Media Blitz: UWA on Drax Files World Makers, Channel 9 Australia, and WA Today

Very pleased to see a steady stream of positive news reports on various media (both traditional RL & SL media) on the UWA presence in Second Life together with our partners from all over the world. Last night, UWA founder and lead Jay Jay Jegathesan (Jayjay Zifanwe) featured on the highly acclaimed 'Drax Files' World Makers series.

This followed on the heels of a report and video on the West Australian news portal WA TODAY, which focused on The Freedom Project, arguably the single most important event run by UWA in virtual worlds.

This episode of World Makers is particularly pleasing as so many brilliant filmmakers from around the world  like Iono Allen (France), Vilvi Rae (Finland), Pepa Cometa (France), Tutsy Navarathna (India), Karima Hoisan (Costa Rica), Rysan Fall (USA), Chic Aeon (USA) and Natascha Randt (Germany), among others are part of it, some whom I are seen for the first time 'in real life.

Brilliant wordsmith, Inara Pey described the episode and other related events on the Modem World news site:
http://modemworld.me/2015/09/23/the-drax-files-32-facilitating-art-and-machinima-in-second-life/#comments

News on this was further carried pon the official Second Life page:
https://community.secondlife.com/t5/Featured-News/The-Drax-Files-World-Makers-Episode-32-JayJay-Zifanwe/ba-p/2967513

Along with many leading sites around the world which write and blog on virtual worlds:

Digital Rabbit Hole: https://karimahoisan.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/the-drax-files-world-makers-episode-32-jayjay-zifanwe/

Ciaran Laval: http://sl.governormarley.com/?p=5407

Daniel Voyager: https://danielvoyager.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/the-drax-files-world-makers-episode-32-now-available-featuring-jayjay-zifanwe/

Kara's Korner: http://karasecondlife.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/the-drax-files-world-makers-episode-32.html

SL Artist
http://www.slartist.com/the-drax-files-world-makers-episode-32-jayjay-zifanwe_20dada67d.html

Jo Yardley's SL
https://joyardley.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/new-drax-files-world-makers-video-machinima-special/

Hunting SL
http://huntingsl.com/new-drax-files-world-makers-video-machinima-special/


All of this was preceded by a report on the Australian Channel 9 TV Station on the future of virtual reality technology.

Pursue Impossible: New Art & Machinima Works - Fuchsia, Panda, Nino, Dragonslord

'SURFING ON CERES' by Fuchsia Nightfire (Dorset, England) and Gweeb (Canada)


'GHOST RACE' by Panda (La Corneuve, France)

'Surfing on Ceres', a collaboration between Fuchsia Nightfire and Gweeb as well as 'Ghost Race' by Panda are the newest works in for the Pursue Impossible challenges. Interesting about panda's work is that its filmed entirely outside SL, and running to check the rules, we see that the way they are framed, the challenges are open to all forms of machinima! Thus for the first time in the MachinimUWA series, Panda brings us something completely different! These films are now part of MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible, the 8th UWA Short Animated Film Challenge.

Nino Vichan's 'Pursue the End of Homelessness'

Dragon's Lord's 'Reaching the Impossible' 

The Pursue Impossible Art Challenges continue with works coming in from Nino Vichan and Dragon's Lord, Nino with a melancholy piece touching the heart of humanity and Dragon's with an aspirational work. Both these works can be seen here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/64/132/249

UWA's L$560,000++ Pursue Impossible Art & Film challenges are so themed in honour of UWA adopting Pursue Impossible as their clarion call in real life. CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IN 31ST OCTOBER 2015.

You may interpret the theme 'Pursue Impossible' as you see fit, however the average viewer would need to be able to appreciate how you fit this theme (alternatively, please indicate in the notes that accompany your film how it fits). Your machinima must be made specifically for this challenge, and this should be indicated in the opening credits 'For The University of Western Australia's MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible' (or end credits if it works better creatively). You do not have to film on the UWA sims, however this of course will be appreciated, and there is a Special UWA Prize which will be made available to a film which starts at the same point as the UWA Pursue Impossible Video, at Winthrop Clock Tower.

