Imagine you’re the director on a film set, but everything around you is a vibrantly animated world. You’re also not REALLY in this world; you’re actually at home in your pajamas with your feet kicked up. You’re logged into this world as your virtual avatar; the cast and crew are all avatars as well! Within this world, you have the power to build virtually anything. In fact, this is probably the closest experience you can have to being a higher power. You can change the weather, have buildings fall, stage a light saber battle, all while recording the animated footage into your computer. Works for the control freak in all of us!

This form of virtual world filmmaking is called Machinima. According to Wikipedia, “Machinima” is the use of real-time graphics-rendering (usually virtual world game) engines, mostly 3-Dimensional, to generate computer animation. In a virtual world, avatars and settings are functioning in real time- so you see what a person logged in thousands of miles away sees.

Allow me to take you into my world. Just the other week, I was asked to produce an underwater scene for a corporate training video. The underwater environment was selected as a way to train the company’s workers in an exciting way.

8AM Second Life Time- I log into my computer at about 11AM my time, as virtual world time is 3 hours ahead of us. I watch as my team’s film set rezzes around me—an underwater reef with schools of tropical fish, swaying seaweed, and a large 3-slide corporate powerpoint presentation floating in the water.

9:10 AM SLT- I watch as a puff of smoke formulates around me. Poof, the smoke disappears to reveal a corporate female avatar, who in the human world is Peggy, a professional voice actress.“Hey there, Peggy. Are you rezzed yet?” I speak into my mic. I move my avatar closer and playfully circle around her. “Yes Ariella- Where do you want me?” I raise my avatar hand in the direction of a yellow ball on top of a large rock. “Right there, the pose ball marks the spot. Right click and sit.” I watch Peggy’s avatar pop on top of the rock and the scripting inside it automatically positions her avatar into a professional sitting pose. Occasionally, her hands and head automatically move as if she is explaining something. Peggy’s avatar is set!

9:30 AM SLT- The male manager avatar, David, is here. He takes his position on the pose ball, but a school of tropical tiger fish swim right through David’s head. ‘Darn!’ I thought, ‘’We need to reposition these pesky things.” On my screen, I open up a contacts list and click teleport next to our set designer’s name, Cody. Instantly, I convey the problem, and I see Cody’s avatar hand raised to reposition the fish to a higher position. The fish pop into place. Bravo, Cody!

10 AM SLT- Everyone is set. I ask my two avatar actors to do a sound check- they speak clearly through their headsets from their home offices. Their character’s lips move in sync to what they are saying, a key for editing. I make one adjustment: I am not happy with the lighting so I open up a menu that allows me to move the positioning of the sun in my scene. I watch the beams of light penetrating the water land perfectly on my two actor avatars, softening them up. We are ready to go!

10:30 AM SLT- I turn on my computer software, a mimic of a real life camera. It will actually capture video files of what I see on my screen. I turn on my specialized mouse, which is shaped like a large disc. I twist and turn the disc when I want to move my perspective on my screen. The result? A virtual dolly cam—smooth movements make each shot look professional and smooth. I film multiple takes- close ups, long shots, and moving shots.

1 PM SLT- The shoot is over! I thank my actors, log out of the virtual world and import the footage I just captured into my video editor. The whole step of lugging equipment back and trying to get home after a long day on set? Eliminated!

Once the edit is finished, the client will receive a professionally polished product that cuts between the different angles of the script. Seems pretty standard, right? Except what other company can say they figured out how to teach the actors to breathe underwater? In the virtual world, you can’t help but feel like a sea of possibilities lies in your hands.

By Animation Artist Ariella Furman,
CEO of Framed in 3D

www.framedin3d.com