved to a new location and given an update. The new location at LEA7 features a revised ground-level layout and a host of new features which are again open for use. If you have any interest at all in machinima and  / or photography, I can’t emphasise enough the value of this resource and the opportunities it presents for film-making and photographic work.

The new MOSP
The new MOSP

The most obvious updates brought to MOSP are at ground level – obvious, because that is where you arrive on teleporting. While the railway track from the original is still there, the landscape has been re-worked and Chic has added a number of buildings which can be used both independently of one another, and in combination to tell a story, film a promotional video or as sets for the photographer.

These aren’t the only changes either, so when you arrive, do spend time at the information area, where you can pick-up an introduction to MOSP and a folder of LMs to all of the facilities – you’ll need them! And if you’re concerned about the landing zone being smack in the middle of the scenery – always remember that the derender option in most TPVs can neatly hide it from the camera’s eye when filming.

The new MOSP
The new MOSP

Up in the sky, the sound stages are still available for studio-based work, as are the corporate offices, which again could be used for studio filming as well as offering other opportunities. Also in the sky are a number of new themed sets, including a desert complete with old fort and camels and a rural / farm scene. These sets are also mach larger than the sky sets from the original MOSP and provide even greater potential and flexibility of use when filming, either as standalone feature or in combination with other parts of the faculty.  There’s also a viewing theatre where MachinimUWA, LEA and MoMac machinima can be watched in a unique three-into-one environment.

Sand at MOSP
Sand at the new MOSP

MOSP offers a 20-minute rez time for those who need to use props and the like, and as the environments are open to being revised or updated, it is best to contact Chic herself regarding any projects which may require the using the MOSP’s facilities over a period of time to ensure a set isn’t updated or revised if real life means that filming has to be broken-up over a period of time.

Chic went to great lengths to ensure the best possible filming experience could be enjoyed at the original MOSP, particularly with the placement of the studios and specialised scenes places well overhead to avoid as much lag as possible and thus ensure good frame rates. The same care has been exhibited here as well, and the sky scenes positioned such that all can be used independently of one another and (providing you adjust any high draw distance downwards sufficiently) at any time of day without shadows from those above interfering with any filming.

The new MOSP
The new MOSP

For those wishing teach others about machinima or photography (or indeed start out in either), MOSP also now has a dedicated classroom area, and there is an open invitation to those wishing to run classes to contact Chic and enroll in the MOSP group, where they can be given a teaching role and announce events.

Whether you’re looking to film you own romance, mystery or adventure story and need some additional locations or you want to have a number of ready-made sets for a photo shoot or are looking for studio-style or indoor sets to film a scene or two, the Machinima Open Studio Project more than likely has you covered. This was a superb resource when Chic first opened at on LEA20 last year; now, with the move to a new, permanent home at LEA20 MOSP stands to become a an outstanding and unique faculty for film-makers and photographers alike. Chic is to be commended for bringing it all together and working so hard to extend MOSP’s capabilities. Kudos as well to the LEA committee for ensuring MOSP has a home at the LEA following the end of the 2012 AIR series.

The new MOSP
The new MOSP

Related Links

Updates video courtesy of Chic Aeon

Beguiled by a walk in a park

Posted on by Inara Pey

I was alerted to the Beguiled Art Gallery and Studio on the mainland region of Kakapo by Mona Eberhardt. Never one to miss a recommendation, even if Second Life decided not to play nice with me during the afternoon, I hopped over to take a look.

The Beguiled Art Gallery and Studio
The Beguiled Art Gallery and Studio

The parcel, occupying the greater part of the region, is operated by the Wanted Dead or Alive group / Jilla Lamar, and features the Beguiled Studio (somewhat in need of repair) and the Beguilded Gallery. Between and around them sit the most verdant of gardens, with paths, cobbled trails, gazebos, water, butterflies and more, populated by nymphs, children and Victorian gentlefolk out for a stroll or fiddling with those new-fangled photographical devices.

Be-2_001
The Beguiled Art Gallery and Studio

At the moment, and running through until May 4th, The Beguiled is featuring a Spring Art Walk, offering visitors the chance to follow the paths around the gardens and take-in artwork on display – and for sale – by a number of SL artists and photographers, with a stroll along the paths and trails allowing you to witness work by Skye Donardson, Alles Klaar, partners AugustaMary and WhisperAtNight, Sabbian Paine,  Aelin Quan and Stephen Venkman. At the same time you can enjoy the scenic beauty of the gardens themselves, and the incredible wealth of detail Jilla has incorporated into The Beguiled.

And I do mean “wealth of detail”. This is not a place to be rushed; doing so means that while you may well catch all of the artwork on display along the sides of the paths, you’ll still miss out on a lot – such as the wonderful little scenes Jilla herself has put together and which are reached by short climbs up convenient ladders (although in most cases, I’d recommend camming up to them to fully appreciate them).

The Beguiled Art Gallery and Studio
The Beguiled Art Gallery and Studio

Jilla encourages people to not only visit the garden, but also to use it as a backdrop for their own photography. For those who do so – indeed, for any visitors –  I would pass on a couple of words of advice. Unless you have a graphics card with serious Oomph, you might want to both ramp-down your draw distance (particularly if it is well up into the hundreds) and also think about not running in deferred and / or with shadows active (just turn them on to grab your photos). I found my Ge9800 GT (with a Gb of memory) was tossing textures out of its pram as fast as I could walk around the paths when in deferred.

The Beguiled Art Gallery and Studio
The Beguiled Art Gallery and Studio

Also, should you visit, make sure you take a little time to visit the Beguiled Gallery, where more of Jilla’s own work is on display.

The Beguiled is one of those wonderful mainland discoveries which can be hard to come by, but once found are always treasured. Very highly recommended, and my thanks to Mona for dropping me a line about it.

Related Links

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