ALSO, public viewing for PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE: The 6th UWA Grand 3D Art Challenge is now open (closing date for entries is the same as the Machinima - 31st October)

Do visit the UWA Challenge Gallery HERE to view the submissions so far.

 List of Submitted Machinima for MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible
(In Reverse Klingon Alphabetical Order)

Suzie Anderton (Bournemouth, England) - Pursue Impossible
Chic Aeon (Corvallis, Oregon, USA)  - Folding Time
Chantal Harvey (Maastricht, Netherlands) - Robi - oh my head
Panda (La Corneuve, France) - Ghost Race
Fuchsia Nightfire (Dorset, England) & Gweeb (Canada) - Surfing on Ceres

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PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE (Latest Entries 4)

Our latest entries for PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE. Deadline is coming up fast! All entries are due by 31 October. We know a lot of people are working hard on their entries and we expect an outstanding show as usual by the end. The prize pool stands at more than half a million Lindens for the 3D Art & Machinima Challenge. All entries will be documented an exhibition catalog as part of the UWA Studies in Virtual Arts (UWA SiVA) series.

First up is another remarkable work by Mistero Hifeng, who wowed us in last year's show, followed by an amazing full sim installation at LEA earlier this year. This piece is titled "Dream."

Next up is an immersive piece by Ginger Lorakeet titled: "It's always greener." It consists of a large aquarium box with a dividing wall in the middle. On one side it's sunny and bright with a paper boat on the shore. On the other side it's rainy and the boat has turned into a soggy sheet of paper. (Visitors should jump or fly out the top of the enclosure.)

A student from Barcelona, Sevio gives us a utopian vision of people living in harmony.

And finally we have a piece from Australian Sheba Blitz that is a "shrine to beauty and light."

MachinimUWA VIII: Suzie Anderton's 'Pursue Impossible'

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Suzie Anderton shows us how the human spirit can overcome anything, and that nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it.  Suzie's 'Pursue Impossible' takes us on a journey of belief and rediscovery. This film is now part of MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible, the 8th UWA Short Animated Film Challenge. UWA's L$560,000++ Pursue Impossible Art & Film challenges are so themed in honour of UWA adopting Pursue Impossible as their clarion call in real life. CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IN 31ST OCTOBER 2015.

You may interpret the theme 'Pursue Impossible' as you see fit, however the average viewer would need to be able to appreciate how you fit this theme (alternatively, please indicate in the notes that accompany your film how it fits). Your machinima must be made specifically for this challenge, and this should be indicated in the opening credits 'For The University of Western Australia's MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible' (or end credits if it works better creatively). You do not have to film on the UWA sims, however this of course will be appreciated, and there is a Special UWA Prize which will be made available to a film which starts at the same point as the UWA Pursue Impossible Video, at Winthrop Clock Tower.

ALSO, public viewing for PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE: The 6th UWA Grand 3D Art Challenge is now open (closing date for entries is the same as the Machinima - 31st October)

Do visit the UWA Challenge Gallery HERE to view the submissions so far.

 List of Submitted Machinima for MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible
(In Reverse Klingon Alphabetical Order)

Suzie Anderton (Bournemouth, England) - Pursue Impossible
Chic Aeon (Corvallis, Oregon, USA)  - Folding Time
Chantal Harvey (Maastricht, Netherlands) - Robi - oh my head

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PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE (Latest Entries 3)

We now have 11 entries for the PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE 3D art challenge. Here are the latest ones. I hope you're working on yours! Deadline is 31 October. Details.

Corcosman Voom:  An Ibis In Pursuit. Long-time contributor Corcosman give us a vibrant bird.

Dusty Canning: Impossible today? ... Possible tomorrow!Dusty shows us graphic examples of the pursuit of the impossible.

HOLALA Alter: Only Prince: Purple Rain
"Only in the metaverse my guitar sounds and the rain is purple."

