A new Christian-focused machinima series filmed in Second Life, has its première on Monday, February 1st 2016. BreakOut Joyful Noise will air on the gospel / urban Dynasty Television and Charter Cable 198.
The series “centres on the town of Release and its residents. A cosy community filled with societal issues that resident’s experience. This series will address those topics that individuals struggle with in life and provide story lines that will encourage viewers to face those issues head on through the way of Jesus Christ.”
The 30-minute pilot focuses on 24-year-old Joy Jamison who works in a high-end boutique who is struggling with matters of self-image and faith.
The show has been written and produced by Exquisite Xpressionz, a group of Second Life residents comprising Keyia Hynes, Twylitedawn Keng and Wisdom Price, who have set themselves the goal “to educate, inspire, and entertain all users of the secondlife [sic] community; bridging the gap by promoting real world awareness and positive change.” Filming is by Rockford Ewing / Double Trouble Video Productions, with music by Creative Nation.
BreakOut Joyful Noise premières via stream on Dynasty TV / Charter Channel 198 at 06:00 SLT on Monday February1st, and features its own page on the Dynasty TV website. A teaser / trailer has also been produced, and is embedded below.
Marking the start of the year, the second Timekiller festival organised by SL Goth Magazine is currently under way at their headquarters in the Morphe Northwinds region, and will run through until Sunday, January 24th.
With the theme of Gothic Steampunk, the festival features 20 designers, live DJ’s, live story tellers and is nestled in the corner of Morphe Northwinds, while gives it something of a more personal, intimate look and feel than can sometimes initially be experienced when dropping into a much larger event.
Of particular note for the event is a special live performance by renowned cellist-singer-songwriter Unwoman (Erica Mulkey). Recipient of the 2015 Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice Award for Best Solo Musician and Best Album for her album Circling, Unwoman has performed at steampunk conventions and other major events across the United States.
The Unwoman concert will take place on Tuesday, January 19th at 17:00 SLT. In addition, Aura Fitzgerald will be singing live at the festival on Wednesday, January 20th, from 15:00 SLT, while Finn Zeddmore and Caledonia Skytower from Seanchai Library will be giving live readings on Thursday, January 21st at 16:00 SLT and Sunday, January 24th at 15:00 SLT respectively.
The Ghost Town – a MadPea mystery game aimed at new SL users, launching soon at the Firestorm Gateway
During the recent soft launch of the Firestorm Gateway, I reported on the news that MadPea would be joining the Firestorm team as a partner, providing free-to-play games in order to help new users engage with Second Life.
These games are intended to be Experiences-led, and demonstrate some of the many activities those new to Second Life can expect to find in-world, as then learn to find their way around – thus fitting in with the overall thrust of the Firestorm Gateway regions, which offer a range of activities and attractions for incoming new users, as will as practical guidance and support for understanding the viewer and getting to grips with general interactions, etc.
The MadPea team have now announced the first of these games will be launching on December 19th, 2015. Called The Ghost Town. It will see players tasked with investigating the recent disappearance of local fisherman Big Jimmy. Guided by his journal and equipped with a special camera, players follow the clues left by a mind gone mad and discover the terrible truth behind Big Jimmy’s recent activities. One they have completed the game, player will be rewarded with prizes.
It is with regards to the latter point that MadPea are seeking the support of 20 Second Life Creators, as the official blog post from the team explains:
We’re looking for 20 stores to collaborate with us by providing a themed prize for the players. In return your brand and prizes will be promoted by both MadPea and Firestorm and you’ll be potentially promoting yourselves to your customers of the future before anyone else.
In particular, MadPea are looking for prizes which will help new users practically enhance their Second Life experience, and so are particularly hoping to hear from creators of wearable items such as skins, mesh body parts and accessories, hair, clothing, avatar accessories, pets, wearable vehicles, companions, AOs etc.
Creators wishing to indicate their willingness to be involved in the game and offer prizes should complete in full The Ghost Townprize donation application form, and to do so no later than Saturday, December 12th. Those stores / creators selected by the team will be contacted directly shortly thereafter with information on how to proceed.
In the meantime, if you require more information about becoming a vendor, please contact Tichelle Teebrook in world. For more information about MadPea in general, or their collaboration with the Firestorm team, please contact Kess Crystal in world, or via kess-at-madpeagames.com.
Saturday November 21st marked the start of the seventh annual SL Toys for Tots season in support of the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots programme, which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them Christmas gifts.
The Toys for Tots Breedables Expo and Fair will run through until November 29th, and features two regions, sponsored by WK Wild Kajaera, dedicated to all Breedables in SL and also non-breedable vendors/sellers. Events throughout the week will include live performers, raffles, and a very special auction.
The 2014 SL Toys 4 tots Expo raised over L$9,566,604 for the programme, and the organisers are hoping this year marks an even greater success, with L$838,163 donated even before the Expo gates have opened. Since its inception, SL Toys 4 Tots has raised over US $90,000 for the Toys for Toys programme.
If you would like to help with fund-raising, you can obtain the Toys for Tots fund-raising kit by contacting one of the following people in-world: Rocky Hillburton, Marissa Goodliffe, or Shannon Hillburton (Shannon Dubratt). You can also join the Annual T4T Christmas Benefit in-world group (key: secondlife:///app/group/28795771-c4a8-ac48-cf40-ead01828608c/about – paste into your viewer) to keep up-to-date on news and information.
