Machinima Review: “Life on Life”
Join us on Monday, July 21st, at 12:00PM SLT . For the screening of LifeFactory Writer’s first machinima at the humble theater set and meet the author there. But let’s get to know her better before as she has friendly answered our questions!
Who is Life in real?
I am a media and communications professional in the real world. I specialize in analyzing media messages and crafting communications and public relations strategies for companies, the government and individuals.
What is SL for you? How do you co-exist within those two characters?
I entered SecondLife a year ago, at a time when the platform is becoming less of a strictly entertainment venue and increasingly a tool to extend real-world efforts—in the workforce, public advocacy, philanthropy, in addition to being an incredible venue for purely creative efforts.
Do you have any background in movie technique before coming to SL?
I have been interested in filmmaking since college and, following my bachelor’s degree, pursued traditional film training. I began my career as an independent filmmaker shooting 16mm film and produced a short film while working as a project manager and writer on other independent projects. Financially, it was a very tough road to travel.
Do you change your modus operandi because of SL, how?
This is my first SL film, and I am learning and applying new skills, so the process I used to approach the film was technically very simple and relied heavily on my traditional film background. I was still shooting as if I was using real film with a camera on a tripod, and I had to get the shot right going into the camera!
How would you define your last movie?
“Life on Life” grew organically out of my experiences in SecondLife in every respect, and was not really a planned production. I did not have a script or storyboards. I call this film a “docu-narrative,” because the vignettes are based on events that actually happened, but which I recreated in order to film them. And I took some creative license during the recreation! But the story is an honest reflection of one avatar’s path through the metaverse.
Your movie plays on the “mingling” of the stage in the movie and the one where it is displayed, what lay behind this?
Using the theater set as a narrative structure was developed for a few reasons. First, I needed a way to knit together all of the disparate elements I was using… I also was focused on the interplay between the real and the virtual worlds, and was trying to convey the sense that SecondLife is very “real,” and that the individuals within it are “real people”– even if some are role-playing.
Where is your movie available to watch ?
My film is streaming live on a “big screen” until the end of July at the humble theater set and can also be seen on blip.tv.
I will soon be establishing a film room in the new Google VR platform Lively, in order to bring the film to a different audience.
Complete interview available here: LifeFactoryinterview
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