K3W: Will I Dream?New to UWA, K3W gives us an evocative dreamer.

understandingcomplexity: My rl avatar
A simple statement of appreciation expressing what is possible in SL that was not possible in real life.

MachinimUWA VIII: Chantal Harvey's 'Robi - oh my head'

Robi – oh my head! from Mamachinima on Vimeo.

The doyen of Second Life Machinima, Chantal Harvey brings to us a playful piece 'Robi - oh my head', that explores some magical second life scenes. This film is now part of MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible, the 8th UWA Short Animated Film Challenge. UWA's L$560,000++ Pursue Impossible Art & Film challenges are so themed in honour of UWA adopting Pursue Impossible as their clarion call in real life. CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IN 31ST OCTOBER 2015.

You may interpret the theme 'Pursue Impossible' as you see fit, however the average viewer would need to be able to appreciate how you fit this theme (alternatively, please indicate in the notes that accompany your film how it fits). Your machinima must be made specifically for this challenge, and this should be indicated in the opening credits 'For The University of Western Australia's MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible' (or end credits if it works better creatively). You do not have to film on the UWA sims, however this of course will be appreciated, and there is a Special UWA Prize which will be made available to a film which starts at the same point as the UWA Pursue Impossible Video, at Winthrop Clock Tower.

ALSO, public viewing for PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE: The 6th UWA Grand 3D Art Challenge is now open (closing date for entries is the same as the Machinima - 31st October)

Do visit the UWA Challenge Gallery HERE to view the submissions so far.

 List of Submitted Machinima for MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible
(In Reverse Klingon Alphabetical Order)

Chic Aeon (Corvallis, Oregon, USA)  - Folding Time
Chantal Harvey (Maastricht, Netherlands) - Robi - oh my head

The Pursue Impossible Challenges on Aussie TV!

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The Pursue Impossible Challenges featured on Australian TV, on a programme called 'The Couch' which is hosted by Fred Mafrica. This long running series into its 533rd episode (since 2002).  It broadcasts on Foxtel in Australia on Aurora Channel 183.

Here UWA in Second Life Founder Jayjay Zifanwe (Jay Jay Jegathesan) is interviewed on the Pursue Impossible Art & Film Challenges by Neesha Seth at the 35:46 minute mark.

UWA thanks Eliza Wierwight for the beautiful poster she created for the challenge.
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PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE (Latest Entries 2)

The artists for our first six entries are each from different countries (Australia, USA, Brazil, Netherlands, France, Spain). In addition to the first two already mentioned, we now have the following:

Isaa Gelber (Sao Paolo, Brazil): RE LIQUIA (relic)
Isaa's simple but profound piece is about change and renewal.

 

Delain Canucci (Tiel,Netherlands): Connecting with the world and unite 
Delain's installation is a large immersive piece about making connections.

Louly Loon (Toulouse, France): Pursue Impossible

Ionsilver Whitman  (Málaga, Spain):  Parallel Universes
IonSilver expresses the reality we perceive vs. the reality we can imagine. 

Deadline for both 3D art and machinima entries for PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE is 31 October. All entries are eligible to compete for cash prizes and will be included in the official exhibition catalog to be published as part of the UWA SiVA series. See this page for complete details.

Lumiere Noir: Legend... Goodbye My Friend

LUMIERE (with the blessings of those who love him)

I heard the sad news that Lumiere Noir, the legendary creator of the Ivory Tower of Primitives has moved on from the mortal plane. Lumiere one of the kindest and most generous people with his knowledge and he was mentor to a whole generation of artists and creators some of whom count among the best artists in Second Life today.

Lumiere had been on the judging panels of the UWA Art and Film Challenges these past few years and it was an honour to have worked with him. Vincent Frost (Lumiere), you live on in our hearts and minds always. This world needed you in it more than 52 years... but in those years... WOW...

