Binge Watch: Someone is Creating a Comedic Neo-Noir Detective Series Shot Entirely in Second Life -- And It's Pretty Damn Cool!

From the maker of the hit machinima video "MESHONME", the first rap song inspired by Second Life, comes Lang, a private detective machinima series shot in Second Life.

Seriously, a whole series: Season Two and episode nine just came out! The editing and neo-noir cinematography is great, the voice acting is solid, and the dialog has some wry, self-aware humor. Lead creator Zatch Ixchel tells me that that's intentional:

"Lang began as a joke, and in many ways, it still is – at its core, it is a parody of the 'original series' we all like to binge on Netflix or HBO. The idea was always that Herman Lang believes he is the star of one of these highbrow TV shows, and acts accordingly. Sadie King, the show’s true protagonist, keeps things grounded. In short, Lang is a comedy series about two private investigators, one that’s competent, and one named Lang."

Another element I really appreciate: Unlike most SL machinima, the lip sync in Lang is pretty solid. Here's how he pulled that off: 

"Inaccurate lip sync is something that always bothered me about my own work, and the art of machinima in general," as Zach explains. "I wanted Lang to be accessible to viewers that may not be familiar with Second Life; poor lip sync and the resulting lack of dialogue is the first thing that breaks immersion, in my experience.

"In order to get the lips to match the dialogue, the actor(s) refer to the script. I have them start and stop their 'talking' animations according to the syllables of each line. It is just as important to include shots of the actor listening as well. These shots are then combined and 'tuned' in post-production to improve the effect. We have been experimenting with more advanced methods, and I believe Season 3 will feature nearly perfect lip-sync."

Yes, he's already planning Season 3! And episode 2 of Season 2 is going live very soon. Better just go and subscribe to his YouTube channel so you'll be first to see each new episode as it drops.

Comments

[AngelFaceDGAF]

Love his show!! He’s definitely one of the most talented on the grid. And one of the episodes was shot in Luxe LA!! 🥰