My Avatar and Me, a quasi-documentary feature film partly shot in Second Life is playing the festival circuit and will soon debut in SL itself. ColeMarie Soleil of Second Life Arts and Entertainment (SLANE) and many other SL content creators helped the filmmakers put together the movie's in-world elements -- read on for a behind-the-scenes look! - Hamlet
My Avatar and Me is a documentary/fantasy film created by Bente Milton, Mikkel Stolt (Mike Proud in SL), Rob Gould (Rob Danton in SL) and Helena Kirkorian. Partly set in Second Life, the in-world story mainly revolves around Mike's avatar and his hopes and dreams, then progresses through his time in the virtual world, the people he meets, his longing for connection, and the search for the Long Now Orrey. My Avatar and Me has done very well, and is now up for nominations for best documentary at film festivals in Krakow, Lübeck,Poland, Germany, Amsterdam, Ireland, Spain, Cleveland and Denmark. Unsurprisingly, many of its Second Life elements were created by leading SL content creators.
I remember just a few years ago being contacted by Rob Danton about this film project. Many last-minute cast calls at all times of day and night. Running into all sorts of artists and familiar faces being joined together to become the extras and ambiance for the film. Very dedicated and professional group of people, and we always found a way to have a lot of fun once filming was done. The filmmakers also wisely chose well-known metaverse artist Bryn Oh to build the Long Now Orrey (which was for a time displayed in the Immersiva sim).
Bryn also has an in-depth post on her involvement in the film which you can read here. This movie also features talent from many respected artists in SL, including Aki Shichiroji, Angrybeth Shortbread, Dizzy Banjo and Kean Kelly.
For those of you who recall, Dizzy Banjo created the abstract musical interactive art piece "I/O" which has its own scene in the film and also is a personal favorite of mine, scene-wise.
(photo by Dizzy Banjo)
Rob Danton built many props and items for the film, did special effects and filmed the SL sequences. Kean Kelly played a crucial role here, as she made stills to make the presentation for the film's funding, built the Helena character's house, and one of the hangouts in the film. This overall team is a good balance of creativity and dedication.
Disclaimer: As someone who worked on this movie, I'm biased. That said, I think everyone who plays in any virtual world, not just SL, should see this film. It is not just a film but a story that I think many people can relate to on many levels with their own experiences. Love, loss, inspiration, motivation, not many films of this caliber out using VRs. My Avatar and Me is a sweet, playful and deep film that I suggest any resident see at least once. From love to parallel worlds, this film is a voyage.
My Avatar and Me (official website): http://myavatarandme.com/
Full Cast Credits [pdf link]: http://www.myavatarandme.com/fullcredits.pdf
Post by ColeMarie Soleil of SLANE, a group of dedicated writers and everyday SL users here to provide you with interesting and informative articles on the people, places and things in Second Life that we love most.
Here are the SLURLs for the screening tonight, May 18th. Film starts at 10 AM SL time, Q&A starts around 12:40 PM SL Time.
Modern Venus Cinema
Majestic Cinema, Skandha
Briville Cine Club
After party here:
The Majestic Cinema, Akasha
Posted by: Mikkel Stolt | Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 07:08 AM