(click here for his speech from 2010 @ The Imagine Challenge winners announcements ... the very first Grand Finale held at UWA)

This is a little something, with dedications to him by a few people:

From TOSHA TYRAN
(SL Partner)

Oh Love, you are gone
and I wanted to tell you so much yet:
how I love you
cherish you.

How I love your voice
your stories
your laughter
your thoughtfulness
your sadness too.

Watching movies with you
endless discussions
and always your tenderness
your gentleness
your sweetness
which not only enclosed me
but all people that surrounded you.

Love, you are gone
but never for me
you and I we were of
one mind
one soul
and that will never change.

My sadness 

FROM GWEN CARRILON
Dear Vince,

What you loved about your favorite book of Japanese folk tales, were the unexpected endings to the stories.You once told me that those stories were great because they didn't always have happy endings.You said those stories were great because they unsettled the reader and caused one to pause and think.That was you all over! This was unexpected. You never did the expected.

You always taught others the benefits of taking the long and scenic route.You even pushed me to walk across town with you! I saw more of my own neighborhood with you than I had the whole time I lived there!

 "Walking is good for you! Things look and sound different when you walk You can see things you'd miss while in a car."

 Again- you were right.  (Though my feet didn't thank you !) You knew that the long way around was often the most rewarding.

You tried to teach me to speak Mandarin! Yes ...you tried, ( I never learned...but that was my fault.) because it was inconceivable that you could know something and not share that knowledge.  You were are born teacher. Your students at school were very fortunate to have you in their corner.

Your puns were painful ( I loved our pun wars! ) and your sense of humor quirky. I loved your mix of sarcasm with philosophy,your "Howdy howdy howdy" 's and your "toodles".

Teacher, artist, writer, crusader, adventurer, orator, designer, builder, dreamer, romantic, philosopher, spiritualist, optimist, fellow goofy person.  Friend. To say that I will miss your presence, is an understatement. I am one among many that were lucky enough to call you ....Friend.

[2009/06/27 20:02]  Lumiere Noir: ready!  Where shall we meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain?
[2009/06/27 20:03]  Gwen Carillon: send tp to the center of your consciousness ...I'll meet you by the dust bunnies

"Toodles", Vince,, and one last hug.


FROM JOPSY PENDRAGON (another legend of SL)
You were a muse, a source of inspiration, creativity and mad tinkering... and you brought out the best in all of us. I'll miss you and all the wonderous things that will never be created without you.

FROM ELIZA WIERWIGHT

I've struggled for days to write this, I'm very poor at parting with ​ the ​people​ that ​ I value. So I compartmentalise the grief  associated rather than embrace it head  on. In the terms of my friendship with Lumi, the memories,  the things I learnt from this Master Weaver of Prim,  ​the pleasure of ​constantly observing his effortless generosity  and not for a moment forgetting   the laughter ​we collectively ​shared​. ​We'd  need a ​ barrel of ​Mega prim​ of ​ proportion of storage to hold all that. Some of you will recall the kind​ of Mega prim I'm referring too​, the kind banned around 2011. The type had  the potential to spread across multiple regions. We wouldn't be going for a box shape though, it would be a Torus all the way, Lumi loved a good torus, it was his favourite prim ​type​. He in fact reminded a group of us one day that we all came out of a torus, you can't argue with that.​So ​I trawled my diabolical Inventory a few days ago when I heard the incredibly sad news of Lumi's far too early passing. Looking for images of him during our mis-adventures so that Jay could share them​ here ​ on this blog, looking for remnants of my friend in prim & code & text. Remembering exactly how I'd been fortunate enough to make his acquaintance & as time rolled on​,​ his friendship.​ I had it immediately, I just wasn't ​ immediately ​aware​​.​

In March 2009, I ​explored for my first time,  an incredible build​, Planet Mongo. So luminous, so complex, so bloody perfect. So  hedonistic in build terms an​d entirely ​ outside of the realm of anything​ else ​ I'd ever envisaged​ Inworld​. I was captivated. It ticked every creative box in me, the prim work I purred, the textures I wrung my hands with delight. I had  barely toyed with photography Inworld at that point being less than a year into SL  and yet I found myself compelled to grab vignettes of the pixels for my very own. ​One of those SL memories when you discover the work of someone and later when you log out you so get it, so understand the allure of the craft. Sort of prim euphoria.......​