Toys for Tots began as a Los Angeles charitable effort in 1947. William Hendricks was inspired by his wife Diane, when she tried to donate a home-made Raggedy Ann doll to a needy child but could find no organisation to do so. At her suggestion he gathered a group of local Marine reservists, who together coordinated and collected some 5,000 toys for local children that year from collection bins placed outside of Warner Bros. movie theatres. Their efforts were so successful that, in 1948, Toys for Tots was launched as a national campaign in the United States, with a mission to “collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.”
Second Life International Folkboat Fleet (SLIFF) races start from the SLIFF HQ in Skagway, Blake Passage most Sundays
While I enjoy sailing in Second Life, having my own Loonetta 31, I’ve admittedly never really taken a close look at sail racing. So, when MarkTwain White recently invited me to observe the weekly Folkboat races which take place around the islands of Blake Passage on most Sundays, I was curious to learn more.
First up, a little bit of background. Folkboats – also called Nordic Folkboats – are a class of sloop-rigged sailing boats some 7.68 metres (25 feet) in length. They came about as a result of a 1942 competition organised by the Scandinavian Yacht Racing Union for a low-cost, easy to sail boat. While there was no outright winner, the competition organisers took the best features of several of the submissions and commissioned Tord Sundén to design a boat incorporating the ideas whilst meeting the goals of the competition. In the 70 years since the design first took to the water, the Folkboat has gained global popularity as both a racing boat and cruising yacht.
In Second Life, the Folkboat has been beautifully reproduced by Analyse Dean in the form of the Bandit IF, which is available through her in-world store and via the Marketplace. Sine its introduction, the Bandit IF has become extremely popular in Second Life, and in recognition of this, the free-to-join SL Folkboat Fleet (SLIFF) group has been created to keep owners advised of Folkboat events and activities, and the Second Life International Flokboat Fleet headquarters has been established in-world at Skagway in Blake Passage, where the Alaskan setting of the regions is in keeping with the Nordic origins of the boat.
It is from the SLIFF HQ at Skagway that the weekly races are run. These are open to anyone owning the Bandit IF, and information on the races is posted through the SLIFF sub-forum available on Virtual World Sailing, together with information on other activities and on the boats themselves. The first race starts at around 07:00 SLT on race days, but participants are asked to turn up about 15 minutes ahead of this, so a count of racers can be taken and heats arranged. A nearby boathouse roof offers a spectator’s stand, providing a good view over the start / finish line.
Folkboats head out to position themselves for the start of a race
There are a number of race courses used during events, and map of these are available at the SLIFF headquarters. A typical race session will see heats take place around one of the courses, with the winners going forward to a final race against one another, possibly around a different course.
Each race lasts around 20 minutes, and starts with contestants putting to water as the clock counts up towards zero, and the start of the race proper. During this time, the boats can be seen manoeuvring for position in order to get across the start line as quickly as possible as zero is reached, and the clock starts counting the race elapsed time. This actually requires some skill, and a couple of people in the races I watched handicapped themselves somewhat by sailing a considerable distance from the start line before looping back, the clock already running and their competitors well ahead of them.
And the race gets underway.
Following a race can be difficult given the distances involved and the capabilities of your computer. I did attempt to follow the boats for part of the course using flycam mode and my Space Navigator, but the best way to enjoy things is to watch the boats head out over the start line and sail away into the distance, then wait to see which is the first to reappear around the islands and race for the line.
As the Bandit IF can be actively crewed by 2 people, the races can made for a fun shared activity, and the races I witnessed had several couples taking part. Conversation around the spectator areas is lively as well, with those awaiting their heat adding to the general chatter and greeting visitors.
Crossing the line
In addition to hosting the races, the SLIFF also hosts sailing classes for those new to the Folkboat or who have one but don’t feel confident enough in their skills with it to enter a race. Details of classes are again posted through the SLIFF sub-forum at Virtual World Sailing.
In the meantime, if you are a Bandit IF owner, and haven’t tried your hand at the races, why not hop over the SLIFF HQ one Sunday and take a peek at activities for yourself?
The Giant Record Player at Khanada will be the location for a special celebration at the Duran Duran universe in SL
On Friday, September 11th, Duran Duran, the English rock band out of Birmingham, issued their 14th studio album, Paper Gods. In a career spanning some 36 years. albeit with various line-ups and changes of face and style along the way, the band has enjoyed remarkable longevity.
They’ve also had a long association with Second Life. The Duran Duran Universe was launched by duranduran.com in-world on June 16th 2011, although planning for it goes back to around 2006. It comprises four regions, each with icons from the Band’s long history:
Tlon, an entertainment Island, featuring an eyeball that ‘follows’ the users (“Being Followed“), a Mediterranean Spa and the Cinema Eye
Azizi, an urban style Island, on the lines of a cosmopolitan city which includes the unmistakable Lipstick Tower which has to be explored to be believed
Sanhedralite, the nature island
Khanada, the region where “users can visit each band member’s dressing room (designed by the band members themselves)”.
The Lipstick Tower in Azizi features (among other things) a display of art by SL artist jjccc Coronet
It is to Khanada that attention is being drawn for Saturday, September 12th, when from 13:00 SLT, a celebratory party will take place at the Khanada Giant Record Player. The event is of course organised by the folk responsible for running the regions on the band’s behalf, and no assumptions should be made that members of the band will actually be there. It does, however, give Duran Duran fans the opportunity to get together and mark the launch of Paper Gods.
The dress code is obvious: light pink or light blue (although I’m sure a flamboyant uniform would also be acceptable 🙂 ). Lipstick (for the guys) entirely optional.
and that only leaves me to leave you with the title track from the album.
A new Christian-focused machinima series filmed in Second Life, has its première on Monday, February 1st 2016. BreakOut Joyful Noise will air on the gospel / urban Dynasty Television and Charter Cable 198.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 