​​A​pproximately ​ 6 months later I was going through my Inworld images and c​o​me across those​ Planet Mongo ​​textures ​ and mused ​how ​ beautiful  ​they ​ were  but also  ​​​had the potential to ​ be on one of my hanging Kimono builds​. The builds  I was constantly tweaking and returning too​  because it was the first time I felt I was articulating in prim something that was inherently me​. I slipped the texture onto the raw ​prim ​form​, ​it was magic. A texture made entirely from Lumi's skill & poetry of design. Now one thing I was fortunate to learn early in my building days was to give fair and appropriate credit, at the very least, seek permission when something focal in your work is derived outside your own immediate realm. So I sent this 'Lumiere Noir' a notecard, explaining what I'd done, asking whether he was okay with it all. Not long after I get an IM from Lumi, he teleports over to baby Patron to see the Kimono, gives his entire consent, rezzes his latest UFO build and ​ suddenly ​we're off. Creating havoc all over my half SIM, manic particles trailing, laugh​ing ​ like a lunatic​s​ & I suspect somewhere midst the chaos he's chattering about prim physics & server​ response times ​ & scripting.​​Also a​​round this time ​I​'m ​ predominantly keeping company ​of ​ some inspired  Builders, again serendipity, you know who you are, no need for name dropping. Sublime group of marauding miscreants we were. Mentioned in passing this really nice "Lumiere" dude I'd met, ​only ​to be​ sternly ​ informed​ with some immediate reverence that ​ I'd spent the afternoon hanging out with "The Grandfather of Building in Second Life", lofty for someone as young as Lumi  huh.​ Not to mention (as I haven't) the incredible skill base of those paying the accolades.​ I cringed thinking he'd been subjected to looking at my work.​ ​

The ​other inherent ​charm of Lumi is he never grand stranded his own value, I think it amused him to some degree but he never loitered there.​  See Lumi had​ simply ​ friended me​, pertaining ​to see  'something' in what I was ​ attempting to do ​ ​Inworld  & ​would drag me over to his SIM to see his recent works in progress which interesting​ly ​ ALWAYS became an informal one on one Lum​i ​ ​patiently ​teaching Eliza to build class​ (​he had a ​long streak of masochism in those days too apparently) I knew ​​at this point ​ he'd created the Ivory Tower and the legacy that was for many fledgling builders, I'd loitered there​ in times prior​. ​ Those that know me very well are aware that unless I'm in a specific head space I've the attention span of a flea.​ In those days great Builders just hadn't  developed the rockstar status ​I​ attributed ​ to them ​in later years. ​​That visceral reaction when you know someone truly exists beyond the pale.​ Lumi was somewhere beyond that class, just not to him.

​Naturally ​​components of our friendship weren't all about​ building, Lumiere​ was so multi faceted, he ​ ​ also ​used to read books in voice over at Planet Mongo ​ for groups of devotees ​on certain days  a week. Risqué science fiction, another joy. He'd slap me on the back of the head via IM prior to starting and command my attendance. Just never could say no. ​As a side note ​one of the most kitsch abhorrent works of mine, intentionally in this instance​ lol, ​ 'The Mr T Stained Glass Window" gifted to Lumi as a joke, he ​ genuinely ​adored and hung behind the seat where he read those stories​​. ​S​o​ I sat there and ​ squirmed with delight. MY work in Lumi's build, I mean seriously​. ​Does it get any better than that ? Well ​possibly​, but in those days I was buoyed​ & that fostered a confidence that extended far past my actual ability to build, great Teachers do that.​

So we're firm friends, I'm​ still ​ getting building classes one on one​ & ​​feeling guilty. Posed the potential of Lumi extending the premise to a slightly larger audience ​. He agreed, dragged the ​L​eague of Muses into the class realm and the ​apocalypse of ​fun starts. Don't get me wrong we were learning, constantly​, ​ but the fun had by all was off the charts. You get that many creative ​close friends ​​ in one spot it gets crazy, ​a special kind of ​crazy.

I've touched base with a few of the​se friends ​ over the last few days, we're all on the same page, feeling the​ immense ​ gravity of the loss of Lumi, reminiscing over his skill, ​his ​generosity, ​his ​superb sense of play. Promising each other to down tools or other and spend ​ more ​time together. Not a bad legacy Lumi​, ​ because you know at the end of the day it's a select few of us that will earn the merit of anyone actually recalling what we created​ Inworld​, the friendships though, the memories and feelings​, ​ they'll  quite thankfully never ​be gone & neither are you my friend, neither are you.​ 

​I'll let Keith handle the last part and I quote.​

"Keith Extraordinaire: *bows to the Luminator*"​
You nailed it Keith​.______________

Preludes in Higher Learning and Chaos. Lumiere Noir: E has already quite correctly noted my obsession with the torus Eliza Wierwight: I'm gifted finaaaaaaaaally ! Lumiere Noir: I adore kitsch​A​fter rezzing an incredibly intricate template he'd made earlier which had all our jaws dropped.Lumiere Noir: I find this stuff very freeing​I think my feeling at that point was something like "WTF"​On the topic of home crafted micro prim, we weren't very PC I'm afraidLumiere Noir: you should wind up with something even smaller than a Soylent Green crackerLumiere Noir: okay....on to the other really super tiny micro prim making methodLumiere Noir: this will yield something about the size of a grain of sandLumiere Noir: I'm not really sure what it will be useful forCuwynne Deerhunter: shields his eyesLumiere Noir: but when you want to cast prims into your enemies eyes...make a bunch of these and set them physical​.​Lumiere Noir: the prim's path is...well thing of it as a wad of play doughLumiere Noir: or ordinary dough if you're from a country with no play-dough!Lumiere Noir: the profile is what gives the prim it's horizontal shapeLumiere Noir: and the path gives it it's verticle shape...I hope that makes senseLumiere Noir: we're going to cut it along it's path, like a pieCuwynne Deerhunter: indeed
Lumiere Noir: or a do-nutLumiere Noir: I like do-nut metaphorsAshera Enoch likes donuts.Cuwynne Deerhunter: ~has some rude ones for later~Lumiere Noir: and this is a pretty good base for a ring, you can shrink it down and use it for oneEliza Wierwight: oh myLumiere Noir: lolAriadne Barzane: Was waiting for that to start!​I can't share the rest of that group conversation, it takes a salacious dive into Hell and mirth.​........​

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MachinimUWA VIII: Chic Aeon's 'Folding Time'

Multiple award winning American filmmaker, Chic Aeon's brings us 'Folding Time', a soulful film that touches the very soul. This is the first film to be part of MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible, the 8th UWA Short Animated Film Challenge. UWA's L$560,000++ Pursue Impossible Art & Film challenges are so themed in honour of UWA adopting Pursue Impossible as their clarion call in real life. CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IN 31ST OCTOBER 2015.

You may interpret the theme 'Pursue Impossible' as you see fit, however the average viewer would need to be able to appreciate how you fit this theme (alternatively, please indicate in the notes that accompany your film how it fits). Your machinima must be made specifically for this challenge, and this should be indicated in the opening credits 'For The University of Western Australia's MachinimUWA VIII: Pursue Impossible' (or end credits if it works better creatively). You do not have to film on the UWA sims, however this of course will be appreciated, and there is a Special UWA Prize which will be made available to a film which starts at the same point as the UWA Pursue Impossible Video, at Winthrop Clock Tower.

ALSO, public viewing for PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE: The 6th UWA Grand 3D Art Challenge is now open (closing date for entries is the same as the Machinima - 31st October)

Do visit the UWA Challenge Gallery HERE to view the submissions so far.

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